65% of Brands Offer Free Shipping vs.14% of Indie Stores ...Where Would You Shop?
More than 65% of brands surveyed by Bridge offer free shipping, while just 14% of indie stores do. Brands often charge just $118 to quality for free shipping, while stores charge $190 (a $72 difference). Where would you shop?
Bridge analyzed the websites for the top-40 selling brands in the tabletop and giftware industry. We assessed what promotions and discounts, such free shipping, brands offer. Bridge did this because a product's price, which is impacted by discounts, is often the leading factor when shopping online. We then compared these statistics to our network of 1,100 indie stores that sell these brands.
Brand Study Findings:
Of the 40 brands, 26 (65%) offer free shipping.
For brands that offer free shipping, the average minimum purchase amount to qualify for free shipping is $118.
Six brands offer free shipping with no minimum purchase amount: Anna Weatherley, Casafina, Costa Nova, Michael Aram, Mottahedeh, and Ricci Argentieri.
The brands that do not offer free shipping regardless of the order amount are: Abigails, Baccarat, Calaisio, Couzon, Deshoulieres, Estelle Colored Glass, Herend, Mario Luca Giusti, Mariposa, Royal Crown Derby, Simon Pearce, Wedgwood, William Yeoward, and Zodax.
*Please note: Results may vary. This research was performed on December 19, 2022.
We then compared these free shipping findings to our retailers using Bridge.
Of the top 100 retailers by sales, 14 (14%) offered free shipping.
For the 14% that offer free shipping, the average minimum to receive free shipping is $190.
Other Findings:
Eleven brands offer promotions for signing up for their email newsletter. These promotions include offering customers 10-20% off of their first purchase or a free gift upon signing up.
Five brands offer a loyalty or rewards program to their customers.
Three brands offer a site-wide sale or promotion for a limited time.
Two brands offer a free gift with purchase for a limited time.
40 Brands Analyzed: (Alphabetical order)
Abigails*
Anna Weatherley*
Annieglass*
Arte Italica
Baccarat
Badash
Beatriz Ball
Bernardaud
Calaisio
Casafina
Costa Nova
Couzon
Deshoulieres
Estelle Colored Glass
Gien
Ginori 1735
Herend
Juliska
Kate Spade
Lenox
MacKenzie-Childs
Mario Luca Giusti
Mariposa
Michael Aram
Mottahedeh
Pampa Bay
Pickard
Raynaud
Reed & Barton
Ricci
Royal Crown Derby
Simon Pearce
Skyros Design
Spode
Vietri
Villeroy & Boch
Waterford
Wedgwood
William Yeoward
Zodax
* = Bridge has a partnership with this brand. Often a brand subscribes to Bridge’s Product Syncing Service.
How the Study Was Conducted:
We reviewed the list of brands on Bridge to determine the top 40 sellers.
We visited the top 40 selling brands’ sites to record any promotions offered. The promotions tracked included free shipping, email promos, loyalty and rewards programs, site-wide sales, and free gifts with purchases.
A merchant should use the brand's promotions reported here to decide if it wishes to match these offers. To be competitive, we recommend that a store in general offer free shipping at $118 or less.
Accept lower margins online. We understand that brands have larger margins and often have better shipping terms. Due to brands selling direct, as well as competitors like Amazon, indie retailers likely have to accept smaller margins online than they make in their physical store.
A merchant may wish to contact a brand to see if programs are available that support free shipping on their wholesale orders. This may make it easier for the merchant to offer free shipping to their retail customers.
Amazon Prime has hurt margins. While $118 may seem like a low threshold for a brand to offer free shipping, Amazon Prime, which most Americans subscribe to, offers free express shipping on eligible products. For a brand to compete with Amazon Prime, the brand, too, has to offer a compelling shipping charge.
What's next?
Bridge will be conducting this Competitive Assessment Report (CAR) on a monthly basis. To receive the results of this report, please sign up for a free Bridge account. Bridge members will receive an email with the report each month.
You're invited to open a free Bridge account here: