Canada Post teams up with Shopify to create all-in-one e-commerce solution for retailers

OTTAWA, Oct. 3, 2012 /CNW/ - Today Canada Post announced that it is teaming up with Shopify, a leading e-commerce platform provider, to deliver a complete online retail solution for small businesses and retailers across Canada. Together, the companies have created an inclusive platform, complete with a fully integrated shipping solution, that will allow retailers to become online merchants almost instantly.

The Canada Post application combines Shopify's user-friendly e-commerce platform with a streamlined shipping process including easy-print labels, and automatically calculated shipping rates. Additionally, Shopify is offering all Canada Post VentureOne members the ability to set up an online store for free - with no bill to pay for three full months. The Shopify solution enables merchants to easily create a website and sell their products online. It takes only minutes to set up a store, display products and start selling.

"For centuries, Canada Post has been an enabler of trade and commerce in this country. And we will continue to play an even stronger role in this burgeoning digital economy," says René Desmarais, Senior Vice-president, Parcels at Canada Post. "And teaming up with leading e-commerce providers can only help to promote our country's digital economy in the long term."

"Starting an online store from scratch used to be a daunting experience for many," says Harley Finkelstein, Chief Platform Officer of Shopify. "Shopify streamlines the process and makes it easy for anyone with a product or service to launch, manage and grow their own online store." The all-in-one e-commerce solution allows Shopify merchants to:

• Provide accurate Canada Post shipping rates to their shoppers during the checkout process.
• Print and track shipping labels through a centralized interface that is directly integrated with their Shopify store.
• Have custom control over label options, such as shipping method override, delivery confirmation required, insurance, ID on delivery, and more.
• Streamline their order fulfillment process through automatic fulfillment of printed labels.
• Send a custom tracking page to each shopper once their order is fulfilled.

"Nowadays, customers don't just want to be able to buy your product online - they expect it," says Finkelstein. "That's why this collaboration between Canada Post and Shopify is so important. We've made it possible for every Canadian business or entrepreneur to build an amazing online store, with little effort, and at no cost for three months." An estimated $8 billion worth of physical goods is ordered online in Canada each year for residential deliveries, and that figure is forecast to grow to more than $15 billion by 2016. Total expenditures on Canadian e-commerce business-to-consumer shipping services alone were more than $600 million in 2011. The Canada Post application for Shopify is available for download now at www.shopify.com/canadapost, or through the Shopify App store.

About Canada Post
Canada Post is the country's leading provider of business-to-consumer delivery. By reaching more than 15.1 million addresses, and operating the country's largest retail network of nearly 6,500 post offices, Canada Post is ideally positioned to offer affordable and reliable service, with convenient pickup and return options. Together, Canada Post, Purolator Inc. (Canada's largest logistics company) and SCI Logistics offer market-leading end-to-end solutions for e-commerce shippers by leveraging the assets and expertise of the Canada Post Group of Companies.

About Shopify:
Shopify is an e-commerce platform that allows individuals and businesses to create awesome online stores. Shopify currently hosts more than 30,000 active online retailers, including: Gatorade, Amnesty International, General Electric, Tesla Motors, LMFAO, Foo Fighters, Encyclopædia Britannica, Tata Group, Evisu Jeans, DODOcase, Penny Arcade, CrossFit, GitHub, Evernote, and Epic Meal Time. Shopify was founded in 2004 by two snowboarding enthusiasts who wanted to create a better way to sell their snowboards online. Shopify has received $22 million in Series A and B funding from Bessemer Venture Partners, FirstMark Capital, Felicis Ventures, and Georgian Partners. For more information, please visit www.shopify.com.

SOURCE: Canada Post