FedEx Canada has taken various measures to prepare for the busy peak Christmas period adding more capacity, new flights and aircraft while also expanding its retail network as a projected increase in online shopping during the holiday period is likely to give another boost to parcel volumes in the country.
Continuing its strategic investment in network growth and capacity, FedEx Corp. has invested $1.6 billion in FedEx Ground during this fiscal year, most of which is being spent on more capacity and automation with more than 160 major expansion projects. In Canada, this includes a 37,161 sqm hub in Vaughan, Ontario, that is currently under construction.
FedEx Express has also enhanced the capabilities of its global network through a fleet modernisation programme with 30 new, more reliable and efficient aircraft added over the past year (2 B777Fs, 18 B767Fs and 10 B757Fs). In Canada, FedEx has added a new B757 freighter to its domestic air fleet which is servicing the Canadian maritime provinces from November improving this region’s connectivity with Western and Central Canada.
FedEx has also further expanded its retail network enabling Canadians to use the full suite of FedEx services at any of the 423 FedEx counters nationwide including locations at select Home Hardware locations, all Super C stores based in Quebec and all FedEx Office locations throughout Canada.
As Christmas approaches, Canadians are increasingly turning to the internet to purchase their gifts to avoid the stress related to holiday shopping. According to the fourth annual FedEx Express Canada Online Shopping Intentions Survey, 77% of Canadians believe it is more convenient to shop for gifts online than in stores and plan to do almost half of their holiday shopping online this year.
“With all the shopping, baking, cleaning, entertaining and travel that’s involved with the holidays, it can be an incredibly stressful time for many of us,” Lisa Lisson, president of FedEx Express Canada, said. “To minimise this stress and enjoy the holiday season, more Canadians than ever before will be looking to purchase their presents online this year.”
Canadians see many advantages in online shopping, with 62% of the survey respondents saying that it is easier to compare prices when shopping online and almost half (41%) find better deals online. Just over half of Canadians (51%) also enjoy the greater selection, believing they can buy products online that are not available elsewhere.
The surge in online holiday shopping could have a positive impact on Canadian retailers this year as almost three quarters of the consumers surveyed (71%) are unlikely to purchase goods online from US retailers this holiday season with the US dollar being currently very high. Half of the survey respondents said that Canadian online retail websites have just as good a selection as their US counterparts, and 41% believe prices are as good as those offered on US sites.
“While the high exchange rate may discourage Canadians from sending their shopping dollars south this year, consumers should embrace this as an opportunity to explore all the excellent options Canadian e-tailers have to offer this holiday season,” Lisson said. “Our mission at FedEx is to connect all Canadians, whether they are shopping online with Canadian e-tailers or internationally, and make their holiday season easier and worry-free.”
According to e-Marketer, retail e-commerce sales in Canada are projected to rise by nearly 17% to almost $30 billion this year.
