November 5, 2025 | Lori Franze
We started last holiday season in the middle of a full Canada Post strike — and many businesses are still recovering from the fallout. This year, waves of labour disruptions continue across the country as postal workers push for a new contract, once again slowing delivery and disrupting how businesses connect with customers.
The effects reach far beyond shipping delays. Direct mail campaigns stall, invoices go missing, and even customer notifications arrive too late to matter. For organizations that still rely on mail as a core channel, it’s a reminder that no system is immune to interruption.
Canada Post reported an $841 million loss last year, and small businesses are feeling the strain — the Canadian Federation of Independent Business estimates the ongoing disruptions are costing $76 million per day, with more than 70% of business owners planning to reduce their reliance on the postal network.
Organizations need digital resilience when another channel breaks.
The Hidden Risk: When Physical Channels Fail, Digital Cracks Show
For many brands, a disruption like this exposes weak spots in their digital ecosystem.
Suddenly, customers who would normally receive updates or statements by mail are heading online — and discovering slow load times, broken forms, or confusing navigation. Teams scramble to patch issues, but by then, the user experience has already taken a hit.
If your digital presence isn’t intuitive, accessible, and built for real people under real pressure, you’re not just losing mail — you’re losing momentum, trust, and conversion.
The New Priority: Digital Experience as Business Continuity
A strong digital experience isn’t just about aesthetics or technology — it’s business insurance. When traditional channels falter, your website, app, and digital communications must be capable of picking up the slack seamlessly.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
- Fast, reliable performance. When traffic spikes, your site should load in under two seconds — no exceptions. Slow speed is silent attrition.
- Mobile-first usability. More than half of users access business sites on mobile devices. If your menus, buttons, or forms frustrate users, they’ll simply abandon.
- Clear, human communication. Whether it’s a service update or a shipping delay, clarity builds trust. UX writing matters as much as design.
- Accessibility for all. Digital inclusion isn’t optional. WCAG-compliant design ensures every customer — regardless of ability — can navigate your site easily.
- Omnichannel cohesion. When mail drops out, digital channels must align — your web, email, and SMS experiences should feel connected, consistent, and calm.
What Businesses Can Do Right Now
-
Run a Site Speed, UX, and A11y Audit.
Start by testing the performance, usability, and accessibility of your site. A11y (Accessibility) audits go beyond compliance — they ensure every user, regardless of ability, can navigate and complete key actions with ease. Combine that with a UX review and site-speed optimization to uncover where friction or exclusion may be hiding in plain sight.
-
Test Your Customer Journey End-to-End.
Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Try to complete your own checkout, request a quote, or sign up for updates — especially on mobile. Can you find what you need without frustration? Is the language clear? Do you feel confident you’re in good hands? Those answers reveal the true state of your digital experience.
-
Prepare for Channel Disruption.
Build contingency workflows for when physical channels — like mail or print — go offline. Make sure your digital ecosystem can deliver updates, transactions, and customer communications without delay.
At KPDI, we include A11y and UX testing as standard in every site audit — because accessibility, performance, and experience aren’t optional; they’re the backbone of digital trust.
Need a second set of eyes on your site? KPDI offers quick-turn UX, speed, and A11y audits to help brands uncover what’s slowing users down. Book a digital audit →
The Bigger Picture
The Canada Post disruption is just one example of a broader truth: every business is only as strong as its weakest channel.
At KPDI, we help organizations build digital foundations that can withstand disruption — fast, accessible, and user-centred experiences that keep your business running, even when other systems stop. So you can have digital resilience when another channel breaks, like Canada Post!
Because when the mail stops moving, your digital experience should keep customers connected — seamlessly, confidently, and without missing a beat.
The Canada Post strike will pass — but the need for digital resilience won’t. Let’s make sure your site is ready for whatever comes next. Contact us to schedule a Digital Resilience Audit →