Ship from your store: choose the right partner

If you’re a retailer, you’ve probably already faced the need to ship items from your store. Not sure how to go about it? Choosing the right logistics partner can directly impact your customers’ satisfaction and your business success. There are different shipping solutions, each with its own advantages and features. We’ll guide you through this journey to help you find the ideal partner that meets your specific shipping needs from your store.

Key criteria to consider when choosing a shipping solution

We know that choosing the best shipping solution can seem complicated. To make things easier, here are some important criteria to keep in mind:

Understand your needs

Before choosing a partner, assess your shipping needs. Analyse the size and weight of your parcels, the frequency of shipments, and the most common destinations. This will help you look for a partner who can specifically meet these requirements.

Shipping costs

Your budget is precious! Your mission is to find a provider offering competitive and transparent rates, while maintaining service quality. Compare the rates of different carriers to find an affordable option, while offering reasonable delivery fees for your customers.

Delivery times

Speed is a real asset! Choose a partner offering delivery times that suit your needs to ensure customer satisfaction, especially if they’re eagerly awaiting their products. Make sure the shipping solution you choose can guarantee reasonable delivery times and, above all, keep its promises (this is the main source of customer dissatisfaction!).

Parcel tracking options

Peace of mind is essential! Choose a carrier that offers reliable parcel tracking. This way, you and your customers can follow the delivery progress in real time. Everyone likes to know where their order is and when to expect it. The shipping solution you choose should offer easily accessible tracking.

Geographical coverage

The extent of coverage is crucial! Make sure the carrier you select can deliver to all the geographical areas where you want to ship your products. It’s a great way to reach your customers effectively, even those in the most remote locations.

Returns policy

Your customers’ trust is essential! Find out about the return conditions offered by the carrier to ensure a smooth shopping experience for your customers. Your customers should be able to return products easily.

By taking these criteria into account when choosing a shipping solution, you can ensure your products are delivered efficiently, while providing a positive experience for your customers.

The different types of shipping solutions

There are various shipping solution options on the market. You can choose from several types of carriers: national postal services, private carriers, or even collaborative shipping solutions.

National postal services offer wide coverage, while private carriers often provide faster delivery times. Collaborative shipping solutions, on the other hand, help reduce costs by using existing journeys of individuals or professionals to deliver parcels from point A to point B.

At Cocolis, we support you with our “Ship from Store” solution, which allows you to ship your products directly from your physical retail locations, rather than centralising them in a warehouse. This approach enables stores to use their network to ship products directly to customers based on geographical proximity.

This way, your customers receive their parcels faster, as they are shipped from a nearby store. What’s more, by optimising the use of existing journeys, Cocolis helps reduce environmental impact by limiting CO2 emissions from transport.

Find out more about our solution

Comparing different shipping solutions

Now that you have a clearer picture of the solutions available to you, here are some practical tips for evaluating and comparing different shipping solutions:

• Cost-benefit analysis: Compare costs, delivery times, and tracking options for each carrier to choose the solution that best suits your business.
• Request personalised quotes from carriers: Don’t hesitate to request personalised quotes to get an accurate estimate of costs based on your shipping volumes and destinations.
• Check customer reviews and testimonials: Customer feedback is invaluable! Take the time to read reviews and testimonials to better understand the quality of service offered by each carrier.

You now have all the keys you need to choose the ideal shipping partner for your store. Take the time to select the solution that best matches your specific needs. Once in place, regularly monitor your shipping solution’s performance and adjust if necessary to ensure a smooth and satisfying delivery experience for your customers.

Don’t wait any longer—offer your customers a delivery solution straight from your store!

Contact our team!