[WEBINAR] Understanding Shipping Options for Wall Art

Welcome to this comprehensive guide on understanding and optimizing shipping costs for your business. In today’s increasingly interconnected world, efficient shipping is crucial for customer satisfaction and the financial health of your enterprise. In this webinar blog, we will delve into the various aspects of shipping costs, carriers, and strategies to help you save money while delivering exceptional service to your customers.

If you like reading more than watching, we’ve got you. Read on for all the instructions. You can also jump to any topic you want from the list below.

Understanding Shipping Options

Factors Affecting Shipping Costs

Additional Charges to Consider

Pickup and Freight Options

Shipping Canvas Prints/Framed Canvas Prints

Shipping Fine Art Paper Prints

Shipping Metal Prints

Shipping Framed Fine Art Paper Prints

Reducing Shipping Costs

Conclusion

Understanding Shipping Options

The first step in mastering shipping costs is to understand your shipping options. Generally, carriers fall into two categories: USPS and FedEx/UPS.

USPS (United States Postal Service)

1. Ground Advantage: Ships in 2-5 business days, suitable for lighter packages.
2. Priority Mail: Faster shipping in 1-3 business days, slightly more expensive.
3. Priority Mail Express: Expedited service with 1-2 business day delivery.

FedEx/UPS (The carrier we currently use)

1. Ground Economy: A cost-effective mix of FedEx and USPS services, offering good savings but slower delivery times. (since FedEx fetches the product from us and directs it to the nearest USPS office, and USPS finishes the rest of the shipment)
2. Ground/Home: Options for residential and commercial deliveries within 1-5 business days.
3. Second Day and Overnight Shipping: Faster delivery options for urgent shipments.

Factors Affecting Shipping Costs

Two key factors influence your shipping costs:

1. Weight: USPS is often cheaper for lighter packages, particularly under one pound, thanks to options like Ground Advantage. FedEx’s Ground Economy can be a cost-effective choice for packages slightly heavier.

2. Dimensions: Larger packages tend to be more expensive to ship, and the cost can jump significantly at specific size thresholds. To offset this, you can offer slightly smaller canvases that fit within certain size breakdowns.

Additional Charges to Consider

Keep in mind these potential surcharges that might affect your shipping costs:

1. Residential delivery charges (for FedEx).
2. Rural area surcharges, including delivery area and extended delivery area charges.
3. Additional handling surcharges and oversized surcharges.
4. Peak surcharges, which can increase during the holiday season.
5. Address change surcharges for rerouting packages.

Pickup and Freight Options

With Lumaprints, canvases larger than 47×60 cannot be shipped via a carrier. Sizes above this can be shipped freight. You can pick the Pickup option at checkout and notify our customer service team ([email protected]) where the packages need to be delivered to for freight.

• Freight shipping can be arranged by contacting our customer service team.
• Freight Shipping Cost ranges between $200-$500
• Bulk orders are available for freight shipping as well.

Shipping Canvas Prints/Framed Canvas Prints

Here is a visual breakdown of our shipping costs for stretched canvas and framed canvas prints.

Shipping Fine Art Paper Prints

Here is a visual breakdown of our shipping costs for fine art paper prints.

Shipping Metal Prints

Here is a visual breakdown of our shipping costs for metal prints.

Shipping Framed Fine Art Paper Prints

Here is a visual breakdown of our shipping costs for framed fine art paper prints.

Reducing Shipping Costs

1. Choose the Right Carrier: Select the carrier that best suits your product’s weight and size to minimize costs.

2. Size Matters: Be aware of size break points and the jump in shipping costs at those points. Consider offering slightly smaller products to stay within a lower cost bracket.

3. Rush Production vs. Rush Shipping: Balance same-day or next-day production options with expedited shipping to ensure timely deliveries without overspending.

4. International Shipping: Proceed with caution when shipping internationally due to potential issues like customs, duties, and lost or rejected packages. Consider USPS for international shipping.

Conclusion

Mastering shipping costs is an essential aspect of your business’s success. By understanding carrier options, managing dimensions, factoring in additional charges, and optimizing your approach, you can offer competitive shipping rates while ensuring timely deliveries. Remember, a well-thought-out shipping strategy can be a significant competitive advantage for your business.

Watch this webinar through this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlQ1iaNxrKo&t=1433s

All previous and upcoming webinar videos are available on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lumaprints