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Coronavirus Dropshipping Shipping Update

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coronavirus dropshipping shipping update

What do you want first, the good news or the bad news?

We hope you walk away from this coronavirus dropshipping shipping update feeling like you can still take your store to the next level by following the suggestions below.

The good news is that Facebook ads are still performing tremendously. With more and more people online shopping, you can quickly gain data for your pixel cheaper than ever before. Building this data for your pixel will set your dropshipping business up for long term success. Once competition picks back up again, you’ll already have a solid audience and an established ad account that you can leverage to beat out the other 99% of dropshippers.

Day after day we see people hitting record highs, however Covid-19 is still causing headaches when it comes to logistics.

e-Commerce Shipping Update

The bad news is that shipping costs and times are still growing each day. e-Packet shipping has started to make a swing back to the top of the best AliExpress dropshipping methods. e-Packet shipping times are currently delayed by about 6 – 10 business days. Furthermore, the cost of e-packet shipping continues to rise day by day.

AliExpress standard shipping has been king for the last several weeks with delivery times running anywhere from 3 to 5 weeks. However, current estimations show that AliExpress shipping could take up to 4 to 6 weeks. There’s no telling whether or not this information is accurate, however there’s also no way of telling whether or not it’s wrong. Time will tell, just be sure whichever method you choose you stay on top of the tracking information.

coronavirus dropshipping shipping update

Here are several things we suggest doing for stores that ship from China:

Be Honest With Customers

Don’t try to hide the fact that shipping times are what they are. Otherwise, you’ll deal with nothing but chargebacks and customer complaints about their orders. The safest bet is to post in the announcement bar that shipping times are delayed by 7 – 10 days due to the pandemic. Be sure to update your Shipping Policy pages to include the longer estimated shipping times as well.

We also suggest to update your order confirmation emails. Reaffirm the fact that shipping times are delayed, and offer them a 24 hour window period to cancel their orders before you begin processing them. Believe it or not we’ve found that only 2% of customers will cancel their orders. That’s ok, you’re still building data and you haven’t paid AliExpress anything yet for those orders. It’ll save you a headache down the road and allows you to cover your tracks from the start.

Increase Prices & Still Offer Free Shipping

There needs to be a trade off between the higher shipping costs and maintaining your margins. We suggest increasing your prices slightly, rather than charging for shipping.

When you charge for shipping customers expect their items to be delivered in a timely manner since they specifically paid for it. However, when customers pay a little more for the product, but still receive free shipping, they’re much less likely to complain about the delayed shipping times.

Bulk Orders to 3rd Party Fulfillment Center

Already have a winning product that you’re in the process of scaling?

To avoid dealing with the headaches of shipping from China, order the items in bulk to a US 3rd party warehouse. Having the ability to ship the items from these warehouses will drastically cut down the delays and improve logistic reliability.

However, it’s a risk. Buying inventory in bulk is always risky because you have to worry about the product not selling. But if you’re confident in your product, already have a solid audience, and project more sales this option is for you.

Work With A Dropshipping Agent

In times like these having a reliable dropshipping agent that can quickly process your orders and provide accurate tracking information is HUGE. However with so many dropshippers seeking out agents, it’s tough to find one that will take you onboard. Many are increasing the requirement of daily orders needed to work with them so it’s tough finding one.

coronavirus dropshipping shipping review

The best solution we suggest is Zendrop. They provide the best dropshipping fulfillment service while assigning each client a US dropshipping agent. They have built strong relationships with their suppliers, who quickly process orders and provide accurate tracking information. They also offer express US shipping for many of their products. For more information about their services, checkout this Zendrop review.

Coronavirus Dropshipping Shipping Update

So ads are still performing better than ever before, and logistics are still a headache for everyone. By following these suggestions you’ll put yourself ahead of 99% of dropshippers while setting your stores up for long-term success.

Let us know how this coronavirus dropshipping shipping update helped you in the comments below. For more information about dropshipping, checkout a few of our latest posts: