Retail website - how to save on postage costs?

Kanoona

I have a fully functional ecommerce website why I'm relaunching this year. I was originally selling hosiery and underwear as postage and packaging was very easy and cheap. However I now have trade accounts for lots of lovely home wares too so I'd love to sell larger items.

How do other companies deal with postage for large items?

In terms of boxes? Where do they source these from cheaply?

Considering postage is generally £3.95 and there about on other websites how do they get it so low? For large items? I bought a tin of paint online and it only cost me that amount for postage yet when the box came if I was posting an item of that size for an eBay item for example it would cost me over £6.00 at my local post office.

Also I have a lot of vintage furniture I'd like to sell in one of the categories on my website. How would I deal with delivery on these?

Thanks in advance!

sjbrun

Most sellers now don't use the post office as they are too expensive. I can get a next day courier for under 15kg for less than £3, however to get that you have to send hundereds per day.

Have you asked your manufacturer to put the product in another outer box? This is often the cheapest way of getting product in boxed straight for dispatch. Then you just need to put a label on.

With Furniture it will probably be easier to use a pallet company.

Aquamania

Kanoona wrote: »

I have a fully functional ecommerce website why I'm relaunching this year. I was originally selling hosiery and underwear as postage and packaging was very easy and cheap. However I now have trade accounts for lots of lovely home wares too so I'd love to sell larger items.

How do other companies deal with postage for large items?

In terms of boxes? Where do they source these from cheaply?

Considering postage is generally £3.95 and there about on other websites how do they get it so low? For large items? I bought a tin of paint online and it only cost me that amount for postage yet when the box came if I was posting an item of that size for an eBay item for example it would cost me over £6.00 at my local post office.

Also I have a lot of vintage furniture I'd like to sell in one of the categories on my website. How would I deal with delivery on these?

Thanks in advance!

You'd probably have been better off asking on the ebay board where lots of small online sellers reside

Royal Mail do some cracking rates if you can make it worthwhile for them, but I don't think you are anywhere near that stage yet.

baz2277

I've had my ebay shop which runs alongside my main 'physical' shop (a garden centre). I find the Royal Mail small parcel charge of £2.80 not too bad - I usually incorporate this into the overall price and then offer 'free p and p'

I should have thought that hosiery is probably quite lightweight, and would cost less than this to send.

I've got a small digital scales which helps too - I can get away with large letter size prices on some items too.

Savvy_Sue

baz2277 wrote: »

I've had my ebay shop which runs alongside my main 'physical' shop (a garden centre). I find the Royal Mail small parcel charge of £2.80 not too bad - I usually incorporate this into the overall price and then offer 'free p and p'

I should have thought that hosiery is probably quite lightweight, and would cost less than this to send.

I've got a small digital scales which helps too - I can get away with large letter size prices on some items too.

Yes but the OP wants to send larger items than can be fitted into a small parcel, and Royal Mail prices seem to climb steeply after that.

OP note that there are TWO sizes for small parcels. If anything fits into either size box, life is simpler than if they don't.

rhysadams

I used to get my suppliers to send it direct to the customer under plain cover. Then pop the invoice in the post with a few leaflets.