Canada Post flyer cancellation hurts Manitoba small businesses

A New Bothwell tree nursery is scrambling to get flyers to customers, after Canada Post workers refused to deliver flyers amid its ongoing labour dispute between the Crown corporation’s management.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers announced in a Sept. 15 statement its members won’t deliver or process unaddressed flyers, claiming Canada Post halted bargaining with the union.

Sheldon Falk, owner of Falk Nurseries, has relied on flyers for 30 years to reach his customers. Now, he’s stuck with 25,000 printed flyers after spending $5,500, with most destined for the landfill.

“We have to find something more reliable. This is hurting us hard, big time,” he said.

Flyers have been effective in reaching his customer base and getting people into his nursery. He usually sends out six different flyers throughout the spring and two in the fall. But without Canada Post delivering his flyers, Falk said his sales are down 70 percent.

“The flyers are critical for us to bring in the fall sales,” he said. We’re seeing the fall sales trickle instead of being a bit of a hustle.”

Falk describes the fall as the final “blitz” because his company is closed from October to May every year. While he does the majority of his sales in the spring time, a profitable fall adds extra stability, Falk said.

He’s been looking for other private flyer distributors, but said going that route is more expensive and results in less flyers going out compared to Canada Post. Falk said he’s been in discussions with The Carillon and the Free Press for delivering his flyers.

Falk is working on creating a email marketing plan, but more development is needed if its going to replace flyers, he said.

The ban has damaged his trust when using Canada Post, and makes him question how reliable the Crown corporation will be going forward, Falk said. Even before the ban, Falk was still wary of Canada Post following the 2024 strike that lasted from Nov. 15 to Dec. 17.

“I understand they (the union) need to have some leverage. I just wish it wasn’t leveraged from their own customers,” he said. “It’s pretty backwards to do that.”

Up to 20 percent of small businesses in Canada use Canada Post flyers as their main way to reach customers, said Tyler Slobogian, policy analyst for the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses.

He said many of those advertising campaigns are now being paused, and it comes at the “worst time possible.”

“As the fall and holiday season is right around the corner, many of the small firms make the bulk of their yearly sales around this time,” he said. “Losing a few weeks of advertising means losing customers that they may never get back.”

He said many businesses have turned to digital options or third-party couriers to fill the gap, which will likely mean rising costs when switching. If the ban continues, Slobogian sees Canada Post permanently losing small businesses as customers because of the uncertainty.

Rural communities are where flyers are particularly effective in capturing customers, he said.

“With the shift into this technological world, there are still some some people that take pride in receiving these flyers,” he said, noting Manitoba members speak highly about the flyers’ effectiveness.

Even if businesses shift online when advertising, through email newsletters or other means, they’re going to lose customers who rely on the flyers for their shopping, Slobogian said.

He said the federal government needs to protect small businesses from disruptions, such as the flyer ban, and restore confidence so entrepreneurs don’t look elsewhere for delivery.