Your Company Doesn’t Have to Be Large to Save Big on Shipping

Published on May 11, 2023

Written by Maria Fagerland

Filed under Carrier Rates

Read time 8 Minutes

It used to be that only the bigger players could pull off cost-effective ways of processing packing and shipping orders at high volumes. The times have changed, and online services are providing much more agile options. Today’s small and medium-sized businesses can leverage fulfillment services through ShipStation, with tools that help utilize technology to save time and money in the long run.

For more on offering best-in-class shipping fulfillment solutions, check out our full guide, “The SMB Shipper’s Guide from ShipStation and UPS^®” today.

Case Study: Getting More for Less

Based in a warehouse in Downers Grove, Illinois, the office supply company Inker Supply was facing a disrupted supply chain in 2020 that caused them to table new product development and instead focus on their current stock. The industry itself was experiencing a disruption as offices across the globe allowed employees to work from home, which generated a sudden drop in demand for office supplies. The company discovered it could make some adjustments and get more for less. Inker Supply chose UPS as their shipping carrier on ShipStation, which reduced their shipping costs by over 36%.

Inker Supply simply opened a UPS account on ShipStation to access discounted rates. There was no minimum shipping volume threshold or annual commitment needed, they were instantly able to access deep discounts with UPS simply by connecting to ShipStation’s carrier network. Not only were their packages delivered reliably and with competitive rates, but they also noticed they were paying fewer surcharges. ShipStation has saved the business about $45,000 annually thanks to the discounted UPS rates. Inker Supply also enjoys the benefits of automation to handle labeling, visibility, and peace of mind.

The bottom line is that when you spend less time dealing with shipping, you can spend more time doing what you love—creating products for your customers and growing your business.

Get Ship Done!

By now, you might be wondering, how can I create the best possible delivery experience for my customers since it’s so important. Often SMB merchants can focus on the initial sale of their products, rather than the delivery experience itself. ShipStation and UPS are both award-winning leaders in their respective industries and know how to help merchants create positive shipping experiences that lead to happy customers.

Delivering an awesome customer experience

It’s important to work with trusted industry leaders to drive customer satisfaction. ShipStation has been named a leader in the G2 2023 Grid Reports.

G2 is a leading peer-to-peer review site that provides unbiased user reviews on leading software solutions. Quarterly, G2 highlights the top-rated solutions in the industry, as chosen by customer reviews. Among its major competitors, ShipStation is ranked in 1st place, helping ecommerce merchants create shipping labels, as well as shipping and fulfilling their products no matter where they sell or how they ship. ShipStation was recognized in 17 reports and awarded 4 badges including Small Business and Highest User Adoption.

That runs like clockwork

For the 5th year in a row, UPS once again emerges as a leader in on-time performance during the Peak Holiday Season by third party consulting firm, ShipMatrix. During the 2022 Peak Season as defined as November 25th thru December 24th, UPS had the best on-time rate in the industry at 97.5%.

These results are necessary to keep top of mind when selecting a carrier during the holiday season and beyond to ensure you’re delivering for customers when it matters. It’s important to consider all these factors because even a slight dip in performance can cost you loyal customers.

UPS can help keep your customers happy with packages that show up on time. UPS delivers more UPS^® Ground packages than any other carrier, with over 14.5M on-time deliveries in the US every day and 90% of UPS^® Ground packages are delivered in 3 days or less.

With a smile!

Customer expectations are higher than ever. In a recent study by ShipStation, 20.8% of consumers consider the speed of delivery when purchasing from a merchant. Providing an exceptional customer experience does more than elevate your brand’s reputation – it’s also a great way to capture repeat purchases. UPS has one team to work with you to help meet challenges, boost your efficiency, and one network that affords you consistent and reliable service.

Look for a strong track record

At the end of the day, you want a service that helps online businesses like yours scale your businesses and deliver exceptional customer experience, with an intuitive online solution that allows you to efficiently ship orders—wherever you sell and however you ship.

ShipStation’s customer feedback has also been highly favorable, noting the company’s reliability and lower rates that UPS on ShipStation offers. They also appreciate the way ShipStation integrates seamlessly with their ecommerce platform.

As one satisfied merchant put it, “The discount on UPS has basically saved my small business. It’s easy to use and that discount is amazing! The price break with UPS is incredible—it has all but saved my business from going under due to increases in shipping. It’s easy to use, which is also a huge plus for me. I use it every single day and don’t need any additional equipment. I’ve recommended it a dozen times in the last month!”

Courtesy of ShipStation customer Freedom Rider

Repeat Customers Can’t Be Bought

Repeat customers can’t be bought; they need to be earned. Your goal as a merchant is to deliver on time, automate refunds and returns, plan appropriately for demand, and accurately track inventory across channels. In addition, advanced tracking will significantly reduce support tickets and order status inquiries so that your team can focus on improving the customer experience in other areas. Ultimately, this saves time and money and improves the customer experience.

All of these factors add up to the reason more ecommerce merchants are becoming subscribers of both ShipStation and UPS. Sign up for a free trial today to see what else ShipStation and UPS provide and what they can do for you.

For more on offering best-in-class shipping fulfillment solutions, check out our full guide, “The SMB Shipper’s Guide from ShipStation and UPS^®” today.

Maria is a multifaceted writer and editor who is passionate about creating content that helps businesses succeed. When she's not writing, Maria can often be found in her garden tending to her plants.