KAMLOOPS — With Christmas just over three weeks away, Canada Post employees are working around-the-clock to ensure gifts make it to loved ones on time.
This year the company says it expects to deliver over a quarter of its yearly deliveries in November and December alone, with a large portion of those delivered in Kamloops.
“I’m very busy today. I have about 80 parcels,” said Patricia Nauss, First Vice President with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers. “People are sending Christmas presents right now, I have presents that are all wrapped up that I’m delivering…it’s very busy.”
Canada Post predicts it will deliver one million parcels a day across the country this Christmas season, a 20-per-cent increase from 2015.
Front line workers say they say aren’t surprised by the statistics.
“The online shopping is a huge thing for people, especially living in the rural areas,” said Nauss. “I mean Kamoops is not rural but it’s cheaper to do it online, and then there’s the whole gas and driving down to Vancouver thing. It’s cheaper to buy online plus a lot of places deliver for free.”
Three-quarters of the deliveries Patricia makes in the Batchelor Heights area are parcels.
And it isn’t just the interior turning to the net.
According to a recent Canada Post survey, eight out of ten Canadians say they shop online, with almost half purchasing three to six items in the last year.
While the stats may keep postal workers employed, not everyone is in cyber support.
“You can see a bunch of things online,” said Nauss. “Personally, I like going to the store because I like to feel and touch things I”m going to buy.”
Staff at Aberdeen mall say Christmas foot traffic is alive and well.
“Overall we have seen a great start to the Christmas season with traffic and lots of shopping,” says Brynn Gise, Marketing and Specialty Leasing Director at the Aberdeen Mall
“Black Fiday was a hit this year, it was one of the busiest we’ve seen in a long time, meeting and exceeding sales.”
Gise says online shopping may be convenient but it doesn’t offer the same experience as traditional bricks-and-mortar operations.
“People love to have that tangible experience of coming into a story, being able to try something on and sip coffee while they’re shopping.”
Whether shoppers are ordering to their door or going the traditional route, its clear Christmas buyers are busier than ever before.
Almost as busy as the Santa man himself.
