Canada Post boosting staff, expanding delivery services for the holidays

Canada Post is gearing up for another busy holiday season with Black Friday sales officially kicking off the annual shopping rush.

The national courier service told Global News it was adding more staff, vehicles, aircraft and equipment for the 2023 holiday season.

“The holiday season is quickly approaching and we are excited to deliver the best peak season ever for Canadians and businesses across the country,” said Lisa Liu, a Canada Post spokesperson, in an emailed statement.

The company is also expanding weekend delivery, extending hours in some post offices, and adding pick-up and drop-off locations.

Moreover, a new parcel processing capacity has been added in Toronto, which will impact Canadians and businesses across the country as most of Canada’s parcels originate in the Greater Toronto Area, Liu said.

These additions will support Canada Post’s network of nearly 5,900 post offices, almost 470 depots and 22 processing plants across the country, she added.

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Mail deliveries typically peak around the holidays, but the high cost of living is impacting how much Canadians plan to spend on holiday shopping this year, polling shows.

Nearly 80 per cent of Canadians said in an Ipsos poll conducted exclusively for Global News in October that inflation and rising interest rates have had a “significant” impact on their holiday budgets.

A growing number of Canadians are also delaying significant purchases, with shopping intentions rising for expected deals on Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Boxing Day, according to survey findings released last month by Leger and the Retail Council of Canada.

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Regular mail within Canada can take between two to four business days, but weather and mail volume can affect delivery, Canada Post says on its website.

The company has an online tool to help customers calculate how long parcel deliveries could take.

“Customers will have more shipping and pricing options by visiting their post office sooner,” Liu said.

“We also recommend that when ordering online customers should make sure to read the retailer’s shipping details and choose the best delivery option that works for them.”

Bad weather hampered deliveries last year as a major winter storm slammed across the country ahead of the Christmas weekend.

Canada Post had to suspend or delay its delivery services in many regions because of the difficult weather conditions.