Follow our advice to make sure your customers get their apparel orders quickly and efficiently
National Dress Day was on March 6, but consumers aren't waiting for these special days to complete online orders. In fact, more people are purchasing clothing online than ever before. For any retailer selling apparel online, putting a few savvy shipping protocols in place will make sure your products get where they’re going and leave customers happy when they get there.
You don't want to find yourself scrambling when online orders come in, as the faster and more efficient the process is for your customers, the more likely they become to buy from you again.
These protocols also ensure that your customers' apparel arrives in good shape, as wrinkled or damaged goods could hinder your future relationship with them.
Here are three tips to ensure you get those dresses and other apparel out of your warehouse and into customers' hands quickly and efficiently.
1. Packing dresses and other apparel
The first thing to do is to select the packaging materials to use with your dresses. The ideal packaging depends on the size and style of the dress.
If a customer orders a small spring or summer dress, you can generally get away with less packaging. In these situations, a padded shipping envelope might suffice, as it will protect the garment from damage and cost less to ship than a large box.
If you're shipping a bulky dress, a fragile dress or multiple items at once, a corrugated box is your ideal solution. Not only are these boxes durable, but when combined with bubble wrap, they can prevent the garments from shifting too much during transit, which could lead to wrinkles.
To add a personal touch to the dresses that you're sending out, consider wrapping them in tissue paper or tying them with twine. While neither of these extras will change the shipping process, they add a bit of style to the appearance, which is something your customers are sure to appreciate.
2. How to fold your dresses
Once you've decided how you're going to package the dresses that your customers order, think about how to fold them in a neat, presentable way.
The trick is to fold the dresses in a way that prevents wrinkles while allowing them to fit in their selected packaging. Once again, your technique will depend on the size and style of the dress.
When dealing with large, bulky dresses, you'll want to keep them hanging until you're ready to ship. That way, you won't end up with additional wrinkles due to the garments sitting in a box.
After you've found the perfect box, start by folding the arms of the dress over its back. If you're dealing with a particularly delicate style of dress, put tissue paper between the layers of fabric to provide extra protection.
For the skirt portion of the dress, fold the edges lengthwise, smoothing wrinkles as you go, and then fold the entire garment in half. For a long dress, you might have to fold it lengthwise twice.
When shipping a smaller dress, fold it lengthwise either once or twice before folding it in half.
No matter the style of dress, place it inside of a clear garment bag to provide further protection. Using a plastic bag eliminates the risk of water damage, which can easily occur during the shipping process.
3. Your shipping options
Before shipping the dresses to your customers, it's a good idea to go over your options. Standard shipping will always cause you to overpay, and that’s a cost you'll either have to pass to your customers or pay yourself.
71lbs can help you to access shipping discounts by leveraging the volume of our thousands of customers to negotiate lower rates. These discounts apply to parcel shipping, ocean and air freight, and truck shipments, so no matter your needs, we can help.
We can also assist you through contract negotiations with your shipping carrier and ensure you receive refunds you’re entitled to for late deliveries and damaged packages.
Our automated platform makes it easy to understand your shipping costs, so you know where your money is going and learn how to find better deals. Head to our contact page to get in touch!
