Amazon delivery stations in Winnipeg not a major concern for local delivery businesses
Amazon’s two new delivery stations in Winnipeg – the first in the province – aren’t a major concern for some delivery service companies operating in Manitoba.
“Part of our plan here is to help the local community be able to get things out the door to their customers,” said Christina Malinas, general manager for Trexity, a new delivery service for Winnipeg businesses that launched on Tuesday.
Malinas made the comments inside of Danali, a clothing boutique that’s had a physical storefront on Kenaston Boulevard for years.
Danali can now facilitate deliveries by using Trexity’s pool of drivers, who are alerted to orders through a smartphone app, pick up an item from the store, then go directly to a customer’s door.
It’s a step away from the “warehouse model” employed by the likes of Amazon, where items are stockpiled then delivered.
“It would be amazing if Danali could have a huge fulfilment centre so they can ship things out,” said Malinas. “But most times that’s not the case so we’re bringing that power back to merchants.”
Amazon Canada is expecting an uptick in orders from Manitobans this holiday season, with the new delivery stations poised to “significantly increase delivery speeds,” a spokesperson for the company said in a statement to CTV News.
There are about 30,000 packages expected to be shipped from both warehouses, on average, every day, according to Amazon Canada.
The company also said its increased presence in Manitoba won’t hurt smaller businesses.
“We are committed to the small- and medium-sized business community,” Amazon said in a statement, “We are proud to support approximately 40,000 small- and medium-sized businesses across Canada.”
Prairie Flavours is a food-focused delivery service that only sells Manitoba-made items and sends out deliveries to customers once a week.
“I think there will be room for us no matter how large Amazon grows,” said founder Joshua Vatnsdal, who is already noticing an uptick in orders as Manitobans start their holiday shopping.
“People are starting to get their shopping done, getting their stocking stuffers,” he said, “The buy local movement is still going strong so people are searching out those items.”
Vatnsdal adds that Manitobans should also think about ordering local items beyond the holiday season, to help grow the province’s economy.
That’s a sentiment shared by GoodLocal.ca co-founder Obby Khan.
“People are supporting local,” said Khan, with GoodLocal.ca also seeing an uptick in orders for the holidays.
“The real key thing with supporting local, it can’t just be in November and December, it has to be year-round.”
“We’re not competing with Amazon (our products) are totally different.”
Khan adds that, unlike international retailers, GoodLocal.ca is avoiding supply chain-related delays in product shipments since most of the company’s inventory is made in Manitoba.
“The only delay we’re experiencing in deliveries is when we have too many orders and only so many drivers.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Gangs netting up to US$3 trillion a year as Southeast Asia human trafficking becomes a global crisis, Interpol says
Human trafficking-fuelled fraud is exploding in Southeast Asia with organized crime rings raking in close to US$3 trillion in illicit revenue annually, the head of Interpol has said in comments that reveal the huge profits being earned by cartels.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Statistics Canada reports real GDP up 0.6% in January as Quebec strikes end
Statistics Canada says real gross domestic product grew 0.6 per cent in January, helped by the end of public sector strikes in Quebec in November and December.
Ukrainian child asylum seekers in St. John’s get class of their own
Roughly 50 children will gathered in a St. John’s classroom for the first time on Saturday for unique lessons on Ukrainian language, culture and history.