Didn’t get much shopping done over the weekend due to the ice storm? You are not alone and many stores are announcing extended hours today and tomorrow to help shoppers get those last minute items.

• Select Target stores open til midnight
• Select Sears stores open til midnight today and from 6am tomorrow (click here to see a list of excluded stores)
• Some malls open early tomorrow

I am sure many more will follow, so check with your local malls and stores for extended hours (if they have power back, I know some are still closed).

Canada Post has announced today that their regular stamp prices will increase from $0.63 to a whopping  $1 per stamp, or 85 cents per stamp in a booklet or coil. The Permanent “P” stamps will be able to be used still but Canada Post are not going to be selling P Stamps anymore. Instead, the stamps will have the price listed on them again.

On March 31st, 2014 Canada Post plans to launch a tiered stamp pricing structure:

• New prices will be launched for the customers that buy stamps in booklets and coils. The price per stamp will be $0.85
• Business that use postage meters will pay discounted rate of $0.75 per stamp
• Mailers who prepare mail in a way that reduces processing costs (incentive lettermail) will benefit from prices lower than $0.75 per stamp
• Single stamps will cost a whopping $1 each!!

So stock up on stamps while you still can! The Permanent stamps currently being sold will still be usable when the price increases. Stop in at Costco and purchase bulk amounts! Costco is selling permanent stamps for $0.60 each ($59.99 for 100 stamps).

See page 8 here to read about Canada Post’s new pricing plan in further detail.

Canada Post also plans to eliminate their door-to-door delivery service. How messed up is that? Hey! Let’s increase our prices and reduce our services? I hear bankruptcy in their future, folks. Canada Post will start to phase out home delivery as part of their tiered structure. They will be converting their services to community mailboxes (wouldn’t surprise me if these come with  monthly fee). This will surely have a negative impact on their company, and not to mention the thousands of jobs lost when this is set in place.

I am disappointed with Canada Post as you can tell! What is your opinion?

After many rumours of change, Canada Post has confirmed that changes are coming to the way we receive our mail.  Having mail carriers go door to door is just too expensive and starting next year, they will start to phase out door to door delivery of mail.  This does not mean you will not receive mail, just that Canada Post will start installing community mailboxes in most neighbourhoods and you will pick your mail up from the box rather than at your door.   For me, this doesn’t mean much but with a lot of elderly neighbours, I feel for them while walking out in high heat / cold icy wintery days to check for mail after being so used to delivery at the door.

• 5,094,694 people get door-to-door delivery in Canada.
• Average cost per address is $269.
• 3,804, 574 get mail through group mail boxes.
• Average cost per box is $117.

This also means that less mail carriers will be needed, 6000-8000 will lose their jobs over the next five years (although CPC says that more than this amount are set to retire in that time period).

On top of that, stamps are about to increase by a huge amount, currently stamps cost $0.63 but starting on March 31, 2014 you will pay $1 per stamp (or buy them in a book of 10 or more and pay $0.85) – coupon traders, start buying permanent stamps now!  Will such a high stamp price impact what you send by mail?

Read more details here

UPDATE: Canada Post mentioned on twitter (after many questions asking why they removed permanent P stamps from their website already) that P stamps will need to be topped up to the new rate.  The 5 year plan however states that you can use them but they will pull the sale of them until the new pricing goes into effect next year.

Thank you Forum Member Momi for letting us know about this fantastic opportunity in the Smart Canuck Forums!

If you are a Food Basics shopper, then you will be excited about this announcement! As FallenPixels has previously mentioned, Food Basics has advertised in their flyer that they now Ad Match! Make your grocery shopping a one-stop shopping trip at your favourite supermarket again! Food Basics is always fresh, always in stock, and now: always great prices.

I personally am a Food Basics Shopper but had always gone to WalMart because of their price/ad matching. Now I no longer have to! Is this worth changing your supermarket for? Or will you still shop at WalMart and other competitors?

On a side note.. this Food Basics flyer page also says Trophy Cashews are on sale for $1.02 off regular price.. Someone stock my stuffing with those please?

Check out Momi’s post about Food Basics Ad Matching in the Smart Canucks Forum here.

So the big question this week, as we are approaching Canadian Black Friday 2013, is “where can I price match during these fabulous Black Friday Canada Sales”? The answer?

Walmart Canada Black Friday Price Matching Policy – YES’ish

I called a couple of my local Walmart Stores, one had told me they will not be price matching/ flyer ad matching and the other store told me that they WILL be flyer ad matching on Black Friday. What I would do, is print their “Ad Match Guarantee” since it states nothing about not being able to price match/ad match during promotional sales, event etc. Wave your printed version at the cashier when you make your purchase. I do not think they would be able to refuse.

Future Shop & Best Buy Black Friday Price Matching Policy – NO

Lowest Price Guarantee:
Remember, the Lowest Price Guarantee does not apply to Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or Boxing Week sale prices.

Our Price Beat Promise does not apply to Boxing Day prices, advertising errors or misprints, special educational prices, restricted offers, mail order offers, rebates, coupons, premiums, free or bonus offers, OEM products, limited or minimum quantity or limited time offers, close-outs, liquidations, clearances, and financing offers.

I was surprised to see a couple of Canada Post vans out yesterday while shopping and even more surprised when members on our forum package trains received her package yesterday.

Looking into it, Canada Post are starting weekend delivery for the holidays early.  They have no plans to continue this after the holidays but it is great for speeding up parcels during the busy holiday season.    Weekend delivery is not guaranteed so will not be factored into guaranteed delivery schedules and will only be in areas where the mail volume is high enough to make it worthwhile – mostly major urban centres.

They are also trying out a same day service in the GTA (called Deliver Tonight) allowing for delivery in the evenings when you are more likely to be home to sign for stuff, it has been in place since September but they expect to see more use of it during the Christmas shopping and gifting season.    In selected parts of the Greater Toronto Area, you can order an item online before 12:30 p.m. at certain retailers, and it will be delivered that same evening between 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. The cut-off time and cost for the service depends on the retailer (Best Buy, Future Shop, Indigo and Walmart.ca) to test the marketplace and see if consumers are willing to pay extra fees for quicker service.

Now through December 24th, Toys R Us Canada has a special price matching policy in place.  If the item is more than 5% cheaper at another store, they will give you an additional 10% off the advertised price and you have up to 14 days after the purchase to bring in a competitor’s advertisement for a price reduction.

Full policy:

• Item must be identical
• An item does not have to be on sale to be price matched
• A current Canadian retailer’s advertisement must be presented (printed or on mobile) and must show price currently in effect including:

    Catalogue
Canadian only online retailer and/or flyer
Receipt from another retailer showing product description, price and date
We do not accept shelf labels or pictures of shelf labels
Retailer must have the advertised item in-stock and be available for immediate sale in the same local market area

•  The Price Match Policy DOES NOT apply to the following:

    Offers with limited and/or minimum quantity
Bundled offers
Advertising errors and/or misprints
Rebates or free/bonus/gift card offers
Coupons
Rainchecks
Special financing offers
Liquidation/Clearance centres

• The price match cannot be combined with other Toys”R”Us offers including coupons
• Where a price match with a retailer is applied after purchase, the difference will be refunded in the same method as the original payment within 14 days of original purchase date.
• Original receipt is required.  If your original payment was made by cash, debit or credit card, then your refund will be returned by the same method.   If your original payment was made by merchandise credit, gift card, eGift Card, gift receipt or Paypal, then your refund will be returned by merchandise credit.
• PLUS we’ll give an additional 10% of the Competitor’s advertised retail price if the difference of the Price Match is more than 5%.

SC Johnson Right@Home has a bunch of hidden coupons to offer through SmartSourceSmartcanucks.ca prrtal. These SC Johnson offers include:

• FREE Glade Automatic Spray Refill When you buy one Glade Automatic Spray starter kit
• Save $2 on any Glade product
• Save $1 any Windex product
• Save $2 on any 2 Ziploc brand products
• Save $4 on any 2 Scrubbing Bubbles products
• BUY 1 GET 1 FREE any Pledge product
• Buy 2 Get 1 Free any Glade product

Click here to get SmartSourceSmartcanucks.ca coupons for SC Johnson Right@Home.

Shop 2013 Canadian Black Friday at Canon.ca! Their Black Friday starts now! Don’t miss out on these superb deals. The prices will not be any lower on actual Black Friday (November 29th). Free ground shipping for all orders over $14.99! Limited quantities.

• Save $30 – PowerShop ELPH 330 HS – $169.99
• Save $380 – EOS Rebel T5i –  $999.99
• Save $250 – EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM – $399.99
• Save $280 – EF 17-40mm f/4 L USM – $699.99
• Save $30 – Selphy CP900 Compact Photo Printer – $79.99
• Save $400 – EOS Rebel SL1 Deluxe Bundle – $779.99
• Save $350 – EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM – $1299.99
• Save up to $280 on select Canon EF Lenses with a mail-in rebate.

Purchase these awesome deals here.

This Canadian Black Friday 2013 (November 29th) shop at Old Navy and receive 50% off the entire store. The entire store is on sale through Monday but Black Friday has the best sale! Saturday you will receive 40% off and Sunday, Monday you will receive 30% off the entire store.

$1 million prize will also be awarded to one very lucky shopper this 2013 Black Friday in Canada. The first 500 shoppers to purchase something at any Old Navy Store on Black Friday will be given a chance to win this amazing $1 million jackpot in the “Overnight Millionaire” giveaway. You must be at least 18 years of age to partake in this sweepstakes. You can read the fine print about this promotion here. It actually says in the fine print that the entries for the “Overnight Millionaire” can start November 28th at 7:00PM PT.

Thanks Judy5853 for the great news about Shoppers Drug Mart Black Friday 2013 Flyer.  The Day after Black Friday Shoppers Drug Mart is having a Shoppers Optimum Redemption Event.

Shop at Shoppers Drug Mart this Canadian Black Friday Weekend! On November 30th and December 1st, 2013 they are hosting a Shoppers Optimum Points Mega Redemption event!

• Spend 38,000 Optimum Points get $70
• Spend 50,000 Optimum Points get $105
• spend 95,000 Optimum Points get $210

This would be an absolutely excellent point redemption if the Shoppers Drug Mart near you has any PlayStation 4 Systems left.

Click here for More Black Friday Canada 2013 Flyers and Sales

Ekaterina’s Imperial Porcelain & Tea are offeing a TEA SAMPLE absolutely FREE of charge for the first 1000 of responders on survey their questions.

Click here to get this Ekaterina’s Imperial Porcelain & Tea freebie.

Click here to fill out the Ekaterina’s Imperial Porcelain & Tea survey questions. Enjoy 🙂

Here is another reason to shop at Food Basics! Food Basics has a great new policy, they are now offering rainchecks if an advertised flyer item is not in stock. To boot, they will also give you 10% off of the advertised price for next time you visit. Don’t worry about Food Basics running out of stock any longer! Choose your needed items from their weekly flyer and shop for your needed items with no worries – if they don’t have it in stock this time, they will hold it for you next time and give you 10% off the price. Sounds great to me! Find the nearest Food Basics here.

Target has moved into Canada this year, starting in Spring 2013 with a few locations. Now, with a location in almost every city.. or at least a plan to open a location in almost every city.. Target has become one of Canadians regular shopping places. I know personally I frequent Target a lot more than Walmart simply because of the convenience of the Target location for me. Target can have some pretty wicked movie deals too..

But without any further ado, I just wanted to update you on the newest Target locations opening today (November 13th, 2013).

The new locations today are:

Quebec

• Longueuil– Place Longueuil
• Montreal– Alexis Nihon
• Pointe Claire– Centre Terrarium
• Quebec Nord– Les Galeries de la Capitale
• Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu– Carrefour Richelieu
• Lasalle– Carrefour Angrignon
• Rimouski– Le Carrefour Rimouski
• Laval– Cenre Laval

Nova Scotia

• Sydney- Sydney Shopping Centre

New Brunswick

• Fredericton– Uptown Centre
• Moncton– Northwest Centre
• Saint John– McAllister Place

PEI

• Charlottetown– Charlottetown Mall

Newfoundland

• St. John’s– Cabot Square
• Cornerbrook– Corner Brook Plaza

And Opening November 22nd, 2013 is the Sherbrooke – Carrefour de l’Estrie location!

Shoppers Drug Mart is warningOptimum card holders of an email scam offering Optimum card holders 20,000 points for logging in from the email.   The email directs to a fraudulent site (www.shoppersdrugmart.ga) that looks very similar to Shoppers Drug Mart.  You are then prompted to enter you personal information, Optimum Card number, Date of Birth, Postal Code and Password. The scam is to steal your Optimum Card of all points. This is fraudulent and not authorized by Shoppers Drug Mart, nor is this the Shoppers Drug Mart website. The Shoppers Drug Mart website is www.shoppersdrugmart.ca.

Do not log in to any site from an email, go to www.shoppersdrugmart.ca and log in from there just to be sure that you are using the real site.