This year, your cup of coffee or your child’s favorite toy may end up costing you a penny.
According to Drewry Shipping, shoppers in British Columbia are already feeling the impact of the global container shortage. The average cost of shipping a 40-foot steel cargo container is more than 500% higher than the seasonal average. The lasting impact may mean that we are seeing price increases for many common household items, including packaging appliances, furniture, toys, etc.
Then came the atmospheric river incident in British Columbia on November 15th, which caused massive power outages and destroyed most of the province’s highway infrastructure, largely cutting off the inland and lower continental plains.
With trucks and trains temporarily out of service-during the busiest shopping season of the year, we have five tips for purchasing purposefully and receiving packages before 2022.
The best way to ensure you get the goods and support local small business owners and suppliers is to shop in person. If browsing is not a good idea for you, check their website and social media feeds to learn about the product or call to make sure the item you want is in stock.
Online shopping and in-store pickup (if possible) are the best of both worlds, because if the product does not meet your expectations, you can return it on the spot. There are several stores that offer this service, including IKEA, Superstore, Nordstrom, Best Buy (whose Black Friday offers are already in progress), and Canadian Tire (to get the upper hand in the Black Friday offers, click here).
Etsy is the number one online destination for handmade and antique goods, but did you know that you can filter the shopping experience for a more localized experience? Enter an item in the search bar (ie: "party decoration"), then click "all filters" and set the store location to Canada.
To get closer to home, click on the store name and it will take you to their landing page, which usually lists the city/province.
(Some of the BC-manufactured items we currently covet include these hand-made decorative Christmas trees and this beautiful cable-knit scarf.)
Amazon also has a provincial "storefront" filled with excellent Canadian small businesses, such as the foldable pet fence Wander Wild in Sydney.
If gift shopping is the most important thing, start with what is most needed first: technology and toys are always off the shelves (this year may be busier, because Canadians expect to spend more this season than in 2020, there are parties, secrets in In some places, Santa Claus and family gatherings have almost returned to normal).
Shop early and always double check the shipping options and estimated dates in your area. Keep an email folder with a digital receipt, if the price drops within a few weeks, it may be worth checking for price adjustments.
Leaving aside current road conditions, ordering goods that do not cross borders is smoother than international shopping (no tariffs and fewer delays). Several big-name retailers (such as Zara and Gap) ship from warehouses in Canada. Otherwise, look for Canadian retailers such as The Bay, Aritzia, Lululemon, Simons, Ssense, Plenty, Toys R Us, Parks Canada, Roots, Holt Renfrew, Canada Goose, Reitmans, Atmosphere, RW&Co., RYU, Tkees, Knix, TenTree , Frank and Oak, Dynamite, Sportcheck, Joe Fresh and Mark's.
If you shop through Amazon, Prime subscription can offset shipping costs and speed up the process. Look out for products that are "sold and shipped by Amazon," because these products tend to move faster than products shipped directly from retailers.