Sask. local businesses seeing holiday sales dip due to Canada Post strike

Canada Post employees are heading back to work after a month-long dispute – leading many local businesses to breathe a sigh of relief. However, business is not back to usual just yet.

"We've had a lot of vendors who can't get us product, who can't get product to their customers, and as a result, they're just not having the normal Christmas they usually have," said Janelle Anderson, owner of Handmade Saskatchewan.

Anderson's business runs on a consignment model, selling various products from over 100 local businesses across the province, many of which, are located in rural communities.

"We've actually had to cancel a few orders, because they need them for Christmas, and we can't guarantee they're going to get them. UPS, FedEx, Purolator don't service a lot of these communities," Anderson said.

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Kimberly Lewis is the owner of Seven Stones by Kimberly, which operates out of Moose Jaw. The business owner and artist said that many of her customers are located in rural communities, which poses added logistical issues.

"I can't ship to any, P.O. box. I would say I'm where I should be at like 150 percent capacity, during this busy time. I'm not, I'm like at 30 or 40 if that, like it's just dropped down," she explained.

Lewis shared that she has spent over $700 in additional shipping costs, trying to ensure customers receive their orders by Christmas.

Canada Post is currently working through all of the parcels which have been trapped in the system since the work stoppage began on Nov. 15.

The Crown corporation added that Canadians should expect delays in shipping over the rest of December and into January.

For business owners like Lewis, who had products in the mail at the time of the strike, it is now a waiting game.

"I think it's great. hopefully, like, some Christmas cheer can still be spread with those packages that are just in limbo, sitting wherever they are," she said.

"I know I have a lot of customers, all over Canada, in the USA that have been messaging me and I'm like, that's out of my hands ... and hopefully, your packages will arrive by Christmas."

Both Lewis and Anderson shared that their businesses will survive in spite of losing the holiday sales bump, but other local businesses may not be so lucky.

"The Canada Post strike is sort of affecting us in a way that people are tending to shop with Amazon now because they have their own delivery service," Anderson said.

"So, we would like to encourage people just to continue to support your local vendors that are being impacted by this."