Most Canadian stores look familiar to Americans. But then they don’t. Americans walk into Canadian stores, expecting the same chips & candy bars, then something feels off. It’s often because some everyday Canadian products don’t exist at all in the United States, often because of import rules or naming issues.
Others are simply staples that never made it south of the border. Here are ten Canadian convenience store items that Americans don’t expect to see. Which do you think would surprise you the most when shopping?
Smarties that are chocolate
Smarties in the United States are essentially compressed sugar tablets, but they’re completely different in Canada. They’re candy-coated chocolate pieces. The difference in products can be quite surprising for many Americans since they’re not expecting candies like these.
In fact, the American version of Smarties is actually called “Rockets” in Canada. It can be quite confusing.
Aero bars with bubbly, aerated chocolate
Aero bars look quite normal. Then you open one up & see the bubbles. They’re a regular convenience-store chocolate in Canada, but most Americans remember them as a discontinued product, if they remember them at all.
They’re sometimes surprised to see that Canada still sells them as a regular item at the convenience store.
Hickory Sticks as potato sticks
The majority of potato snacks in America come in slices or curls, and that means seeing something like Hickory Sticks in Canada can be a little strange. They’re not used to seeing potato snacks in stick format.
Americans are usually taken aback even more when they realize that these sticks come with smoky seasoning. They tend to view it as a novelty potato snack.
Kraft Dinner snack cups
Canadian Kraft Dinner goes beyond the blue box, as Kraft Heinz Canada also sells KD in microwaveable cup form. They’re seen more as quick meals to eat by yourself instead of grocery store items.
Many Americans don’t expect to see KD coming in single-serve cups in the same way. It’s been quite a while since KD has been in that format in the American market.
Vinegar sold in small bottles for food
Yes, Americans do have vinegar. But it usually comes in other formats, rather than small bottles of white or malt vinegar like in Canadian convenience stores, and it’s often used for cleaning in America.
But Canadians love putting vinegar on fries, so having small bottles of the stuff makes sense to them. Americans don’t expect to be able to buy the stuff as a regular food topping.
Large-format pickled eggs sold individually
That’s not all for tanginess. Some Canadian convenience stores sell single pickled eggs, usually near hot food or deli-style counters, and they’re snacks you can buy to eat immediately.
The few places that do sell pickled eggs in America are usually specific regions or bars. It’s not the norm to see companies treating them as regular convenience store items that anyone can buy at any time.
Mint sauce and other roast-style condiments in small jars
You’ll also find mint sauce in small jars in some Canadian convenience stores. They’re usually near the ketchup & mustard. It does exist in a few American stores, yet it’s often tied to specific meals for specific seasons, rather than an all-year offering.
Americans are also more used to seeing sweeter & thicker mint jelly over actual mint sauce.
Thrills gum with the “still tastes like soap” tagline
The weirdest part of Thrills gum in Canada isn’t the fact that you can still get it at checkouts. It’s the fact that the wrapper doesn’t shy away from its reputation, as it has the “still tastes like soap” slogan.
It can be a little odd for Americans when they see gum being marketed in such a way.
Maynards Swedish Berries in the candy aisle
It’s easy to find Swedish Berries sold under the Maynards name in practically every Canadian convenience store. But they’re usually only available in America as a niche or throwback item, so seeing them in a Canadian store is different.
Mackintosh’s Toffee in bar form
There are no fillings or extra layers to Mackintosh’s Toffee in Canada, and that’s because it’s a typical confection over here. We stock it here accordingly. Americans are sometimes surprised to see a straight-up toffee bar at the register because it’s not as common a candy bar at the checkout.
The only way you can get it in America is as an import.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
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