Ensuring a fast delivery time is one of the major factors in establishing a successful eCommerce store. In this era, most customers won’t have the patience to wait for a few weeks or months to get what they ordered online. But generally, package deliveries will arrive at their destination in more than a week. This will result in the loss of repeated customers and a decrease in store credibility and image. So how can you mitigate this problem? The answer lies in what we call expedited shipping.
What is Expedited Shipping?
Wondering what expedited shipping means? Expedited shipping is basically a ‘faster than standard’ shipping method, which usually only takes around 3-5 days. Expedited shipping comes in many forms, notably same day deliveries, express deliveries, and next-day deliveries, depending on which courier you use. Packages that utilize expedited shipping will be given a priority status that allows them to be delivered faster. Usually, this means that they are being delivered without any stops from the warehouse until they arrive at the customers.
How fast is expedited shipping?
The term ‘expedited shipping’ does not specifically refer to any particular type of service, so the time spent on these services will vary depending on the shipping company. For example, USPS has their Priority Mail Express that can deliver your packages the next morning for US domestic destinations. Meanwhile, FedEx has their FedEx Express Saver which promises a 3-day delivery time for destinations within the US. While the delivery time of expedited shipping varies between companies, as a rule of thumb they will generally arrive 2-3 days faster than the standard delivery services.
Shipping internationally will take longer even with expedited shipping. But some companies, like DHL, are able to deliver packages within 1-2 business days with their DHL Express Worldwide service. FedEx also boasts a 1-3 days delivery time with their FedEx International Priority which can deliver items on the next day for the US and its surroundings, and in 2-3 days for more than 220 countries worldwide. If you’re wondering how long expedited shipping will take for your specific situation, or are interested in ecommerce fulfillment in general, get in touch with us.
How much does expedited shipping cost?
Using an express shipping method will of course be more expensive than the standard delivery services. But the exact rate will depend on the shipping company you choose. You will also have to factor in the weight, dimensions, destination, and contents of your package to correctly estimate the price.
Here are some example rates for envelopes from several different courier companies:
Courier Option Starting Price DHL Express Worldwide $26.35 USPS Priority Mail Express $24.75 FedEx International Priority $27.19 Since the price is already quite high, most expedited shipping will also provide you with package tracking and insurance. For example, USPS Priority Mail Express offers $100 insurance and tracking for your packages. FedEx also has a MoneyBack Guarantee and online tracking for their FedEx International Priority services.
Why should you have expedited shipping as one of your options?
1. Increased customer satisfaction and loyalty
In 2021, online shopping had been almost a staple for everyone around the world. But a survey of US citizens regarding parcel deliveries revealed that almost half of them are willing to wait only 2 days for their items to be delivered. This has quite a huge margin when compared to the ~20% of customers who are willing to wait for 3-4 days for their packages.
This statistic illustrates the importance of having a faster shipping option for your eCommerce store. Most customers will choose a company with an express shipping time, so not providing expedited shipping will only hurt your business. Since a lot of profits for online stores come from repeated purchases by loyal customers, you have to ensure that you are able to meet their expectations with a fast shipping time.
2. Build brand image
As mentioned above, a lot of eCommerce businesses gain profit mainly from repeated purchases by loyal customers. With expedited shipping, you are making sure that you are constantly satisfying your customer’s needs and proving your store to be a trustworthy business.
3. Reduce damage and save storage
In this pandemic, more people have resorted to online shopping rather than going to the market and physical stores. This applies for almost all types of items, including groceries. Perishable items such as fruits and vegetables have a quick expiration and therefore will need a faster shipping time to ensure their quality and freshness.
Using expedited shipping will also reduce the chances of your goods being damaged on the way since they have fewer transit stops and therefore require less handling. Usually, packages on expedited shipping are taken directly from the supplier to the customer on a direct trip.
Faster shipping also means faster inventory turnover for your store. The sooner your customers get their goods, the more often they will return and shop again. This will result in less time spent in your inventory and will help you reduce your storage space.
Which companies offer expedited shipping?
Each shipping company has their own version of expedited shipping, each with their own specialties and benefits. Here are some types of expedited shipping you might want to choose from:
1. USPS
USPS offers several classes of mail options, such as the Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, and First Class Mail. The USPS Priority Mail Express is boasted as the fastest mail service offered by the Postal Service with a guaranteed delivery by 10.30 am on the next business day for items less than 70 pounds. Deliveries on Sundays or public holidays are able to be purchased with an extra fee. They also provide $100 insurance coverage and all-year round tracking with this service.
2. FedEx
FedEx has a lot of shipping options available for both domestic and international destinations. FedEx Ground delivers by the end of the day, FedEx First Overnight, Priority Overnight, and Standard Overnight promise deliveries on the next working day, and FedEx International Priority ensures a delivery time of 1-3 business days for more than 220 destination countries.
3. DHL
DHL offers a variety of shipping options with time-based differences. The DHL Express 9:00, 10:30, and 12:00 delivers the package on the next possible business day for domestic destinations in the US. While the DHL Express Worldwide and Express Easy provide fast shipping for international destinations in just 1-2 business days.
4. UPS
UPS provides a variety of shipping services that can deliver on the same day at the earliest. These include UPS Express Critical, UPS Worldwide Express Plus, and UPS Air Freight Direct, to name a few.
Floship is a logistics company that offers ecommerce brands the chance to have complete control over their supply chain, ensuring fast and efficient global order fulfillment. The service provides access for manufacturers with an improved Creator Program which grows your network of warehouses as well international carriers so you can get products from place-of manufacture straight into consumers’ hands hassle free!
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