New Canada Post research shows the “Buy Canadian” shift is here to stay, and shoppers expect fast, domestic delivery to go with it. Here’s how small businesses can meet that bar without enterprise-sized shipping budgets.
Something has shifted in how Canadians shop. What started as a reaction to U.S.–Canada trade tensions has hardened into a habit, and new research from Canada Post suggests it isn’t going away any time soon.
According to Canada Post’s report Inside the “Buy Canadian” Mindset, 83% of Canadian shoppers say they’re making different spending choices because of the trade situation, and 88% say they’ll keep seeking out Canadian retailers even if the “Buy Canadian” sentiment fades. For Canadian ecommerce businesses, that’s a rare tailwind. But the same research shows shoppers have expectations attached to it, and most of those expectations land squarely on shipping.
What the research says
| Finding | Share of Canadian shoppers |
|---|---|
| Making different spending choices because of U.S.–Canada tensions | 83% |
| Will keep seeking Canadian retailers even if the “Buy Canadian” mindset fades | 88% |
| Expect retailers to fulfil orders from within Canada | 87% |
| Expect delivery within two days | 60% |
| Say a Canadian delivery service improves their perception of a retailer | 60% |
| Canadian businesses targeting a 2–3 day delivery window | 56% |
Shoppers expect Canadian orders to ship from Canada, fast
The headline number for anyone running an online store: 87% of Canadians expect retailers to fulfil orders from within Canada, and 60% expect delivery within two days. Canadian businesses are largely trying to meet that, with 56% targeting a two-to-three-day delivery window. Next-day delivery, for now, is mostly the domain of large retailers with the volume and warehouse footprint to support it.
That gap between what shoppers want and what a small business can realistically promise is where carrier choice matters. A single-carrier setup rarely gives you the best two-day option to every province. Expedited to Vancouver, ground to Montreal, and a courier for the rush order to Calgary might be three different carriers on three different rate cards, and figuring that out order by order is nobody’s idea of a good afternoon.
The carrier on the label is part of your brand
One finding that surprised us: 60% of shoppers say a retailer using a Canadian delivery service improves their perception of that retailer. The box on the doorstep is the last touchpoint in the purchase, and Canadians are noticing who brings it.
That’s a good argument for keeping Canada Post in your carrier mix, and for having the flexibility to choose when it makes sense rather than being locked into whichever carrier your platform defaults to.
Peak season starts November 2, and the rules change
Canada Post’s peak season this year runs from Monday, November 2, 2026 through Sunday, January 10, 2027, and the other carriers have windows of their own starting as early as late September. Delivery standards loosen, surcharges on oversized and unpackaged items rise, and on the plus side, Canada Post brings back weekend delivery to keep parcels moving. We will be putting every carrier’s 2026 peak dates and fees in one place in our peak season surcharge guide.
If you’re planning holiday promotions, build the peak-season calendar into your shipping cut-off dates now. Customers who read “arrives in 2 days” on December 18 will hold you to it.
How netParcel helps small businesses compete on shipping
netParcel gives Canadian businesses access to discounted rates from Canada Post and many others, all in one place. You compare live quotes side by side, pick the service that fits each shipment, and print the label. No volume commitments, no monthly fees, and no contract locking you into one carrier for the season.
For the “Buy Canadian” moment specifically, that means you can:
- Quote domestic-carrier options like Canada Post alongside the couriers, and choose the one that meets the delivery window at the best price.
- Offer two-day shipping to more of the country by matching the right carrier to the destination, instead of defaulting to one network for everything.
- See peak-season surcharges in your quotes, so holiday shipping costs don’t surprise you or your customers.
- Ship cross-border to the U.S. when the order calls for it, with brokerage and customs paperwork handled in the same workflow.
Canadians are choosing Canadian businesses. The businesses that win this season will be the ones whose shipping experience feels like it belongs to a retailer twice their size.
Get shipping rates in under a minute. Create a free netParcel account at netparcel.com and compare live quotes from Canada’s top carriers on your next shipment.
Sources: Canada Post, “Inside the ‘Buy Canadian’ Mindset” and “Scaling Ecommerce Fulfillment in Canada” (2026); Canada Post Customer Notice: Peak Season 2026.
