Talk to Me about Shipping (Said No One Ever)

Happy March Everyone!  Spring is just weeks away and I can hardly wait.  The end of winter has been rainy, snowy and, combined with the pandemic, I'm ready for some spring sunshine and flowers.  St. Patrick's Day is coming up this month and I hope this cute puppy in a green hat gives your spirit a boost to begin the month on a cheery note.

As a continuation of introducing the new Cherry Rose Cottage webstore, this month I'm going to discuss shipping.  A boring subject but an important one.  Anyone who delivers products to customers knows one of the most important considerations is how to ship products economically and quickly.

First, let's talk about "free" shipping.  Who wouldn't like free shipping right?  But the truth is, there really is no such thing as "free" shipping.  Regardless of whether the item has shipping built into the purchase price or whether it is charged separately, shipping carriers charge a fee to deliver a product.

Large companies are able to negotiate heavily discounted shipping rates with carriers due to the volume of packages they ship, whereas small businesses are only able to qualify for very small discounts (oftentimes these discounts are less than $1.00).  USPS rates for first‑class parcels are based on package weight AND the distance the package travels, as well as the dimensions of the package.  If the package dimensions are above the USPS one cubic foot limit, shipping cost will be significantly higher.  The USPS annual price list document containing the various shipping methods and charges is 75 pages long!

As of the writing of this blog entry, Cherry Rose Cottage ships products via USPS and charges calculated shipping for delivering your products to you.  With shipping rates going up every January, I feel it's important for customers to know exactly what they pay for the product and what they pay for delivery.  I never try to make money on shipping and have set up shipping charges as fairly as possible based on product weights, shipping distances and the rules noted above.  I am constantly looking for better ways to ship products to my customers.

In addition, in order to get the most economical price, I pack items to fit into the most compact packaging possible.  In order to make your unboxing delightful, I will not force something into packaging that is too small or that will not allow me to present the item nicely, but I do use the smallest package possible to obtain the best cost savings for my customers.

I know the topic this month has been a dry one. If you have read this far, you are a stoic individual and I thank you for sharing your time with me.  I never forget that you are the reason Cherry Rose Cottage even exists.  Thank you for supporting a small business and shopping at Cherry Rose Cottage.

Happy St. Patrick's Day and Happy Spring!