How the Canada Post strike could affect your Black Friday shopping

Canadians gearing up to search for deals on Black Friday might face disruptions from the Canada Post strike, experts warn. Here's how the work stoppage might affect shipping times.

A nationwide shutdown of Canada Post is set to have major implications for the biggest shopping weekend of the year, experts warn.

Workers at the national postal service remain on strike for a second week, with the Crown corporation reporting that “limited” progress was made on talks over the weekend.

The union representing striking postal workers is seeking improved wages to catch up with years of inflation and job security, while Canada Post is looking to implement a new model that could roll out seven-day-a-week delivery to bolster its struggling business.

The postal service said Monday that it has missed out on delivering some 10 million parcels in the first 11 days of the strike.

With Canada Post ground to a halt heading into the busy Black Friday-Cyber Monday weekend, businesses and experts are warning consumers may end up paying more or missing holiday gift-giving deadlines as a result of the strike.

Retail analyst Bruce Winder says that the impacts on Canadian shoppers will vary depending on where they’re spending their money this weekend.

For those shopping on the pages of mega-marketplaces like Amazon or on the websites of other major retailers, the impact from the Canada Post strike is likely to be minimal, he explains.

That’s because it’s predominantly small businesses who lean on the national postal service for affordable shipping, whereas the bigger players have their own logistics networks and standing contracts with couriers to fall back on.