If you were doing some shopping during the big summer blow out, you may have noticed there are new shipping options on the site!
No one likes shipping but it's unavoidable unless you are lucky enough to be able to shop locally in the Greater Phoenix Area. More on how to do that below!
To make the best of the shipping charge, ALD LOVES TO STUFF the shipping boxes. Help the Shipping Ninjas stuff those boxes with these tips!
Standard Shipping
The most common check-out option is standard shipping. This option estimates your shipping cost based on the yardage in your cart.
If you're an experienced fabric shopper, you probably have the estimates memorized.
A padded flat rate envelope (PFRE) ships for $7.95 (currently, could change based on USPS) and fits about 3 yards.
A medium flat rate box (MFRb) ships for $12.95 and fits usually up to 10 yards.
A large flat rate box (LFRB) ships for $17.95 and fits up to around 16-20 yards.
The system is pretty smart and understands that some fabrics take up less room than others. In the screenshot above you see that two yards of liverpool maxes out a PFRE but in the screen shot below, 5 yards of ITY is still in a PRFE!
Though the system is surprisingly smart, the shipping ninjas (Mya and Colleen) tend to pack every box with a "challenge accepted" mentality and they'll do everything within their power to get more in the box than should be physically possible!
So while I encourage you to use the estimates and the smart system to max out your box, also check into the facebook group for the "stuff your box" post. (Screenshot below). If there's room in your box while they're packing it, you would get a tag here. But you can also post your order number to see if you have room.
Most of the time shipping is same day! (depending on what time you order of course) so if you're wanting to know if you have room, go ahead and post your order # so they can get it packed and let you know with time to place another order to fill it to the brim!
Fill My Box
So if you were tagged on the "stuff my box" post or commented and learned that you have room, how do you fill it?
The advice usually comes in a range. "You have room for 2-3 yards".
Why the uncertainty? Well it depends on what you want to order.
In this scenario, if you want to order ITY, you probably have room for more like 4-5 yards. Brushed poly or rayon spandex, probably 3 yards. The heavyweight rayon spandex solids, liverpool or ponte would mean you only have room for 2 yards max. These fabrics are bulkier so they take up more room in the box.
In the screenshot below, I'm adding 2 yards of liverpool to my box. I've already paid for shipping on this box though (great thing about flat rate shipping!!) so there's no need to pay for any more. So I choose "fill my box" and the system will waive the shipping price! Yay! Now I can place my order and it'll be combined into the box they're already stuffing for me!
Bump My Box
This happens to me a lot. I'm told I can fit 2-3 more yards in my box. I know that means 2 yards of liverpool but all of a sudden I just have all of these ideas for what I could make with this pretty and I can't leave without more fabric than I have room for!
Fortunately ALD listens to the fabric addicts like me who want to get the most fabric for the least shipping I can. So they have created the "bump my box" option.
If you head to the website to place an order to fill your box and can't resist adding a bit more, that's okay, just choose "bump my box" and they'll move all your goods from the box you were in to the next bigger size and tell you if you have room in the new box. The system will just charge you the $5 cost difference between the boxes.
But I want like a lot more stuff! That's okay! If you order more than PFRE's worth (that's about one box difference) the system will automatically charge you to bump up two sizes for $10.
Two boxes sizes means you can fit lots more for the cost! Here's a side by side of the three most common box sizes - you can fit more each time you bump up.
Local Pick Up
Do you live close-ish to Phoenix? Within about 10 miles of 85308? Or will you be passing through on a road trip?
Amelia Lane will make arrangements to meet up with you at a mutually convenient place and time to deliver the goods!
To do this, choose local pick up at check out.
The system doesn't require you to be a member to check out. Of course we'd love if you were all members of the site so you could get the latest news and comment on this blog post! Then they'd have your email address to contact you for pick up! Sign up at AmeliaLaneDesigns.com/Members
But you can still do local pick up even if you check out as a guest. Please though use the same name on your order as you use on Facebook so they can send you a PM to coordinate pick up time and location.
Don't have Facebook and don't want to create an account? Email Hello@AmeliaLaneDesigns.com or PM the business page so they know to be on the lookout for your order!
Note: the system will charge you AZ sales tax since it's a retail sale.
Start a Pile
Now if you're serious about your fabric addiction - this is the advanced lesson in how to #ShopLikeLauraFrost
I give myself a monthly allowance for fabric and I hate to spend it all at once because then it's a long time until the next payday. So here's my top secret pro tip for making my allowance go further! I start a pile!
On my first order of the month I put a note in the notes field of my order that I would like to "Start a pile" and I choose "fill my box" so that I pay zero dollars in shipping.
Then I shop the sales all month long. On Thrifty Thursday I pick up the 30% off fabric of the day, I stack either the newsletter code for 10% off (subscribe on the homepage) or if there's a code in the facebook group for 15% off, I stack that on top and get a great deal on the day's fabric.
I shop the new arrivals sales where everything is 15% off when it's released and then I stack my 10-15% off code on top of that. I usually pick up a few fabrics in each round.
I keep an eye on my email and the Facebook Group for flash sales. I also check the Final Five collection to see if I can score the last yards of something for $5 (and stack a code of course!)
Every time I order I just choose "fill my box" and the system won't charge me shipping. I put a note in the notes field to add this to my pile.
I've done something similar with other retailers before but they've always had the system charge me shipping and then they refund it when I am ready to ship my order. I order A LOT so this adds up. One time I was refunded almost $100 in shipping overages! Had I known I was going to have so much savings I might have ordered more but by the time I found that out my packages were sealed and it was too late.
I am so thankful that ALD worked with me to come up with a solution. They have amazing communication/customer service!
When I'm ready to ship my package (basically when I've spent my allowance) I email hello@amelialanedesigns.com or PM the business page and they start packing up my order. They tell me what kind of box I'm in and how much room I have. I place any last minute orders and then they send me an invoice for my shipping charge. I'm usually out of the LFRB and into the UPS larger boxes, so there's a lot of economies of scale I can benefit from by shipping only once a month.
Occasionally I have a fabric emergency and I order a few yards and pay shipping for those yards so they can go out right away but I put that in the notes so they know not to hold it. Then I can go back to filling up my pile. :-)
That was the advanced course. I mean, if you're developing an ALD habit like mine, welcome to the club! Hopefully I've made it a happy place for shoppers like us!
Let's Recap
New Shipping options to make life easier, stuff packages fuller and get more fabric out the door in less boxes!
There are now four shipping options for you to choose from at checkout, all explained above!
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