With more and more numbers of eCommerce customers joining the trend of online shopping, the logistics industry has also upped its game of faster deliveries and affordable shipping. Before you know it, the possibility to send and receive parcels and shop online from any corner of the globe has become easier than ever.
If you’re a business owner new to international shipping, it is prime to understand the difference between two very important modes of shipping globally – economy and standard international shipping.
Economy International Shipping
Economy shipping in international sales defines the most affordable route of shipping across borders. It is a shipping pathway available on most courier services, and is the best foot forward if you’re looking to transport fragile, bulky goods internationally in a cost-effective manner but not time-sensitive.
- Low Shipping Charges
After investing both time and efforts on browsing and ordering online, most consumers abandon their carts due to the surging shipping charges. No matter how desirable the item looks, high shipping rates are always a turnoff for shoppers.
Did you know that approximately 69.57% of online shoppers abandon their carts due to an increase in shipment charges?
To retain customers for a long run, and also if you’re on a limited budget for your order shipping, economy shipping is your best option for low cost shipping.
- Longer Delivery Period
Economy international shipping options usually deliver orders between 7-20 days, a little longer than standard or express international shipping services. Although the slight delays in the delivery TATs are worth it because of the overall savings. Festive gifts and other non-urgent items can be sent via economy shipping.
- Less Efficient Tracking
It has been studied that more than 52% of online shoppers don’t make a buy or cancel orders after placing them if they don’t know where the package has reached or when it will arrive. Bulk shipping of economy parcels gets even more difficult to track. Sometimes, this lack of efficient shipment track could affect your sales.
- Sturdy Packaging Solutions
Opting for a budget-friendly option does not mean that the shipment will arrive damaged. Even with the cheapest shipping, you’ll get packaging that’s sturdy enough to keep your goods safe during the transit. However, you’ll still have to follow those international packaging rules to make sure everything reaches securely.
Standard International Shipping
- Higher Shipping Charges
In standard shipping, the rates of shipping products internationally is higher than usual. The costing mostly depends on size, weight and dimensions. Sometimes it also varies depending on countries being shipped to. Sending a package to the United States may cost more than sending one to Canada.
- Faster Delivery Times
Standard International Shipping is faster than economy shipping, and takes about 6-10 days for deliveries to take place. Although, on occasions of customs issues and unfavourable weather conditions, there might even be delays of up to three-four weeks.
- Reliable Shipment Tracking Options
Standard International Shipping comes with full tracking options and is opted majorly for singular shipments and less for bulk shipments. From the shipment getting picked up at the warehouse to the arrival at the destination storage facility, consumers are updated of their parcel’s journey at every step of the way.
- Durable Packaging Solutions
The standard shipping option is not too different from the economy shipping when it comes to packaging. They both play by the same international rulebook. Your items will sit intact inside a properly sealed package, ready to withstand whatever hurdles come their way.
But what if you are shipping something fragile internationally? The shipping personnel will cover the items with bubble wrap or use some other cushioning or protective layer to keep them safe. Experienced shipping aggregators, like ShiprocketX, know how to handle fragile items well and will help you ship with courier partners that ensure safe handling and delivery.
Economy Vs Standard International Shipping
If you’re a first time international shipper, it is important to weigh in on which shipping pathway to opt for international orders.
Economy International Shipping
- Economy shipping is cheaper for businesses working on a tighter budget, and bulk package shipping across the globe is at arm’s reach. However, this shipping option is not appropriate for urgent or time-sensitive shipments, as large/bulk shipments can get delayed due to unavoidable circumstances or unforeseen hurdles.
- Economy shipping is perfect for sending low-value goods across borders, but the tracking isn’t too proactive.
- This option gives you high-standard packaging, but economy international shipping isn’t the best choice for shipping fragile items.
Standard International Shipping
- Standard international shipping offers speedy deliveries, which is most handy for goods like pharmaceuticals, personal care items, and electronics, but is pricey compared to economy shipping.
- Standard shipping delivers your packages faster than economy shipping but is not as speedy as expedited or express shipping.
- It’s not suitable for shipping time-sensitive items. However, you can easily ship fragile items.
- You’ll receive more frequent tracking updates than the economy one, giving you better shipment visibility during transit. But, this option lacks the highly advanced tracking features available with other shipping solutions.
- Standard international shipping offers better customer service compared to economy shipping.
Summary: Choosing The Best Shipping Option
There are very minimal differences between standard and economy international shipping, and one can select any one based on their shipping priorities. It is always recommended to consult a shipping aggregator, like ShiprocketX, before opting any of these shipment pathways, enabling shipping rate calculators to decide on costs, and other factors like unified tracking to add to the value you desire.
