Please help! Packaging and shipping advice

[kcandle2]

Hi everyone! I am just starting my candle business and I have a few questions about packaging and shipping. I make container candles and the majority of my orders will be coming from online sales. 

 

How do you package and ship your product?

 

Shipping-

It seems USPS is the most economical route, but shipping is still quite expensive. Is there a service people use to get discounted shipping rates? I see some small candle companies offering free or very low flat rate shipping and I’m not sure how they’re doing it!!

 

Packaging-

I was initially thinking of buying corrugated boxes, putting my container candles in there, and mailing them that way. Does this make sense? Or do you put the candles in a box and then put them inside a USPS box?

 

Any thoughts and advice would be very much appreciated! Thank you!

 

-Kay

[Sebleo]

You are definitely going to want to double pack your candles to protect against breakage. Pack them in a corrugated box. Then put it in a shipping box packed with packing peanuts, paper, or bubble wrap. Check out the thread on how packages get handied by carriers!

 

You don't want to pay full price at usps. There are ways to get discounted shipping with pay memberships like stamps.com or shippingeasy.com. 

 

If you start a website through shopify you automatically get commercial plus shipping prices. Their hosting prices start at $30 a month. 

 

Imho, might as well pay $30 a month and get a website plus discounted shipping rather than $15 a month for just discounted shipping. 

Edited August 6, 2018 by Sebleo

[kcandle2]

@Sebleo Thank you very much for the information! This is helpful. I will look into Shopify and your other suggestions.  

[Quentin]

@Sebleo Check out Endicia also. 

[Quentin]

On 8/6/2018 at 11:12 AM, kcandle2 said:

Hi everyone! I am just starting my candle business and I have a few questions about packaging and shipping. I make container candles and the majority of my orders will be coming from online sales. 

 

How do you package and ship your product?

 

Shipping-

It seems USPS is the most economical route, but shipping is still quite expensive. Is there a service people use to get discounted shipping rates? I see some small candle companies offering free or very low flat rate shipping and I’m not sure how they’re doing it!!

 

Packaging-

I was initially thinking of buying corrugated boxes, putting my container candles in there, and mailing them that way. Does this make sense? Or do you put the candles in a box and then put them inside a USPS box?

 

Any thoughts and advice would be very much appreciated! Thank you!

 

-Kay

This brings up a few questions I THOUGHT I had figured out. Back to the drawing board. 

[MilosCandles]

I use pirateship - https://ship.pirateship.com/  Love them.  Integrate with both my woocommerce store and etsy.

 

I use a combination of First Class Mail and Priority mail.  I bought large rubber stamp and I can stamp all my boxes with my logo.  LOVE IT.

 

Learn the in's and outs of Regional Rate A and Rate B boxes they can save you some money if your understand. Most USPS supplies can be ordered right online for free.  Many of which they do not offer in the post office.  Flat Rate Bubble envelopes are my friend also.

 

Sometimes I but them in a box and then a USPS box, sometimes just in one or the other.  

 

 

 

 

[Quentin]

On 9/13/2018 at 3:50 PM, MilosCandles said:

 https://ship.pirateship.com/ 

I checked it out today just after you posted it. I signed up almost immediately. They seem to know all the ins and outs of the post office. Everyone should check it out. Thanks for passing that on to us.

[Quentin]

Oh yeah, where did you find a rubber stamp that big. I could use something like that.

[coffeebean]

I am currently using shippo https://goshippo.com It's a free membership with great discounts in shipping.

[TallTayl]

1 hour ago, coffeebean said:

I am currently using shippo https://goshippo.com It's a free membership with great discounts in shipping.

Same here. Joined a few years ago.  Easy as pie, free, and same postage rates as those which require subscriptions. 

 

ETA: I use usps.com for quite a bit of shipping. The regional and priority rates are the same as other discount services. Goshippo is great for first class, non priority. 

 

For larger size shipments, a business fedex account is the bees knees. 

[TallTayl]

8 minutes ago, TallTayl said:

Same here. Joined a few years ago.  Easy as pie, free, and same postage rates as those which require subscriptions. 

 

ETA: I use usps.com for quite a bit of shipping. The regional and priority rates are the same as other discount services. Goshippo is great for first class, non priority. 

 

For larger size shipments, a business fedex account is the bees knees. 

ETA again, pirate ship rates look nice based on the couple of generic test dimensions I tried. 

[Laura C]

9 hours ago, Quentin said:

Oh yeah, where did you find a rubber stamp that big. I could use something like that.

I know, right? LOL

[TallTayl]

I use rubber stamps.net.  You can get them unmounted and save some $ gluing to a scrap piece of wood at home. 

[Laura C]

2 hours ago, TallTayl said:

I use rubber stamps.net.  You can get them unmounted and save some $ gluing to a scrap piece of wood at home. 

Awesome, thanks @TallTayl. Hey @Quentin here's the biggies. https://www.rubberstamps.net/large-rubber-stamps.aspx

Edited September 15, 2018 by Laura C

[MilosCandles]

@Laura C @Quentin I ordered from here - https://www.thestampmaker.com/  

 

"We make custom rubber stamps up to a maximum stamp size of 3.75" x 6", or 6" x 3.75"."

 

[Laura C]

9 hours ago, MilosCandles said:

@Laura C @Quentin I ordered from here - https://www.thestampmaker.com/  

 

"We make custom rubber stamps up to a maximum stamp size of 3.75" x 6", or 6" x 3.75"."

 

Cool, thanks @MilosCandles. Your logo stamp on your boxes, etc. looks real good. 

[MilosCandles]

@Laura CThanks.  I bought it for something else, but I use it for so much now.  I love it.  Was one of those purchases I was 100% sure about, but now use it for everything.  LOL 

[Paintguru]

I'm sure you've heard it before @MilosCandles, but I'm really impressed with your branding.  From the stamp to the logo in general, it is all really well thought out.  Now I plan on stealing your box stamping idea.  😁

[MilosCandles]

@Paintguru Thanks for the compliment.  I am glad it appears that way.  LOL, it was 3 years in the making.