How to Save Money on Shipping Subscription Boxes
Find Kitting and Shipping Logistics Services Near You
So you have a great idea for a monthly subscription box, but you need help getting it off the ground. Once you’ve developed your business plan, secured funding, and built your website, you’re ready to introduce it to the public.
But not quite.
You need help with the logistics of fulfilling and shipping orders, and you don’t have a facility large enough to store all the components of your subscription box. Packing more than a handful of boxes each month is daunting and doesn’t fit with your schedule. And without access to majorly-discounted bulk shipping rates, your customers aren’t going to want to order your product, no matter how amazing it is.
What can you do?
Hire a 3PL to Outsource E-Commerce Storage and Fulfillment
A third-party logistics company is the answer to all your problems. But not every 3PL is familiar with kitting, the process of assembling and packing a monthly subscription box with a multi-part contents list.
You must find a 3PL with expertise in this area to ensure your new monthly subscription box arrives with your customers exactly as you intended — and as they expect.
And with hiring a 3PL with kitting services, like Shipping Pilot, you’ll also receive lots of benefits you wouldn’t get elsewhere, especially if you had to pick and pack orders yourself.
Shipping Subscription Boxes on Your Own
If you decide to do without a 3PL service, then your options for significant savings on shipping are very slim. You also need to evaluate which carrier will best serve your business, in terms of reliability and affordability. You may also want to understand how tracking information can be conveyed to your customers and choose a service that seamlessly integrates with your ordering system.
- Shipping by cubic weight
As long as your package is less than 20 pounds and less than ½ a cubic foot in volume, it is eligible for shipping by cubic weight. This discount is available for those who ship in bulk, so if you don’t meet that definition, you may not be able to receive this discount. - UPS SurePost or FedEx SmartPost
These services charge by box size, not by weight, which makes it an affordable shipping option with the bonus of carrier pick-up. Prices can vary by delivery location, however.
Shipping Subscription Boxes with a Third-Party Logistics Company
Working with a 3PL affords you cheaper shipping, which as you know, is factored directly into the cost of your subscription boxes.
A fulfillment center works directly with packaging manufacturers and shipping services to get a massive bulk discount at wholesale prices. This results in savings that you can pass on to your customers in the form of cheap or even free shipping rates!
Hire a Top Fulfillment Company: Shipping Pilot
Shipping Pilot is a 3PL experienced in e-commerce logistics with a specialization in kitting and subscription boxes. We’re based in Ohio, but can serve clients nationally, no matter where you’re located, by offering warehousing, picking, packing, and shipping services that exceed your expectations at every turn.
