Article content

Canada Post’s newest venture is upping the ante in the world of e-commerce with a slick new Drive-thru Parcel Centre that opened Thursday in Richmond Hill, Ont.

The first of its kind, the concept store has drawn inspiration from self-service technology, conventional retail service and even the fast food sector to offer up a complete destination for consumers and e-commerce merchants.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Canada Post concept store with self-service technology a testament to e-commerce age Back to video

“Who says elephants can’t dance? Welcome to the [the new] Canada Post,” said Deepak Chopra, Canada Post president and CEO.

There are things you have come to expect from a Canada Post outlet – mailbox rental service, racks of gift ideas and stationery items, and counters for mail pickup and delivery.

But there are also plenty of surprises to be found, such as a 24/7 self-serve vending kiosk that dispenses everything from greeting cards and envelopes to stamps and other mailing needs. A self-serve shipping station – a world first – allows customers to bring packages any time of day or night for shipping. The process from weighing and measuring the package to paying and labeling and deposit to a secure bin, takes less than a minute.