With companies now spending around $1.5 trillion on shipping every year, businesses need a way to cut down on costs. If you’re looking to ship for less, there are lots of ways to save money without compromising quality. When looking to ship for less, use creative solutions that make sense for your customers.
Here are four tips to consider to cut costs.
1. Batch Shipments
If you’re constantly sending out little shipments to the same clients over and over, consider alternatives to save money. You could include free shipping with orders when your customers order over a certain limit. That allows your customers to think twice before making small orders.
It also incentivizes larger orders. By offering this small incentive, watch your shipping costs drop while your profits soar.
When customers make small orders, allow them to save money by batching orders together. If you don’t have all of your products in at the same time, you can ask them to wait until everything is in the same place to send one package instead of several.
2. Offer Local Pickup
One of the easiest ways to save on your shipping is to offer local pickup. If your customers have the opportunity to pick up items locally, you take away the entire expense of shipping to them. You give them the chance to see your facility up close and to get a real hands-on feel for your products.
This is a good way to build loyalty for your company and brand. When your customers and clients feel like they have access to your brand, even when they’re buying in bulk, they’ll feel more in control.
3. Own Your Vehicles
If you’re doing a lot of shipping in a local region, owning your own vehicles is a smart way to take control over how much you pay for shipping. When you own every step of the shipping apparatus, you don’t have to pay a middleman for your shipping. When you own your vehicles, it means you’ll deliver on your own schedule and under your own terms.
While it’s a big expenditure if you feel like you could handle lots of local shipments on your own, why not try taking it into your own hands?
4. Reuse Packaging
If you’re dealing with returns or getting deliveries of your own, why not reuse some of your packagings. The costs of packaging are expensive and if you’re not saving the packaging that you’re getting when things arrive at your facility.
While there are ways that look unprofessional, when it comes to packing peanuts and bubble wrap, no one will know if you’re resuming things.
Ship For Less Like a Savvy Businessperson
If you’re looking for ways to ship for less, you’re going to cut down on your overhead in a big way. Cutting down on shipping costs ensures that you don’t overspend without ever compromising the quality of service you provide customers. Always keep your customers as priority number one whenever you’re considering changes to the way you do business.
For larger shipping container issues, follow our guide to making the right fiscal decisions.