Canada Post broke a record for the number of parcels delivered in a single day last month, thanks in part to small- and medium-sized sellers fulfilling online orders. On Monday December 21, 2020, it delivered a record 2.4 million parcels.
During the two weeks leading up to and including Christmas Eve, Canada Post delivered a total of nearly 20 million parcels.
Adding further context, the company said in 2017, it delivered one million parcels on 67 different days, mostly during the holiday season. In 2020, it began delivering a million or more parcels a day in mid-April – and it continued right through to the end of the year, for 181 consecutive delivery days.
Canada Post shared three key learnings:
- Canada’s small and medium-sized businesses have stepped up to take a stronger presence in the online shopping space;
- Canadians expect more items to be conveniently delivered;
- The demands on delivery companies will continue to grow substantially.
The number of parcels Canada Post received from small businesses grew by more than 50% in 2020 compared to 2019. Much of that growth occurred as they ramped up sales in the fourth quarter – growth of 62% in October, 73% in November and 85% in December.
Based on industry analysis and internal numbers, Canada Post believes Canadian retail ecommerce sales grew by 54% in 2020 to $62.9 billion and will reach almost $80 billion by 2023.
“At Canada Post, we believe the rapid and sustained shift to online shopping created a tipping point that will have a profound impact on the Canadian economy, especially as we build back from COVID-19,” it stated in a press release on Monday.
