b'VOX POPBut with the increase, we realized thatraw materials, which led to us having tohas actually been over $20, and my we needed people to spend a little bitchange our packaging at the last minute.profit margin isnt that high. more to strengthen our margins. And so,What that ends up doing is it changes we upped the free shipping thresholdour labelling and product sizing, andI actually had a customer last week call to over $150 as that seemed to be thewhen youre working with big chains,and get mad, claiming I didnt give industry standard and a lot of otherwww.mysticalmetis.caher any refunds on my shipping fees. that means changing the barcode thats sellers were going up.required to go on those products. All ofI looked up her purchase and said, Your that means it takes more time to makeshipping fees were over $24. I even sent At the same time, we didnt want toproducts and get them out the door. her the receipt and she still got mad, increase rates for people who had tosaying I needed to find another shipping pay for shipping. So now, we offer aMYSTICAL METIS provider. And shes right. I use Canada $12.49 flat rate even though to shipSamaria Nancy Cardinal, Owner Post and it is more expensive these days a package within 200 kilometres frombecause theyve started putting on extra our house costs us about $18 to $20, orfees for delivery and gas. higher for interprovincial packages. SoClothing and accessories designed by were absorbing a significant amount. IfIndigenous artists The thing is, Ive tried using cheaper customers purchased more, we wouldplaces, but then you get customer have higher margins to offset that. As itservice issues. Some of those more is, our products sell for a low cost andaffordable services dont have a pick-up it takes people a long time to reach thelocation for my customers to go to if free shipping threshold. They still buy atheyre not home when the delivery lot, but we lose a little bit when we ship.is made, and I want to make sure my customers get what they paid for. There One thing weve started doing is deliv- are other big-name shippers out there, ering the products in our own vehicles.but theyre more expensive. So, thats We have our products in Sobeys storeswhy I tend to stick to Canada Post. around the Calgary and Red Deer area right now, and were able to do a roundSo yeah, Im losing money. I have a lot trip to some of the locations and dropof abandoned carts online because by off our products. Its a little bit more the time people get to the bill, they just cost-effective on our side. We just putabandon the cart because they dont the kids in the car and do a little run. ItsT he biggest shipping challenge forwant to pay the shipping. But the thing a fun dynamic.me right now is cost. I have a bricks- is, we cant compete with something like and-mortar store and I have an onlineAmazon, which doesnt charge shipping. Concerning delays, we havent experi- store, and I am losing a lot of customersIts great when people who are close enced them on our end, but our manu- because I am charging a $20 flat fee forits a bit crazy. by can come and pick up their order, facturer for some of our natural skin- shipping. If shipping ends up being lessbut when it comes to shipping across care products has. They had delaysthan that, I do reimburse my customers.Canada, to the States, or internationally, on their end in getting packaging andBut lately, the cost of shipping products 62A CCAB PUBLICATION2023'