A Family Run Canadian Company Comes to the Rescue of Online Retailers

While Canada Post has been hoping to avoid the potential July 2nd strike, it isn’t looking good. However, a family-run Canadian business is taking a hands on approach to providing low-cost shipping to Canadian e-tailers. For 15 years, Chit Chats has been quietly driving Canadian customers’ parcels across the border. Their destination?  The United States Postal Service.

With online sales reaching new highs, a Canada Post strike/lockout will have a major impact on Canadian e-tailers. They cannot afford to suspend shipping, so they need an alternative. However, companies like FedEx and Purolator typically come with a hefty price tag. This would leave many small businesses in the red. Canadian businesses are now on a quest to find a reliable, economical alternative to Canada Post.

How Chit Chats Got Started

President of Chit Chats, Carly Wood talks about how their company has evolved from one rickety green Suzuki station wagon, to a full service shipping company. “We ran a bookstore back then (2001) and we just could not afford the cross-border postage costs, so out of necessity my Dad started driving to the U.S. to drop off mail,” Wood says.  Word soon spread and the family’s station wagon was overflowing with parcels from a range of local businesses.  “We quickly evolved; got a fleet of cube vans to expedite deliveries and began focusing solely on helping Canadian e-tailers and small businesses save money, hassle and time on U.S. deliveries,” says Wood.  “The success of Chit Chats is a testament to her late Father, Derek Nolan’s enthusiasm for helping e-commerce businesses succeed and his straightforward and cheerful spirit,” she says.

How Chit Chats Helps Small Businesses

Chit Chats has helped Canadian e-tailers circumvent bureaucracy and benefit from shorter cross-border delivery times and tax & duty-free shipping.  Customers like eBay based Retro Heads and electronics retailer Alectron save an average of 70% on shipping, compared to traditional Canada Post business rates.  “It is hard for Canadian retailers to compete against US-based e-stores who benefit from lower U.S. Postal Service costs and faster shipping times,” explains Wood.  “Chit Chats helps level the playing field so Canadian e-tailers can fight the status quo and ship to the U.S. more easily and at a much lower cost.  We’ve become a one-stop cross-border shipping shop because of our commitment to cutting the bureaucracy, hassle and costs that make it hard for Canadian e-tailers to succeed in the U.S.,” she says.

It is clear, another strike or lockout by Canada Post will have a negative impact on Canadian businesses.  Fortunately, there are alternatives out there and perhaps a silver lining.  Canadian online retailers may discover a reliable, cost-effective alternative to Canada Post.

About the company

Chit Chats is a 100% Canadian owned & operated company, with locations in B.C., Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic region. Since 2001, Chit Chats has been helping Canadian businesses and e-tailers reduce their shipping costs. Chit Chats drivers make delivery runs across the border six days a week. They save Canadian businesses an average of 70% on shipping costs, compared to Canada Post business rates.  Learn more about Chit Chats today and how you can save big on shipping to the U.S. and worldwide.

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