Exploring Canadian E-Commerce, Part 2: Key Insights for E-Sellers Going Global

Landmark Global's Strategic Canadian Advantage

What sets successful Canadian market entry apart isn't just understanding the market; it's having the operational infrastructure to deliver on Canadian consumer expectations. Landmark Global's Canadian operation rests on three fundamental competitive advantages that distinguish it from traditional carriers: owning our customs broker (Landmark Trade Services), operating our final-mile carrier Apple Express, and achieving ground transit times to major Canadian urban areas within 3 days.

Our comprehensive Canadian footprint covers over 70% of the Canadian population through strategic positioning, delivering 20 million parcels in 2023 with 98%+ on-time performance and an impressive 99.4% first-attempt delivery success rate. This infrastructure enables transit times that rival those of domestic carriers (2-4 days), while providing the customs expertise and cross-border capabilities that Canadian consumers demand from international retailers.

Technology and Operational Excellence

Landmark Global's Canadian network leverages advanced technology specifically designed to meet the sophisticated expectations of consumers. The AEXConnect app provides GPS geo-location tagging with package barcode or QR code scanning at every milestone, ensuring delivery accuracy and transparency that addresses the 75% of Canadian consumers who actively track their parcels.

Live customer interaction capabilities enable delivery drivers to contact customers directly via SMS or phone calls, thereby increasing successful delivery rates and supporting the Canadian preference for reliable and communicative service. Combined with photo confirmation and digital signature release, this technology stack provides the transparent and reliable experiences that Canadian consumers expect from international retailers.

Cross-border Logistics

The complexity of Canadian cross-border logistics creates significant advantages for retailers partnering with specialized providers. Landmark Global's approach combines DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) and DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid) options with fully trackable shipments, which are cleared at the border in bulk, thereby simplifying the customs processes that often create barriers for international retailers.

Our end-to-end solution includes fulfillment capabilities from Calgary and Burlington facilities for domestic Canadian orders, enabling seamless integration of cross-border and domestic operations. Weekly returns processing significantly outpaces competition, supporting the high return expectations of Canadian e-commerce consumers while reducing operational complexity for international retailers.

Strategic Network Positioning and Transit Times

Landmark Global's strategic network positioning enables competitive transit times across multiple origin points, serving the diverse needs of international retailers. Standard end-to-end transit times range from 3-6 days from the UK, 4-8 days from Belgium, and 5-9 days from France, reflecting our daily direct flights from London to Toronto with a same-day cutoff and departure.

The network's efficiency stems from consolidating parcels from Europe at our Belgian hub, connecting to the UK, and then shipping them directly to Canada. From Toronto, parcels are distributed to multiple final-mile carriers, depending on the consignee's postal code, ensuring optimized delivery routes that leverage local expertise while maintaining international service standards.

Customs and Regulatory Excellence

Understanding Canada's customs framework becomes crucial for competitive international expansion. Our owned customs broker provides end-to-end control over clearance processes that most competitors outsource, enabling pre-clearance to be achieved in-house before flight arrival and reducing delays that impact customer satisfaction.

The Canadian system's C$3,300 per consumer maximum and threshold-based duty structure requires sophisticated logistics management. Our bulk clearance capabilities and DDP options eliminate surprise fees at delivery, improving trust and satisfaction while reducing customer service tickets related to cross-border shipping complexity.

Consumer Behavior and Market Positioning

While comprehensive market statistics are detailed in our foundational Canadian market analysis (link at the end of the intro paragraph), the key insight for international retailers lies in understanding operational requirements. Canadian consumers who prioritize fast delivery (43%), product variety (38%), and competitive pricing (33%) reward retailers who can deliver operational excellence rather than just attractive product offerings.

The dominance of clothing and footwear in cross-border purchases (38%), combined with growing categories like electronics (17%) and personal care (15%), indicates opportunities across diverse retail segments. Success depends less on category selection and more on delivering the reliable, fast, transparent service that sophisticated Canadian consumers expect from international brands.

Summary

Canada's cross-border e-commerce opportunity extends far beyond market size statistics to operational execution capabilities. Success requires understanding that Canadian consumers expect international retailers to match or exceed domestic service standards, making the selection of logistics partnerships crucial for achieving a competitive advantage.

Landmark Global's comprehensive solution, combining owned customs brokerage, proprietary last-mile delivery, and advanced technology, enables international retailers to enter this lucrative market with confidence. For e-commerce businesses seeking global expansion, Canada represents an ideal combination of market accessibility and infrastructure readiness, provided retailers partner with logistics providers capable of delivering exceptional customer experiences.

Ready to capitalize on Canadian market opportunities? Partner with us to leverage our proven Canadian infrastructure and capture significant value in this dynamic market while building the foundation for broader North American expansion. Check out out parcel delivery solutions to Canada.

You may also read: 

• The Latest Trends in E-commerce 2025. What's Worth Knowing?
• North America Focus: Boost E-Commerce in the US and Canada

Sources

• IPC Cross-border E-commerce Shopper Survey 2024 – Canada report
• Statista
• Trade.gov