More than 140 online merchants are scrapping delivery fees for Canadians on Monday as part of the country's inaugural free shipping day.
The event is the brainchild of Regina native Luke Knowles who launched in the United States four years ago netting the support of thousands of e-tailers.
This year, for the first time ever, Knowles has set up a offering free shipping opportunities exclusive to Canadians. Merchants such as Toys R' Us, Indigo, Banana Republic and more have all agreed to take part by nixing delivery fees.
"We have way more retailers participating than we thought we could (have) this first year," Knowles told CTV's Canada AM on Monday.
While the date has changed every year, Canada's first free shipping day takes place slightly earlier than the United States' event on Dec. 16. The rationale is that it tends to take a bit longer for online orders to reach Canadian homes.
Avid online shoppers will likely note that Free Shipping Day falls a few weeks after Cyber Monday, an event in which online merchants offer big discounts to shoppers.
For his part, Knowles acknowledges that the events are similar but notes that Free Shipping Day appeals to a certain kind of Christmas shopper.
"It's more for procrastinators," he said in an interview from Denver, Col. "Plus there's the promise of delivery by Christmas Eve."
Numbers suggest Knowles may be onto something. Acceptance of Cyber Monday in Canada continues to grow, with online shoppers spending 15.38 per cent more in dollars this year than they did in 2010, according to a report from Moneris Solutions.
But Free Shipping Day in both Canada and the United States is also coming at time when delivery services are overwhelmed with online orders.
FedEx says it's expecting its biggest shipping day in years with an estimated 17 million packages being sent worldwide, reported an ABC affiliate in Florida.
In 2006, the company moved what was then a record-breaking 9.8 million packages through its offices, suggesting that the second week of December is crunch time for both retailers and shoppers.
Regardless of the rush, Knowles sees Free Shipping Day as an event that benefits both consumers and retailers – even smaller, independent vendors.
"They get a lot more traffic or eyeballs on their websites which means the potential for a lot more sales," he said. "They leap at the chance to participate in this."
for a list of merchants participating in Free Shipping Day Canada
