Holiday Shipping: Express Shipping Canada Post, USPS, FedEx, UPS, and DHL

Q4 is the busiest period every year in the realm of shipping and online selling. It is the time of shopping holidays, starting in October until December, such as Cyber Monday, Black Friday, Halloween, Green Monday, Free Shipping Day, Super Saturday, Boxing Day, and Christmas. It may mean more sales as a seller, but that would be possible if you successfully ship orders on time. Courier companies are aware of how hectic this quarter is, that is why express shipping Canada Post, USPS, FedEx, and others exist.

Q4 2020 holiday shopping schedule

As a refresher, here are the holiday shopping dates that you should anticipate and prepare for:

Halloween 

When: October 31, 2020

This holiday is famous for spooky costumes, candies, and decorations. Halloween is primarily a fun day for children, but adults are also catching up, especially those who want to flaunt their costumes and go to parties. Other than that, households are also busy garnishing their houses with supernatural decorations.

Black Friday

When: November 27, 2020

Amazon introduced Black Friday in the U.K. in 2010. It is the day of significant discounts and irresistible deals to customers. However, there are rumors that Amazon moved it to October 26, 2020, based on Techradar news.

Cyber Monday

When: November 30, 2020

This shopping holiday began in 2005 when one of the National Retail Federation departments, Shop.org, launched it to match the Black Friday frenzy. “Cyber” doesn’t refer to electronic products or gadgets, though. It is created to target employees while working since many of them will be at their computers.

Green Monday

When: December 14, 2020

According to Investopedia, Green Monday is one of the retail industry’s most profitable days, usually on the second Monday in December. It is also called Cyber Monday 2 due to high online sales volume.

The word “green” refers to the color of dollars. But others believe that it is related to the eco-friendliness of online shopping.

Free Shipping Day

When: December 15, 2020

The National Day Calendar defines this Free Shipping Day as “an annual one-day event held in mid-December” where “consumers get to shop from large and small online merchants that are offering shipping with a guarantee of delivery by Christmas Eve.

Super Saturday

When: December 19, 2020

This day is considered as one of the most hectic shopping days in Canada. It is also gaining popularity in the U.K. and the U.S. Super Saturday is followed by Super Sunday, where discounts are bigger to attract impulsive buying. 

Boxing Day

When: December 26, 2020

While it is losing its appeal to some nations, it remains popular in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, where it is observed. The term “boxing” pertains to the “Christmas box” or the gift itself.

Now that you have the schedule of shopping holidays, next is choosing the express shipping solution that is right for you.

Express shipping solutions you can choose from 

Fortunately, there are several express shipping solutions you can opt for depending on your business needs. 

Express shipping Canada Post

The government-owned courier company offers two types of express shipping, namely, Xpresspost and Priority. In Xpresspost, buyers can receive their orders the next day or in the next two days. On the other hand, Priority is much faster because the delivery arrives the next day.

Express shipping USPS

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has Priority Mail Express that delivers overnight to two days. However, it only accepts parcels weighing a maximum of 70 lbs. For international shipments, they have Global Express Guaranteed that ships orders in 1-3 business days.

Express shipping FedEx

There are three express shipping choices, which includes FedEx First Overnight, FedEx Priority Overnight, and FedEx Standard Overnight. The three guarantee a next-business-day delivery. It only allows packages that weigh up to 150 lbs.

Express shipping UPS

It has both the same day and next day shipping services. For urgent orders, there is the UPS Express Critical, which ships lightweight and heavyweight deliveries. While UPS Next Day Air Early, UPS Next Day Air, and UPS Next Day Air Saver. 

Express shipping DHL

It has three delivery time options: DHL Express Domestic, DHL Express 12:00 Domestic, and DHL Express Worldwide. DHL Express accepts parcels with 66-154 lbs. just like the shipping companies above. 

The US to Canada shipping cost

The shipping cost depends on the delivery company you have chosen. However, bear in mind that additional fees such as sales tax, duties, and customs fees are all in Canadian dollars. Even though Canada and the U.S. are neighbors, it is still considered as international shipping.

But did you know that there is a solution where you can be almost entirely hands-free on the order fulfillment process? It is no other than Amazon FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon). In this program, Amazon picks, packs, and delivers your orders. They also handle the customer service and returns process.

If you are shipping internationally, this program offers the Amazon FBA Export. When you choose this one, you don’t have to pay for the customs fees because your customers will shoulder it.

Key takeaways

Due to the compressed and fast-paced nature of holiday shopping dates, you need a flexible shipping strategy, especially now that you need to survive this pandemic. You may consider Amazon FBA Export as your plan A since this program is known for its fast delivery services. On the other hand, choose from among express shipping Canada Post, USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL as your backup plan in case delivery delays arise. If you want to win your customers’ trust and business, you should have proactive solutions to keep up with the so-called holiday rush.

Express shipping Canada Post is not only your delivery solution this upcoming Q4. Stallion Express is willing to assist you with your international shipping needs. For inquiries, you can call +1 877-863-7447 or email [email protected]. 

Tom Davison