Shipping Glass 1/2 and one gallon bottles of Maple Syrup is costly in a retail sale.
Does your shipping cost cover 100% of the shipping/packaging cost?
What's the best way to ship so that you don't lose money on the shipping cost?
Shipping Glass 1/2 and one gallon bottles of Maple Syrup is costly in a retail sale.
Does your shipping cost cover 100% of the shipping/packaging cost?
What's the best way to ship so that you don't lose money on the shipping cost?
2023 - 2' X 6' Smoky Lake Products "Silverplate" evaporator + Increase taps up to 500
2022 - 295 Sap Sak taps - Sold sap.
2017-2021 - Didn't tap.
2016 - 150 Sap Sak taps - Sold sap.
https://www.larrybohenwebsolutions.com
Our local equipment supplier has his glass shipped on pallets, so shipping is a lot less than having small lots shipped directly to us. We work with him to make sure he knows how much we expect to need for the season and can have it included in the order. And we always say glass never goes bad, so having extra on hand doesn't hurt.
Doug
Maple Creations
Coatesville, IN
350 taps on 5/16 tubing & 4 Lunchbox pumps
MemProTec Concentrator 300 RO
Wood-fired 30"x8' D&G Model 500 raised-flue w/Steam hood & blower
Smoky Lake finisher, D&G filter press,
http://www.facebook.com/maplecreations
I think the OP was asking about shipping finished bottled product. If so, I always included 100% shipping costs. That being said, I try as hard as possible to not ship syrup anywhere.
2016 - 2 x 4 Randy Worthen built arch and pans 11 taps; 2.625 gallons of syrup!
2017 - 29 taps; 11.625 gallons of syrup!
2018 - 30 taps; 98 pints bottled! New sugar house being built, new equipment coming!
2019 - 125 taps; 50 gallons made! New 2x6 Smoky Lake Corsair arch, drop flue pan, auto draw. Smoky Lake filter press and Steam Bottler
2020 - 173 taps; only 35 gallons made.
2021 - 242 taps; New record! 50.5 gallons made!
2022 - 321 taps; New record! 80 gallons made!
We don't ship in glass containers, just plastic jugs. I'm surprised that the plastic jugs survive seeing the way I see the PO handle them. I don't know if other people ship in glass but I'd be afraid that buyer will get quite a sticky mess if something breaks. My advice is to stick with plastic. I think most people do the flat rate box from the post office at a very reasonable rate. I know I can't deliver a box across the country for under $15.
Ken
Ken & Sherry
Williston, VT
16x34 Sugarhouse
1,500 taps on high vacuum, Electric Releaser & CDL Sap Lifter
Wood-Fired Leader 30"x10' Vortex Arch & Max Raised Flue with Rev Syrup Pan & CDL1200 RO
https://www.facebook.com/pumpkinhillmaple/
You tell customers that they pay for shipping cost,that what i have done for 25 yrs ,never had one complain about paying,just complain like me about the cost ,crazy
I don't ship glass. I guess if someone wanted it bad enough I would take the time to try, but generally its pretty cost prohibitive.
A medium flat rate box fits 3 or 4 plastic quarts and a few more pints so I usually try and talk them into ordering more even if they need to get a friend to buy a couple. $16 divided among 3 or 4 quarts is much easier to swallow than doubling the price of a single quart.
2018 - 20 Taps on 3/16, Barrel evaporator with 2 steam pans. Unknown amount.
2019 - Nothing
2020 - 30 Taps on Shurflo, 30 taps on 3/16, 2x5 oil tank evaporator, 11 Gallons.
2021 - 35 Taps on Shurflo, 11 buckets, RB10 RO Bucket, 2x3XL Mason Evaporator. 4 gallons
2022 - 110 Taps on Shurflo, 77 taps on 3/16 gravity, 13 buckets to hit 200, Upgrade to RB15 RO Bucket.
2023 - 110 Taps on Shurflo, New 3/4 Mainline with 125 taps, 2x4 raised flue, Upgrade to Homemade 4x40 RO.
The only syrup I ship in glass is bourbon barrel aged maple syrup. I ship them in USPS flat rate boxes, either medium or large as dictated by the size of the order. My customers pay all of the shipping cost except the labels, tape and packing paper I use, but I buy the label thru a service which saves me enough to essentially cover those costs (except my time to pack it). For packing paper I use 18" wide craft paper that I have in a 2000' roll on a dispenser, I just pull off the appropriate amount, crumble it and pad the contents. Doing this for about 12-14 years so far, only had one shipment get damaged, USPS paid the claim. That was 2 jugs of half gal in plastic about 7-8 years ago.
Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.
I assume Dave's bourbon maple syrup is sold in smaller glass. I can't imagine enough packing to protect a whole gallon. And I don't think the larger glass containers are built as well as the smaller considering the weight difference.
Ken
Ken & Sherry
Williston, VT
16x34 Sugarhouse
1,500 taps on high vacuum, Electric Releaser & CDL Sap Lifter
Wood-Fired Leader 30"x10' Vortex Arch & Max Raised Flue with Rev Syrup Pan & CDL1200 RO
https://www.facebook.com/pumpkinhillmaple/
Yes my bourbon barrel aged maple syrup is in smaller bottles, specifically 100ML, 200ML and 37ML, all in flask style glass.
I suggest your fixation on packing in glass for everything is mis-guided. There is a good reason so much plastic is sold annually, it ships well.
Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.
2023 - 2' X 6' Smoky Lake Products "Silverplate" evaporator + Increase taps up to 500
2022 - 295 Sap Sak taps - Sold sap.
2017-2021 - Didn't tap.
2016 - 150 Sap Sak taps - Sold sap.
https://www.larrybohenwebsolutions.com