Canada Post Service Disruption Update

We wanted to write a quick update on shipping changes based on a potential Canada Post labour stoppage. We're still in the middle of not knowing exactly what's going to happen, which is sort of a tough position to be in - if we knew for sure Canada Post deliveries were going to stop for a certain amount of time, we could plan accordingly and be prepared invest in setting up new systems and training and schedules. It turns out (no surprise) that Canada Post is by far the least expensive shipping method and has the most extensive delivery routes out there. Shipping by private carriers to rural postal codes is crazy, and we've had a few orders where the cost of shipping by FedEx to a rural postal code ends up being more than the cost of the order and then some. Canada Post Corporation or its workers need to give 72 hours notice before anything can happen, and we've been waiting and watching what's happening. They gave 72 hours notice for a potential lock-out to happen Friday (tomorrow), and so up to Wednesday, we tried to rush and Xpresspost everything out we could that safely make it by Thursday. Now the notice has been extended to Monday, so we're back to rushing everything out. Unfortunately, with this wild ride, we're going by the seat of our pants, which means we're figuring out costs and different carriers as we go. So here's what we're going to try, keeping in mind that we may have to change things over the next few days or weeks, especially if we can source a reliable and lower cost option. $8 flat rate Canada Post expedited shipping, or free expedited shipping for orders above $125 $12 Canada Post Xpresspost $18 FedEx Ground We're still going to offer our standard $8 flat fee expedited shipping through Canada Post, for those of you not in a rush and willing to wait. I am definitely with you in keeping my fingers crossed that there will enough delays and extensions and hopefully a resolution to the negotiations. You can also order Xpresspost which should bump up your shipment through Canada Post faster, especially if there's an extension to the labour dispute. However, if the Canada Post service disruption does take place, your Xpresspost order may get caught in that. The ever so slightly bright side is that from what I hear, Canada Post has already seen a dramatic decline in packages and parcels coming in through them, so what is still being sent through should be going through a bit faster. For those of you who don't want to risk getting caught in Canada Post if they do have a labour stoppage, or an extended one, you can select FedEx Ground. We're still subsidizing both the new Xpresspost and FedEx options, but of course we're still keeping our fingers crossed that Canada Post will sort things out soon. And, this may also be the right timing for us to start offering Xpresspost in any case, since more and more often we get requests for upgraded shipping options for rush gifts or parcels to arrive before a trip, and we've been processing these manually. We're really sorry for the inconvenience this may cause. You know that I am as excited as anyone to receive shipments of new pens and inky things and paper and treasures, and I also love seeing letters appear in my mailbox (as if by magic!). As a small business, we're already feeling the financial costs of this service disruption, and we're hoping everything gets resolved as soon as possible.

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In other news, the cat is still alive, despite many near brushes with death involving a large dog, being stepped on, a potential fungal infection/food allergy and patchy spots, being hugged aggressively and carried like a football by a toddler (and maybe by everyone else here), having his food eaten by the dog or spilled by Caleb without anyone noticing, and being trapped inside large boxes of packaging material. Actually, despite all of this, the cat actually appears to be growing. He's now passed the 2lb mark. We were all worried that he was going to be a small cat, but sometimes small ones are the scrappy ones, the survivors. It's how I got through life. (Just kidding, I grew up in the suburbs.) The cat has turned out to be a real snuggler, and having a little meat on his bones has helped with that. I wanted an affectionate cat, one who would come and curl up in our laps, and I was told to start him young to get used to hanging out with people, and it seems he has no problem with this at all. During the day when it's bustling and noisy, he's hiding under the packing tables or on windowsills or sleeping in our bins, just waiting for someone to pick him up for a nice rub around the ears. At night when I'm trying to answer emails or write a blog post, he just crawls right up onto my chest purring like crazy, and it's so hard to resist when he just closes his eyes and tilts his head back.