With Canada Post workers picketing, a business leader is reminding residents there are plenty of brick-and-mortar stores on Vancouver Island where people can shop for Christmas and the holidays.
The postal strike began Friday, Nov. 15, and depending on how long it lasts, could affect online orders with the holidays on the horizon. There are ways to shop without fretting about whether gifts will arrive on time, according to Steven Johns, Downtown Nanaimo Business Association vice-chairperson.
"Just over the last [five to 10 years], online shopping has become a big thing, and I just think it's a good reminder that there's a lot of really good shopping in Nanaimo, not just downtown, but all of Nanaimo, there's a lot of really cool boutique shops up in the north as well," said Johns.
Shopping locally is important to the local economy, he said, as it keeps money in local communities, "supporting local employees and local wages."
"It shows Nanaimo that people want these shops [and] these businesses to be here, and there's things that are offered in Nanaimo and in different areas of Nanaimo that aren't offered online, with or without a strike," said Johns. "I think it's important … to remind people constantly of that. We don't always have to go online, and online can be unpredictable."
In addition, online shoppers aren't afforded the benefit of one-on-one interaction, whereas local merchants provide customers with that "personal feel," he said.
"You don't just order it online and hope that it's the right fit, and then have to send it back three times to get something else, you get someone to actually give you advice," he said. "These people have years and years of experience."
Dan Kelly, Canadian Federation of Independent Business president, said the postal strike is coming at an inopportune time in light of a recent port strike and particularly devastating to small businesses.
"We’re just getting the ports back in operation and now retailers may start to receive goods again that were frozen in the ports for a while, but now they’re going to struggle to get them out to their end consumer because of the postal strike," he told the Canadian Press.
In a statement Nov. 15, Canada Post said the stoppage in parcel and letter delivery would last the duration of the strike, and when delivery resumes, it will take place in a "first-in, first-out basis."
-files from the Canadian Press.
