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Cost of Living·LISTEN

Conveyance gratis, or not so much: why free shipping isn't really free

The race to the bottom is driving more and more vendors to offer free shipping or free delivery. But as always, there is a cost to something being "free," and that cost might hurt your favourite smaller business.
CBC Radio ·
Amazon Prime is just one of the methods Canadians use to get their online goods shipped to them. (Mark Lennihan/Associated Press)
Cost of Living6:03Conveyance gratis, or not so much: why free shipping isn't really free

The race to the bottom, when it comes to consumer pricing at least, is driving more and more vendors to offer free shipping.

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But as always, there is a cost to something being "free."

That cost might just hurt your favourite small business. Producer Tracy Fuller reveals some of the hidden prices when you enjoy free shipping.

Click "listen" at the top of the page to hear this segment, or download the Cost of Living podcast.

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