Failed delivery attempts can occur when a shipment is out for delivery but the recipient is absent and there is no safe place to deliver the package or a signature is required.
Pick-Up Points
After a failed delivery attempt, the carrier may leave a notice for the recipient indicating that their shipment will be on hold at a pick up point for collection. This may be a local post office or a trusted third party location, depending on the carrier used. For example, courriers like Canpar offer SMARTSpot pick-up points in convenient locations across Canada.
You should be aware that most carriers will only hold shipments for pick-up for a brief window of time.
Multiple Delivery Attempts & Address Redirecting
For some carriers or services, multiple delivery attempts may be made for a shipment. Other times you may be able to direct the shipment to another address. The availability and cost of these options may also be dependent on when the request has been made. The earlier you can contact the carrier, the better.
Returns
If the carrier does not offer any of the above options, the shipment will be deemed undeliverable and it is likely a return of the shipment will be initiated.