supplements365
24th July 2006, 13:30
I'm sure this is a problem for a lot of online businesses. Trying to keep the cost of postage down and still be competative.
In my industry most suppliers offer FREE P&P, which is a hugh burden on profits.
Does anyone know of a good National Courier and can you give me an Idea of their pricing for goods 0-10 Kg, next day delivery.
Any help would be appreciated.
Poppy Design
25th July 2006, 09:32
Hello
Have used a few in the past - most couriers charge approx. £10 per parcel (unless you send loads of goods out).
We use City Link at the moment and so far have proved reliable (but can vary from depot to depot) and they also offer a small packets (City Pack) service - £5.60 approx. for up to 5kg.
hope that helps
joanne
ukanalyst
26th July 2006, 01:34
HI,
Joanne is correct supplements, the more traffic you have going out the better the deal you are going to get.
We primarily utilise Citylink and Business Post, but the Royal Mail is probably the best option if your packages are small and small volume, i.e. less than 100 a day.
With carriers, you have to watch out for the hiddne charges, or those that aren't built into the rate, like out of area charges, which are more or less Scottish Highlands, Scottish Isles, Channel Islands and NI, but some carriers class the Scottish Lowlands as out of are too. There is also volumetric charging too, which can be quite nasty, for example one of our clients sends out lightweight packages, but they come in a big and bulky outer carrier so they get volumised.
Plus with Pricing In Proportion coming in from RM, you may want to look at the way your parcels are going out and see if you can stremline.
One idea, if your volume is low, is to find like minded people who you can either tag onto their account or form your own group for carrier discounts. In this way, the parcels should attract a more generous discount.
In addition, sad to say, if your business is B2B as opposed to B2C, you will probably get better rates as carriers don't like housing estates - they prefer to deliver to factories and shops.
Regards
Chris
Hi,
See this thread on a similar topic http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=20611&highlight=interparcel.com