As Canada Post workers prepare for a possible strike, small businesses gearing up for any eventuality

Small businesses and shipping firms are preparing for a possible Canada Post strike as early as next week, a disruption they warn could strain supply chains and freeze millions of packages as well as billions of dollars in sales.

 

Mom-and-pop shops and e-commerce companies have started making alternative arrangements to get their packages to consumers and clients — but many are already frustrated.

 

In Cape Breton, N.S., yarn retailer Tracy Hubbard says she’s begun tallying the hit to her bottom line if she’s forced to ship through a large courier, which typically charges more for parcels than Canada Post.

While a burgeoning crop of last-mile carriers and shipping platforms saw their volumes surge during last year’s month-long postal strike, many were caught off guard and found they could handle only a fraction of the demand.

 

Jarrett Stewart, in charge of commercial operations at delivery startup GoBolt, says a Canada Post work stoppage would mean more customers but also more headaches if the big couriers it relies on such as FedEx and UPS cap freight volumes.

 

Alternative shipping company Stallion Express says a strike would stall billions of dollars in e-commerce revenue and leave rural shoppers waiting for essential goods.

 

 

 

 

 

This article was first reported by The Canadian Press