Automaton and other Canadian stores and US Dollars

[thebobkat]

I think my only problem with TRU's shipping costs/minimum purchase to get free ship (which is in line with other places like Walmart.ca) is that they cheap out on packing. To this day, none of the packages I've gotten from TRU have had packing material at all. It's either a tiny item rattling around in a giant box, or packing box that barely fits the item - either way it causes damage to the item or the item's retail packaging. If we're paying for shipping and handling (or spending a minimum amount, I expect them to pack it properly. They're the only company I've ordered from that doesn't pack merchandise properly.

[Einstein]

Originally Posted by RageD

Bingo......They aren't A Multi Billion dollar business for no reason. They know their margins on a small item can't hold free shipping.

It's called good customer service, something they could learn.

[RageD]

Originally Posted by Einstein

It's called good customer service, something they could learn.

Sorry, but they aren't going to eat a 50% margin loss in the name of customer service, over and over and over for thousands of different orders. It makes no viable business sense. If you want free shipping, you'll have to spend the minimum.

[Slayback]

Originally Posted by Einstein

It's called good customer service, something they could learn.

Why would this be called customer service? How is this even considered good customer service?

It's called knowing whether you can afford it or cannot. if the company cannot afford to give free shipping they won't. Simple as that. Would it be preferable that they mask the shipping by upping the price of the merchandise? repeat customers will stop repeating.

oh hey wait -toys r us has physical stores. you can go in an just buy it there. You just saved $50 in shipping.

Collectibles toys - go to your nearest comic shop and you just saved USD conversion rate and shipping.

There - alternatives to buying online.

[RageD]

Originally Posted by Slayback

Why would this be called customer service? How is this even considered good customer service?

My thoughts exactly.

[BoNKerS]

Originally Posted by Hhai

This morning the Bank of Canada lowered it's rate to 0.5, and as a result the canadian dollar lost a cent to it's american counterpart. Things are going to get harder and harder for us.

Wait until the U.S. raise their interest rates in the fall...

We'll see our dollar at $0.6x let the good times roll.

[Nguyennh]

Originally Posted by BoNKerS

Wait until the U.S. raise their interest rates in the fall...

We'll see our dollar at $0.6x let the good times roll.

Well it dropped again today. ~time to keep spending from japan at roughly a .92 exchange rate~

[Hoffman]

Free shipping thresholds are as much about marketing as anything else. Dangle that carrot, and customers will spend that extra $20 to get free shipping. People will spend money on something they didn't really want just so they're getting something for that extra money.

Even Amazon, one of, if not the largest retailer in he world, has a free shipping threshold. (Or gets money via an annual Prime fee). Either way, they're driving incremental sales volume.

I know that some customers are turned off by this. They almost see that threshold as a deterrent. It can feel like you're "missing out" if you don't want anything else a store has in stock.

I thought a lot about our shipping strategy, going between true shipping, flat rate, or free with a threshold. In the end, a flat rate feels the most fair for all parties. We eat a little bit of profit on almost every shipment, so nobody is overpaying if they're only ordering a couple of things.

It's a delicate subject for sure. Shipping cost is the #1 reason for cart abandonment.

[Tekkamanraiden]

Originally Posted by BoNKerS

Wait until the U.S. raise their interest rates in the fall...

We'll see our dollar at $0.6x let the good times roll.

Haven't seen those good times since the early 2000's.

[Bruticus82]

I'm so glad that I apparently missed the last seven pages worth of posts.

On the topic of the Canadian dollar, spend your money, and spend it within Canada where possible. Stimulate that economy! Pretend it's your girlfriend/boyfriend and spend generously.