The Era of Expensive Parcel Delivery is Over in Canada as Sendle Brings Affordable, 100% Carbon-Neutral Shipping to Small Businesses

With shipping rates that are 88% cheaper than Canada Post, Sendle aims to address the top frustrations Canadians have with courier services that result in nearly two-thirds abandoning their online shopping carts at checkout

Sendle has arrived in Canada to bring more choice and competition to the Canadian shipping industry so that small businesses can compete with big eCommerce companies. Sendle’s debut in Canada is timely, following on the heels of yet another Canada Post parcel delivery price increase. Sendle is Canada’s first 100% carbon-neutral, national shipping carrier and a Certified B Corporation. The company is making parcel delivery more affordable for Canadian small businesses – and ultimately for consumers – by unlocking the power of big business delivery and providing low flat-fee shipping rates that are up to 88% lower than Canada Post. Sendle offers free pickups with no hidden fees, subscriptions, or minimums required. As a company that prides itself on its exceptional customer service, Sendle also ensures customers have direct access to its world class support team. Canadian small businesses can sign up online today to get 10 free shipments.

Small business champion Lauren Helstab, who formerly led business development partnerships at Shopify UK, has returned to Canada to take on the role of Sendle country manager. Lauren will be responsible for leading all aspects of the company’s growth strategy in the Canadian market.

“After two-and-half hard years through the pandemic and now record-high inflation, small businesses in Canada are frustrated with how unfair Canadian shipping rates are and why the Canadian industry is not supporting them,” says Lauren Helstab, Sendle’s country manager for Canada. “Small businesses can’t afford to have 65% of customers abandoning their shopping carts at checkout because of high shipping costs. Plus, small businesses can’t compete with big retailers without fair rates. More than ever, independent businesses need more choice in their shipping options in Canada and they deserve a solution like Sendle that is built for them and offers rates that finally make sense.”

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Leger survey highlights consumer frustration with Canadian courier services

eCommerce has rapidly grown and evolved in Canada, with over 27 million Canadians embracing eCommerce in 2022. Yet three-quarters (71%) of Canadians say they are frustrated with courier services in Canada, the backbone of eCommerce, according to findings from a recent survey of 1,506 Canadians conducted by Leger on behalf of Sendle. Shipping costs rank as the leading frustration (42%) for Canadians, followed by lack of reliability (26%), poor customer service (24%), and having the parcel shipped to a different location than their door (21%). The survey also finds:

• One-third (30%) are shopping online less this year because of the cost of shipping.
• Almost two-thirds (64%) of consumers who have shopped online in the past year feel that the cost of shipping for online purchases has risen since pre-pandemic times.
• Three-in-five (57%) are shopping less, in general, because of inflation, with one-in-ten (11%) shopping less online, specifically.
• Two-thirds (66%) of Canadians have been shocked by the high cost of shipping once they reach the checkout page for an online purchase.
• Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Canadian consumers have abandoned their shopping carts because of the shipping costs.
• Four-in-ten (39%) are more likely to purchase from an online retailer that provides a “green” shipping option such as carbon neutral shipping. An even greater share of younger shoppers (45% of those under 35 years old) say they’ll do the same.

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Carbon-neutral delivery cuts shipping costs for Canadian small businesses

Sendle reduces the environmental impact of shipping by tapping existing shipping providers and filling their vehicles to ensure every trip is as efficient as possible. With this model, Sendle helps its shipping partners make their routes more efficient and profitable, and in turn, passes that savings along to Sendle customers. For example, a small business using Sendle can ship a three-kilogram package from Toronto to Vancouver for $13 – 42% less than if they used Canada Post or they can ship a one-kilogram parcel within Toronto for 30% less than Canada Post.

To account for the remaining carbon emissions, Sendle purchases carbon offsets to address the impact of every Sendle parcel sent. Through its partner South Pole, Sendle invests in highly credible environmental projects around the world – including Darkwoods Forest Conservation in British Columbia – that account for carbon by protecting and managing forests and other vital ecosystems. Each year, customers select the project they want Sendle to support on their behalf.

No trip to the Post Office required

Sendle handles the end-to-end journey of every parcel shipped, offering dedicated customer service by real people, as well as a powerful online dashboard where customers can track their deliveries, reschedule deliveries, and more.

Using Sendle, Canadian small businesses can send a parcel in three easy steps:

1. Sign up for free online (takes less than 30 seconds)
2. Purchase a label and request that Sendle pick up from their front door
3. Track their parcel’s progress from their Sendle Dashboard

“Small businesses in Canada are long overdue for a parcel delivery option designed for them – one that helps them to serve rising customer expectations in the age of eCommerce. At a time when inflation is high and costs are rising, Sendle’s entry into the Canadian market puts an end to what’s largely been a monopoly in shipping with a solution that’s more affordable, reliable, and more flexible to suit the needs of small businesses in Canada,” says James Chin Moody, CEO and co-founder of Sendle. “We have also been 100% carbon neutral since the day we launched in Australia in late 2014. To date, Sendle has offset the impact of 34 billion kilometres of parcel delivery. We are not only bringing Canadians a 100% carbon neutral way to ship at no extra cost, we are also putting pressure on the Canadian shipping industry to do better on this front, too.”