Why Do Good Retailers Go To Surepost???
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I ordered three tins of CRF&P from P&C on June 5. Still not here.
Surepost!
It may sound petulant, but I do wish that retailers would use one service. The hybrid sucks.
Surepost!
It may sound petulant, but I do wish that retailers would use one service. The hybrid sucks.
This is all I’m getting at.
Wow, that can be a huge savings. I see why they use it.
What is a 'risk (define however you like), is SP made their bones on the service-aspect of fast shipping. I've seen multiple internet retailers go this route (Surepost/slow-boat for their base or 'free' service) recently.
Maybe 3-4 years ago, I could dig this as a general strategy. Today though....I think fast shipping/at your door in a day or two is very much on the mind of many internet shoppers. I also believe many folks are fine to pay a little more (either direct-line freight or product bundled price) to get it at a good speed.
Age old pricing concern.....margin on freight/shipping is always the sirens call for a business. If product cost is very low (relative to market)....than an ultra slow-boat ship method is probably 'OK'. Where I'd watch out in SP case...product cost isn't amazingly low (considering their purchasing scale) and it's a larger threshold to get 'free shipping'. Going backwards on delivery time than in the past....that's a walk-back to the consumer in terms of previous 'value'.
I'm obviously not staring at SP's P&L so they absolutely could be looking to offset higher costs....more stating is fast shipping now valued by consumers where charging 2-3% more in unit product costs and maintaining fast shipping making for a 'happier customer long term.
Maybe 3-4 years ago, I could dig this as a general strategy. Today though....I think fast shipping/at your door in a day or two is very much on the mind of many internet shoppers. I also believe many folks are fine to pay a little more (either direct-line freight or product bundled price) to get it at a good speed.
Age old pricing concern.....margin on freight/shipping is always the sirens call for a business. If product cost is very low (relative to market)....than an ultra slow-boat ship method is probably 'OK'. Where I'd watch out in SP case...product cost isn't amazingly low (considering their purchasing scale) and it's a larger threshold to get 'free shipping'. Going backwards on delivery time than in the past....that's a walk-back to the consumer in terms of previous 'value'.
I'm obviously not staring at SP's P&L so they absolutely could be looking to offset higher costs....more stating is fast shipping now valued by consumers where charging 2-3% more in unit product costs and maintaining fast shipping making for a 'happier customer long term.
Lets not go talking about national problems. Last time I heard, the Queen has no say in Canada Post matters.
As for slow shipping, it must be cheaper for a retailer to use, otherwise there would be no reason to do it.
Here is exactly why:
We didn't use Surepost for years. We offered either USPS Priority or UPS Ground, depending on weight and destination. In a nutshell: Ground is cheap and really fast close by (shipping from us to, say, Charlotte, NC) and Priority is faster across the country. However, Priority gets very expensive with high weight shipments.
UPS changed their rules about shipping tobacco to require that all UPS shipments get Adult Signature upon delivery. This is both expensive (about $5) and a pain in the ass for customers (and we're age verifying at checkout anyway and therefore compliant with federal law).
We stopped shipping UPS entirely to consumers while we sorted it out with UPS.
It became apparent that Surepost could go without Adult Signature and Surepost is priced (in alignment with, though less) than Ground.
Hence, we started shipping Surepost because continuing to ship 4lb packages that we sell for $100 by Priority was untenable.
However, now, in round 2 of implementation of that (that was deployed last week; I don't know when your order was, BROBS), we're subsidizing non-free options. So the difference between Priority (for which you would pay something) and Surepost shouldn't be all that great (to figure it out properly, I'd need the weight, value and destination zip code of your package).
So, why did we do this? Because UPS pulled our preferred (more expensive to us) service and USPS Priority is just very expensive on a per pound basis after the first couple of pounds, so we need some way to ship 5lbs of Lane 1Q (or a bunch of tins) cheaply enough that we can offer free shipping at $95.
Sykes
Smokingpipes.com is a business, their purpose is to make a profit, just like every other business. If the free shipping was getting too expensive and they switched to sure-post to keep costs down, then I applaud them for that. If you want faster shipping, then pay for it, the option is right there in the final screen.
And that is pretty much what we tried to engineer by subsidizing options that aren't Surepost.
I guess if I were in Smoking Pipes position, I would ask what the customers are getting for the 10-20% savings right now? My incoming Priority Mail stufff has been very timely over the last few months, with one noteworthy exception that was delayed by about 4-5 days. But on outgoing stuff, I have had a couple of really aggravating delays. One shipment to Texas, according to tracking, sat at the Fort Worth network center for three days. I had the same thing happen to a package that sat in the Chicago network center.
There is a relationship between price and value. Whatever metrics SP uses might have told them the balance of that equation has changed.
There is a relationship between price and value. Whatever metrics SP uses might have told them the balance of that equation has changed.
I won't stop using SPC, but I might just pay for the shipping I prefer in the future.
I'm less deal driven these days. As a moderate smoker, I like tin limits. Sometimes the stuff I want is actually available when I'm ready to order.
Thanks to Swilford for weighing in.
I'm less deal driven these days. As a moderate smoker, I like tin limits. Sometimes the stuff I want is actually available when I'm ready to order.
Thanks to Swilford for weighing in.
I have pretty much stopped worrying about “free” shipping now. The last 5 or 6 orders I have made, from SP, Mars, Storyteller, etc haven’t gone much if any over $50 each. Just got what I wanted, it came with no drama.
Liberating.
This is a non-issue.
Net takeaway? Decide at the time of purchase if receiving your order in 2-4 days instead of 10-14 days is worth three dollars (or whatever the actual upgraded shipping amount is) to you.
If yes, pay it; if not, don't.
The end
TANSTAAFL
Net takeaway? Decide at the time of purchase if receiving your order in 2-4 days instead of 10-14 days is worth three dollars (or whatever the actual upgraded shipping amount is) to you.
If yes, pay it; if not, don't.
The end
TANSTAAFL
Well, mostly. I think the PSA value of this thread is in bringing up the topic of SurePost. Many members here have had memorably bad experiences with delays beyond the 10-14 days and other issues with that level of service. The % of these issues seems to be much higher than with straight UPS and USPS. I have been lucky compared to others.
My last few orders from them practically showed up before I was done paying. If anyone here lives near them and visits their shop tell them to keep up the most excellent work!
that is all I am saying.. is that surepost as a service blows. SPC ships right away and then has no control over the amount of time. USPS is much faster is all.. and I always forget the free shipping is surepost until the order is complete. I'd gladly pay $3 more or whatever the difference to use USPS priority.
The problem for me is not even thinking about the fact the free shipping is surepost until the order is complete. As it never had been surepost with SPC before in the past.
No, it was an old rumor that I was a Canadian started by Olkofri (who I heard has now declared himself Warlord of his Province. The world awaits Trudeau's response).
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