Canada Post said this week that the parcel surge around Black Friday and Cyber Monday could exceed its capacity. It is not up to small shops to solve this problem, but they are the first to feel its effects. When a parcel from a large retailer arrives late, customers accept it. When a parcel from the small store in town arrives after Christmas, they remember it.
The volume will be significant. Canada Post has been handling Christmas-level volumes since the spring. Most of Quebec's larger cities are in the red zone, dining rooms are closed and, even where shops are open, many people are choosing not to go. The holiday rush is moving online whether small stores are ready or not.
A small shop has fewer resources than the large retailers for the next two weeks, but a few measures have far more impact than the rest.
When should you publish your holiday shipping cut-off dates?
Today. This is the top priority.
Canada Post has published its holiday deadlines. Depending on the service and the destination, they fall between early and mid-December. These are the dates by which the parcel must be in the system. Your own date must be earlier, because you need time to pack, and because this year it would be prudent not to rely on any deadline holding to the exact day.
Take their dates for the services you use, move them a few days earlier and display your own cut-offs where customers will see them:
- a line at the top of your website
- on every product page, if your platform allows it
- in your order confirmation email
- as a pinned post on Facebook and Instagram
Then plan a second, later date for local pickup. It serves as a fallback: someone who missed the shipping cut-off on December 15 can still come by on the 22nd. Large online stores cannot offer this option; a local business can.
If you ship more than a few parcels, the Canada Post business program is free to join and its rates are better than at the counter. Registration takes ten minutes; it is best done before the busy period.
What kind of offer works best for a small store?
One clear offer. A small store cannot compete on price with Amazon or Walmart, and we advise against trying.
What usually works for a small shop is an offer anyone can understand instantly: free shipping over a certain amount, a gift with purchase, a bonus on gift cards, or a bundle of three complementary products you have plenty of. Choose one, run it from Black Friday through Cyber Monday and describe it the same way everywhere.
Ten different discounts on ten different products create an impression of clutter. They cause confusion, reduce your margin on products you would have sold anyway and make your emails harder to write. A single line stating exactly what the customer receives is more effective.
Check your margin before you choose
Free shipping seems generous until you add up what you pay per parcel. Calculate the numbers on a typical order before announcing anything. An offer that loses money on every sale is not a viable business strategy.
How should you manage inventory for the season?
Treat your current stock as the stock for the entire season. Suppliers have been slow all year. If a product sells out on November 28, it is unlikely to be restocked before Christmas.
Review what you have, what is on order and what is realistic. Apply your offer to products you have plenty of. Enter accurate stock counts in your online store so it stops selling items that are sold out, because having to refund an order in December harms the customer relationship. If a product is almost gone, say so. "Last few" is transparent and helps customers decide.
What is the most effective channel this season?
Your email list. Facebook and Instagram are saturated at the moment. Every business is posting, advertising costs more in November and December than during the rest of the year, and your Black Friday post is competing with those of every other store in the country.
Your email list is different. It is made up of people who have already bought from you or asked to hear from you. They opened your emails when you announced your closure in the spring, and again when you announced that pickup was available. It is a small shop's most valuable asset this season, and most do not use it enough.
A plan like this is sufficient:
- A short email early next week with your shipping cut-offs and a preview of the offer.
- An email on Black Friday morning presenting the offer.
- A reminder on Cyber Monday.
- An email in early December about the last shipping day and the pickup date.
Keep them short, with one idea per email, and send them only to people who agreed to receive them. Canada's anti-spam law applies to small shops too, and this practice respects your customers.
If you do not have a list yet, we recommend starting one today: a signup box on your site, a line on your receipts, a question at checkout. The effect will be limited this month, but substantial next year. Setting up proper email newsletters seems secondary until the moment you need them.
Is buying local a selling point this year?
Yes. In Quebec, buying local is attracting more interest than ever. Le Panier Bleu has existed since April, the government continues to promote the idea, and many customers genuinely want their holiday spending to stay in their region this year.
State clearly where you are and who you are. A small store does not need to appear larger than it is in December. Being the local shop that ships on time, answers its emails and offers a pickup date on the 22nd is a strong argument in itself.