With Canada Post employees on strike, one Canadian courier company said it’s prepared to meet the increasing demand.
In an announcement on Wednesday, Purolator stated that it’s ready to receive more customers due to the strike and ahead of the busy holiday shopping season, and it’s already seen double-digit volume growth in just a week.
“Purolator is open for business,” said Chris Spanjaard, senior vice president and chief operations officer at Purolator, in a statement.
“As the courier company with the largest reach in Canada, our network is well prepared and ready to deliver continued success for our customers and all Canadians, including those who have been impacted by the recent Canada Post labour disruption.”
After failed negotiations, over 55,000 Canada Post employees began a nationwide strike on Friday, November 15.
“Canada Post had the opportunity to prevent this strike, but it has refused to negotiate real solutions to the issues postal workers face every day,” read a statement from the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW).
In addition to delays, mail and parcels will not be processed or delivered during the national strike, and some post offices will be closed.
To address this, Purolator is offering budget-friendly options and shipping promotions. These include a flat-rate box starting at $15 plus taxes and fees for province-wide shipping, and $20 for ground shipping for the rest of Canada. You can also claim a coupon for 50% off here.
The company said it’s ready to meet demand and expects to process over 43 million packages from November to December 25.
Cyber Monday, on December 2, will be the busiest day of the year, while the busiest week is from December 1 to 7, with the company anticipating over six million packages.
“Our network is primed and ready to deliver during the busiest season of the year,” said Spanjaard.
With files from Isabelle Docto