The Impact of Shipping Price for Print Resellers

A stock image of boxes stacked around a shopping cart and small semi-truck,For print resellers, shipping costs represent a significant portion of operational expenses. While the percentage can vary based on factors such as volume, distance, and shipping methods, industry insights suggest that shipping can consume a notable part of revenue. On average, shipping costs can account for anywhere between 10-20% of a print reseller’s total revenue. This substantial figure can greatly reduce profit margins, especially in a sector where products are often commoditized and competition is fierce.

Customer Perception and Shipping Costs

The psychology of shipping costs in consumer behavior is profound. Studies have consistently shown that customers prefer options where these costs are minimized or absorbed by the seller.

Customers are willing to pay a higher price for a product if it comes with the perk of free or reduced shipping.

In fact, free shipping has been shown to be a more attractive incentive than a product discount.

This willingness to pay more upfront for reduced shipping costs is a critical insight for print resellers. By strategically adjusting product pricing to account for shipping, businesses can increase their appeal in a crowded market. This strategy, however, needs to be balanced carefully to ensure that the overall cost remains competitive.

There are several strategies that Navitor employs to reduce shipping costs, including:

  • Negotiating with shipping providers building strong relationships with carriers has led to better rates.
  • Optimizing packaging – using the right size and materials for packaging reduces weight and, consequently, shipping costs.
  • Consolidating shipments – carriers often lower rates for larger shipments, plus fewer shipments means lower carbon emissions.
  • Streamlined logistics and administration – simplifying processes and streamlining communications has reduced administrative overhead.

The Takeaway

Managing shipping costs is a complex task, and it presents an opportunity for you to differentiate yourself in a competitive market.

A stack of three boxes on a wooden table.
Remember, in the world of e-commerce and wholesale print selling, the way you handle shipping can be as important as the products you’re selling.

At Navitor, we’ve worked hard to leverage strong relationships with shipping carriers – so watch for reduced shipping charges in your cart.

Create an Autumn Marketing Strategy that “Falls” Together

We’ve talked through marketing strategies for spring and summer—now it’s time to plan for fall! As the weather gets cooler and the leaves start to change color, your marketing strategy has the chance to change, too! Fall is a great time to regroup before the busy holiday season and much more. Here are our tips for creating your autumn marketing strategy.

Update Your Social Media Look
If you’re looking to dip your toe into a seasonal aesthetic, social media is a great place to start. Share photographs of samples in fall colors—we recommend our education vertical market kit for a splash of orange and back-to-school appeal—and make the most of the warm weather to show off your storefront and outdoor activities. Because social media moves quickly, you can use it as a testing ground for seasonal marketing in your business. Do your customers respond to

Take Advantage of the Nice Weather While You Can
Does winter put a damper on walk-in business? Embrace the fall weather while you’re able to do so! Host an outdoor event like a lunch-and-learn at a local park to teach your customers about new or popular print products, put signs up on your storefront to promote your business, and maybe get involved in some local outdoor charity events when you’re able.

Encourage Early Holiday Shopping
It’s never too early for your customers to start preparing for the holidays, and you can create a marketing message that speaks to that. Whether they want to create a direct mail campaign, craft print for a celebration, or simply need to stock up before the New Year arrives, early holiday shopping can help your customers ensure that they have the print they need on time. And it will give you the chance to take a little bit off your plate at the end of the year—a win for both of you!

And speaking of the holidays…

Work Ahead Where You Can
The holiday season is coming faster than you might think, which makes fall the perfect time to stick to your tried-and-true marketing strategies. Not only will this help streamline the process of creating your marketing strategy, it will give you more time to work before the busy holiday season hits.

How do you market in the fall? Do you have any tips to share? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Perfect Print for Real Estate

Whether you’re working with a small realtor or a large company, print is an essential part of their repertoire of sales tools! Print pieces add professionalism to their office, help bring together open house events, and more. Here are our top suggestions for print pieces perfect for the real estate market.

Signage
With versatile full color print, different styles to suit different budgets, and a freestanding style that makes them easy to display in front of houses, yard signs are a classic print piece for the real estate market for a reason! Full color plastic yard signs are a lightweight and eyecatching option that your customer is sure to love. If your customer wants to make a bigger investment in their signage, on the other hand, they should consider full color metal yards signs; these durable signs are easy to reuse time and again.

Business Cards
Another business classic that real estate professionals should keep on hand is a business card. They should particularly look into including realtor photos on their business cards because it is one more way to reinforce the personal connection that realtors build with home buyers.

Folders
No matter how many homes are on a buyer’s list, it can be hard to keep their information straight. Offering them a branded folder is a great way to keep that information organized and to add a polished finishing touch to the home buying experience. Branded folders can also be used to hold paperwork, create welcome packets to be given at closing, or to hold files in the office with professional polish.

Promotional Products
Promotional products are an ideal way for your customers to get the word out about their business. Your customers in the real estate market can attach key fobs to keys at closing, give business card magnets to remind new homeowners of their realtor’s contact information, and hand out a variety of other promotional products at community events to connect with new buyers. They can also create personalized napkins perfect for adding a branded touch to any refreshments offered at an open house.

Labels
In addition to more traditional uses like address labels and name labels, labels are also a popular addition to open house events. Use labels to personalize water bottles at the refreshment table, seal paperwork, and more.

And this only scratches the surface of what print can do for the real estate market. Want more ideas? Consider requesting a copy of our property management vertical market kit for your next sales meeting!

Are there any other products that you would recommend for real estate? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.

Summer is Coming! Here’s Your Chance to Save

Your customers have a lot of events to prepare for now that warm weather is finally here. They might be hosting sidewalk sales to bring more foot traffic into their store. They might be preparing to host a booth at the commercial building of a fair or sponsor an upcoming community event. They might want to replenish their supply of business essentials. They might have new products that they need to inform customers about.

And you’ve got the print pieces they need to make that happen.

Not only is this the perfect time to reach out to your customers about their summer print needs, but it’s also a great time to save!

Reaching Out Early for Summer Events
If your customer has events coming up, it’s a good idea to reach out early so that they can place an order for the print they need. Not only will this help ensure that you have the opportunity to save on your order—more on that in a moment—but it will also ensure that your customer’s order is in hand early and ready to go whenever their event arrives.

Want to Save?
To celebrate summer, we are offering 50% off any form of shipping for custom stationery items. Simply include coupon code CPN-50SH9 with catalog orders or visit Navitor.com to save automatically on all these products:

This offer excludes promotional products and holiday and greeting cards.

What print pieces do your customers look for as summer approaches? We’d love to see you join the conversation in the comments below.