Even though the Canadian dollar is trading above parity, consumers are not reaping the rewards when it comes to retail shopping.

A large price gap exists between Canadian retail prices and those south of the border, even with the two dollars being relatively equal in value.

Diane Brisebois of the Retail Council of Canada said that merchants she represents are being unfairly singled out becasue of higher prices.

She said that because Canada’s population is small in comparison to the U.S., large multinational vendors can enforce a special Canadian price for brand-name products.

The increase in cost can be any where from 35 per cent to 40 per cent higher than in the U.S.