Canadian Union of Postal Workers strike might lead to more in-person sales for larger companies 

Body Shop Store Manager Michelle McCracken says the ongoing strike will affect smaller businesses, but drive sales for larger independent street-level stores.

“As an outcome of this, smaller businesses will probably need to source to more expensive shipping options, but us being an independent street- level store like we are, is going to help us harvest some of the benefits and help our brick-and-mortar sales,” she says.

Brick- and mortar sales are in-store sales that aren’t dependent on shipping companies to deliver products to customers, like Canada Post.

Last Friday 55,000 postal workers represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers went on a national strike. The union is asking Canada Post for a 22-per cent increase in wages over the next four years, but the latter has only offered to guarantee an 11-per cent increase.

McCracken says their demands are valid especially with the current high inflation rates.

“In order to maintain the integrity of the service , they should ask for whatever they feel they need, because they know best. Inflation is huge, we can’t keep up with it. The cost of living is too much, so I think they are well within their rights to ask for what they need,” she says.

The Body Shop isn’t directly affected by the strike, since they haven’t been accepting online orders for more than eight months. The company filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. and Canada last March, and ever since 33 locations within Canada have closed.

Despite shutting down many of their stores, The Body Shop remains open in seven different branches across Toronto. Before filing for bankruptcy, their products were shipped through the U.S. with shipping companies like IUPS and Fedex.

McCracken says the store aims to increase their sales targets between from one to five per cent around the holidays.

“I think now our sales targets will be higher, because we are not shipping. We will see an influx of people coming in to the stores, and getting their product in-hand as opposed to waiting on delivery dates like in past years,” she says.

McCracken says the strike won’t horribly affect retail stores dependent on Canada Post.

“A strike of this magnitude resolves fairly quickly, and with the push of Black Friday and the holidays coming, the negotiating parties would like to resolve this issue,” she says.

Full-time Team Lead Katherine Margot says despite everything happening, is really fun to see how exciting everyone gets with the holidays coming up.

” I love Christmas myself, so is always exciting to see the new seasonal gift sets and their designs. On a personal note, I just love being with my family, they host a Christmas party every year, and spending time together is always very cosy,” she says.

For more information about the ongoing strike visit :https://www.cupw.ca/en/news-and-events