Shipping for Shopify stores: Tips, Best Practices & More
Shopify stores that try to grow without first making their shipping processes as efficient as possible are likely to run into trouble. Shipping and fulfillment take a lot of time when you run a Shopify store because customers want their orders quickly.
Customers now expect at least 2-day delivery, which puts a lot of pressure on store owners to fill their orders quickly, which can lead to mistakes.
Things can get very crazy and hard to handle. This is why businesses use services like the shipping tools built into Shopify. Shopify has a number of shipping services that make it easier for stores to get started and keep their customers happy.
Shopify can save you time and energy by giving you services like label printing, pickups, and huge discounts on shipping rates. You can then use that time and energy to focus on growing your business.
What is Shopify Shipping?
Shopify shipping is a native Shopify app, so Shopify merchants don’t have to install any third-party software to meet all their shipping needs.
Shopify’s shipping features give merchants all the tools they need to handle fulfillment as soon as they start selling their products.
Shopify fulfillment models
For your Shopify store, you can choose from a number of different ways to send out orders. You can choose self-fulfillment if you run a small business and can take care of your own orders. If you don’t want to deal with shipping and fulfillment yourself, you can use Shopify’s shipping services or third-party logistics companies (3PLs) to do it for you.
Self-fulfillment
You can have a Shopify store and take care of the fulfillment yourself. This option is good if you have a small business and don’t ship a lot of packages each month.
You can also use self-fulfillment if you are sure you can save money on shipping costs or if you need to ship from somewhere other than Australia, Canada, or the United States. But if you want to grow your business, it’s best to hire a reliable fulfillment service and put your energy into that instead.
3PL
Shopify Shipping lets you ship only from the U.S., Canada, or Australia. However, you can work with third-party logistics (3PLs) companies to let them handle fulfillment for you. They basically store your inventory and will fulfill orders when they come in.
If your business is growing and you want to automate more of the same tasks, third-party integrations can be very helpful. You can use FedEx, USPS, UPS, and other courier services when you use apps like ShipStation or Shippo.
Dropshipping
Dropshipping is perfect for you if you want to run a business but don’t want to carry your own products. You just need to find the right supplier and use one of the Shopify dropshipping apps to bring in the products you want to sell.
You can get your products from big marketplaces like AliExpress and Amazon and connect them to Oberlo, an app for Shopify, to make your own store. When you get an order, all you have to do is click the order button, and the product will go straight from your supplier to your customer, no matter where they are in the world.
Shopify’s fulfillment services
Shopify used to have a service called the Shopify Fulfillment Network, which was like a 3PL and helped merchants ship orders. Since Shopify didn’t get the results they had hoped for, this has changed.
With the purchase of Deliverr, we expect Shopify to start offering fulfillment services again once the purchase is finalized.
Shopify shipping options
Shopify lets sellers choose from different shipping options based on what works best for their business. Putting together the right shipping plan for your business can pay off in the long run and help you attract more customers.
Here are some of the shipping options that Shopify gives you.
Flat-rate shipping
Flat-rate shipping is when the cost of shipping doesn’t change based on how many, what kind, or how big the items are. We’d suggest you use flat rate shipping if most of the products you’re selling are the same size and shape. This is important because it will keep you from charging your customers too much or too little.
Weight-based shipping
So that Shopify’s shipping calculators can give you accurate results, you need to give Shopify exact information about the size and weight of your products. This process will help you figure out the shipping costs, which you can then use to come up with a good shipping plan for your business.
Set a default package size
When you set up shipping on Shopify, you will need to fill in the details of your default package size and weight. You can also fill out the details for each product separately to print shipping labels, but Shopify will use the information you gave for the default package to show your customers live shipping rates at checkout.
Set up a printer
It’s pretty easy to print labels for shipping. You can print labels on paper with your regular desktop printer or use a label printer that lets you print labels on stickers. To print labels, all you have to do is make sure your device is connected to the printer correctly and set up the printer.
Adjust shipping zones
To set up shipping in Shopify, the next step is to divide the world into shipping zones. You can set up different shipping rates for different places based on your customers, the cost of shipping, and the distance. You can also choose to ship for free to some places and charge a flat rate to other places.
Free shipping near the country of origin can help you sell more locally, and free shipping or a discount on shipping for a minimum order can help you get bigger orders from customers in other countries.
Shopify’s shipping rates
Shopify lowers your shipping costs by giving you discounts from several well-known courier services. Different courier services have different plans and packages. Build your shipping strategy around the plan that works best for your business.
USPS
Sample 30 oz shipment from New York City to Chicago on Shopify:
- Priority Mail $7.80 (28% savings)
- Priority Mail Express- $36.80 (15% savings)
- First-Class Package International Service (New York City to London)- $22.80 (6% savings)
UPS
Sample 1 Ib shipment for New York City to Chicago on Shopify:
- UPS Ground- $8.31 (27% savings)
- UPS Nex Day Air- $37.51 (48% savings)
- UPS Standard to Canada (New York City to Toronto)- $19.56 (28% savings)
- UPS Worldwide Expedited (New York City to London)- $39.33 (63% savings)
DHL
Sample 1 Ib shipment on Shopify:
- DHL Express Worldwide (New York City to Toronto)- $25.15 (71% savings)
- DHL Express Worldwide (New York City to London)- $34.47 (69% savings)
- DHL Express Worldwide (New York City to Sydney)- $38.56 (68% savings)
Shopify shipping FAQs
Shipping is a monster of a process to manage for Shopify stores. Here are some questions that merchants often ask us about shipping.
Does Shopify ship to other countries?
Yes, Shopify’s built-in shipping features let merchants in Australia, Canada, and the US ship internationally using a variety of carriers. For shipping to other countries, merchants can use shipping apps to make the process easier.
How much does UPS shipping costs?
UPS costs between $8.31 and $39.33 for a 1 lb shipment, depending on where the package is going and when it will be delivered.
What is the cheapest way for Shopify stores to ship?
USPS is the cheapest way to ship, but it works best for orders that are light and don’t need to be sent right away.
Why you should choose ShippingTree as your 3PL
There are lots of fulfillment models you can use for your Shopify store, but here’s why you should let ShippingTree handle your fulfillment.
2-day delivery
Our fulfillment teams operate at the intersection of tech enablement of traditional expertise. When you work with ShippingTree, we help you streamline operational logistics and reach Amazon-level delivery speeds.
All-in-one fulfillment
Because freight companies and Amazon FBA can only help you out so much. Our all-in-one fulfillment offering will help you manage the entirety of your supply chain and logistics operations.
Reduced shipping costs
You can’t provide expedited shipping consistently at scale without either charging customers more or reducing your shipping costs. With ShippingTree, you don’t have to make the tough call – you can make the right one instead.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, the most important thing is to use the shipping method that works best for your Shopify store. The best way to do this is to look at your business goals, figure out your finances, look at the different shipping options, and choose the one that gives you the best value for your money and gives you the time and energy to focus on growing your business.
To learn more about how ShippingTree can help you with fulfillment, contact us.
