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E-Commerce Courier Delivery

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  • 15-02-2018 5:39pm
    #1
    niall_walsh
    Registered Users Posts: 112 ✭✭


    Hi Everyone,

    I have been searching the forums here regarding my query but can't get a lot of info.

    I have a bricks and mortar retail business selling a range of products from quite small under 2 kg up to approx 25kg bulky items.

    We are currently in the process of setting up an e commerce platform to keep up with our competitors and open up our market.

    I was hoping to get some advice from anyone currently selling online and dealing with courier companies. Our competitors seem to be offering sub €5 flat rate shipping with free delivery over €50-€70. Having contacted several companies they seem to be unwilling to offer competitive prices without pre-existing volume quotas. Also they seem to be very coy about what prices they will offer once certain thresholds are hit.

    I realise initially we will have to swallow up some of the delivery prices in our margins to offer the €5 flat rate to stay competitive and hopefully be able to renegotiate once we are increasing our volume of dispatch. Alot of the items would be low cost small margin. The 2 main companies in our area (far from Dublin) are DPD and Fastway.

    Does anyone have any advice on starting my journey on this/have any recommendations of companies/negotiating tactics and roughly what prices are being offered based on what volumes.

    Any info would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks


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    #2
    jimmii
    Registered Users Posts: 14,810 ✭✭✭✭jimmii


    An Post have special rates for Dublin customers so they could be saving that way. As you say though it's all volume based so you may have to subsidise it initially until you get the volume. How many units a week are your projecting over the next 4-6 months? You generally don't get much discount until 50+ a week.


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