Package Consolidation – Everything You Need To Know

Psst, we’re going to let you in on a little secret.

Parcel forwarding is the best way for US shoppers (or shoppers anywhere in the world, for that matter) to shop online from stores that only ship to the UK. Okay, well, maybe it’s not the best-kept secret, but even so, it’s not something everybody knows about.

However, when you start buying goods from multiple sites, you hit a problem: shipping costs.

Yikes, those bad boys can escalate pretty quickly.

But what if there was a way to buy from several different stores and have them all shipped to the same address, at the same time, together?

Well, there is.

Say hello to package consolidation.

What is Package Consolidation?

Package consolidation involves packing several small items into one larger parcel. So, instead of separate shipments, your goods are shipped as one.

With parcel repacking, you reduce the cost of shipping.

Why?

Because it’s cheaper to send one large item than several small items, regardless of the overall weight of the items.

The reason?

Well, the first 1kg of a shipment is always charged at a higher cost. For example, you might pay £20.00 for the first 1kg, and then every additional kg might be billed at £4.50. By consolidating, you only pay the first 1kg once. Whereas you pay that 1kg charge every time if you have multiple packages shipped.

How Does the Process Usually Work?

Different companies work in different ways, but package consolidation with MyUKMailbox works like this:

• You order items
• The parcels are added to your account
• You request for this to be consolidated

Once a parcel consolidation request is made and your packages arrive at our warehouse, our team opens and removes the items inside each parcel. After this, your items are repacked into a larger, more suitable box or several boxes if there are a lot of items.

There is also the option to leave your items in their existing boxes and not be repacked, the choice is yours.

At MyUKmailbox, our warehouse team are highly trained in what they do and follows a three-step process when completing package consolidation requests, which is:

1. Ensure goods are packed appropriately with care and attention to limit the movement of items during transit.
2. Ensure suitable packaging is used for international travel
3. Cut boxes down in size to suit the goods being transported and reduce space inside while ensuring goods remain protected

The Benefits of Package Consolidation

There are several benefits to using a package consolidation service, including:

1. Fewer parcels: Parcel repacking reduces the number of parcels you’re sending, simplifying the shipping process.
2. Items arrive at the same time: Because your parcels are in one package or shipped as one consignment number, it’s easier to track, and you get all your parcels at the same time.
3. Reduces void space: Consolidating brings down the volume weight (aka billable weight), which is how the price of shipping is determined. If you have void space in your parcels, you’re essentially paying to ship air.
4. Reduces shipping cost: You only pay one shipping price instead of multiple. So the overall cost to ship your parcels is less (wahey!).
   
   

Are There Any Additional Costs Involved?

With some parcel consolidation and repacking companies, the process can be expensive.

Why?

Because most companies charge per parcel, things soon add up if you send lots of packages together.

Not with MyUKmailbox.

You see, we offer a fixed consolidation price with our Standard or Premium Plan. This means you’re only charged a set fee for a set amount of packages being consolidated.

Our Standard plan allows you to consolidate up to ten packages for £4.99, working out less than £0.50 per package consolidated, and you’ll only pay £4.99 for any additional ten packages after that.

Our Premium plan lets you consolidate up to thirty free packages. And if you require more than twenty, you’ll only be charged £4.99 per additional ten. So whether you need to send five, twenty, or a hundred parcels, MyUKmailbox’s plans make it much more affordable.

How Quickly Costs Can Add Up.

A lot of parcel forwarding companies charge on a per-package basis, but these are the ones to avoid. Not necessarily because they’re bad, but because the costs add up pretty quickly when you’re sending a lot of parcels together.

Okay, charging per package isn’t always a bad thing. After all, our Starter plan charges packages on a per-package basis. But our Starter plan was designed for shoppers who don’t shop and ship from the UK often, but still want to consolidate shipping costs.

To put this into perspective, here’s an example of the cost you’d pay if you consolidated 50 packages.

Let’s say another forwarder charges £2.50 per package to consolidate. This will end up costing £125.00 to consolidate fifty packages. Whereas Premium members with MyUKmailbox only pay £9.98 for consolidating fifty packages, and Standard members would pay £24.96 for the same.

Yowza — that’s a huge difference.

Shop and Consolidate Your Parcels from the UK With MyUKMailbox

Whatever you’re purchasing, you want to make sure it reaches you safely.

That’s where we come in.

At MyUKMailbox, we provide international shipping from vendors who don’t deliver outside the UK. With our package consolidation service, you’ll be able to receive the items you want, no matter where you live.

So, sign up for MyUKMailbox for FREE today and take advantage of the reliable and cost-effective UK package consolidation service.