multiple items that stack or nest together

[DeLaDesign]

Hi,
Kathy directed me here from the forums :) Here is my original question from there:

It may have been asked, but I searched and can't find an answer.

I am getting ready to add calculated shipping, but haven't yet. I have some items that stack or nest together. In particular my beach buckets:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/97179403/personalized-sand-pail-bucket-with


One of them measures approximately 9" diameter x 9" tall and fits in a 10x10x10 box. 2 of them also stack in a 10x10x10 box. 3-9 buckets will stack and fit in a 14x10x10. 10-18 buckets fit in a 18x12x12.
They way I understand it, if I put the item size in at 9" x 9" x 9", if someone buys 2 of them, CS will assume that the box will need to be at least 18" x 9" x 9". And 3 or more would put them in multiple boxes.

Does anyone know if this issue has been addressed?

Luckily, I don't have this issue with a lot of my items, so I can try out CS on the items that it will not affect, but it would be nice to have it support everything in my shop.

Thanks,
Debi



And also an additional thought on the subject:

Now that I think about it, I actually do have quite a few items that are stackable, so it would be interesting if there were something added to accommodate this. Maybe a "stackable items" feature, with dimensions for the first one and then a different dimension for each additional. Since this is a fairly large item at 9x9x9, but each additional only adds a half inch.

[Former_Member]

Good morning Debi. I'm glad you posted your problem over here too so we can take a look at it. Hopefully others will see it today and someone might have an idea.

My initial idea is that you may have to trick the calculator with dimensions. I've got to think on it some more, but I'll be back later if I come up with anything.

[Former_Member]

Debi, I see you have a large variety of items in your shop and the multiples can vary greatly. Pick one listing to work on. First set up a shipping profile - there you just choose the classes of shipping you want, like FC, Priority etc. And also use Package Preferences to set up what boxes you use. Then try it on one listing that doesn't stack. Remember this:

For dimension you measure the item itself (plus packing material around it - but not the box.)

For the weight you need to put in the weight of it all packed up ready to ship in the box.

Also, if you put a s/h fee in the profile that will go on each item. If you want one s/h fee on the box, you put that in Package Preferences (don't put it both places or it will get charged twice)

Setting up a profile and package preferences does nothing to your listings until you attach it to a particular listing so it's a way to get started.

Once you have a profile and your boxes set up, go to one listing and put in the dimensions and weight and attach the profile and then test.

To test you sign out of your Etsy shop and go back to it as a shopper. You can add things to your cart and change the zip code to see how it is working. or You can open to your shop in another browser and not sign in.

Try it out, see how it works. You can worry about the stackable problem later.

[DeLaDesign]

Thanks Kathy, I know it is going to be a big undertaking, but will be worth it in the end. One more question.

If I set my CS up for say my tumblers to start with. But I don't have it set up for my buckets. What happens when someone purchases a bucket and a tumbler together. This is something that happens often, that they purchase completely different items since I do custom work and can make the items match.

[Former_Member]

Debi, when a customer buys one item that has CS and one that does not have CS - the price for the CS item gets pulled in first and the secondary price is used for the other non CS item.

So when you have a mix of CS and non CS items, you need to have your with another item prices set higher than normal - often it's best to put their regular shipping price in both boxes until you can get to all items.

CS price + With Another Item Price = Shipping Price Charged

[DeLaDesign]

Thank you again, Kathy, you have been very helpful. I'm sure you'll be hearing from me again :)

[DogsBestTrend]

Can we trick it by making the item dimensions 1 x 1 x 1 for example? I can fit a lot of my items in one bag so was hoping this would allow me to?

[Former_Member]

Dogs, you can do the numbers anyway you want to get the result you want.

Try it. Then test - sign out of your etsy shop and go back as a shopper and load things into your cart and see how it is calculating.

or you can open in another browser, go to your shop but don't sign in.

This is how I've tested to see the number of items going into certain package preferences of mine. you cannot see what box is being used, but you can see how the price goes up.

[custompetandtack]

Dogs, I want to add that on some of my pet product items I do put 1x1x1 or 2x2x1 for the size because I can get a lot in a box or bag without it being considered oversize.

I have to do the same on my goat coats, even though folded up ready to mail they measure approx. 8x11x2, if I put this size and someone buys 3, it will calculate as an oversize box or even 2 separate boxes when it shouldn't even though I have box sizes to cover this.

So I put 6x4x2 for their size and it works even if 4-6 are purchased, CS won't figure an oversize or multiple packages. I know I can get at least 6 in a box without it being oversize on most sizes.

I had to test to make sure it was working like I wanted adding 1, 2, 3, even 4 or 5 items.

[PWOriginals]

Being able to stack products is one of the many challenges I'm having in getting CS to work! My full sized bags are irregular shaped so I can fit smaller items in the same box (like a bag with wristlets or pin cushions, etc., all in the same size box). Or, when a customer has ordered 2 or more full sized bags, I can sandwich them in to one larger box. Soft goods are so pliable! But, don't get me started on trying to teach CS how to package multiple pin cushions which can fit by tilting them in different directions!

When I tested shipping for 2 bags, it always put them in two separate boxes. If I play around with the bag size, isn't that going to mess everything up when just one bag is purchased?

Trying to fool the system with this is mind-boggling, as I have a large variety of boxes - free Priority boxes for US shipping and purchased boxes and mailers for First Class and Int'l orders. The purchased boxes for In'tl are sometimes the same size as the free Priority. I know I can put an extra packaging fee when using the purchased box, but CS doesn't know that box has to be used because it's an Int'l order.

I thought the first thing to do might be just adding a little to all shipping costs cross-the-board to cover the expenses of purchased boxes and mailers even when using free boxes. Right now, those costs are included in individual shipping.

I so want this to work, as I'm also a coastal shop and it's a deterrent to domestic buyers seeing that high shipping charge for Priority (based on coast to coast) even though I refund the excess when they're closer by. Right now, if competing shops have gotten this figured out, we're showing huge differences just for domestic shipping.

Sorry this is long - just can't get my brain wrapped around this!

[Former_Member]

Pam, take a deep breath - we can help you figure it out.

First, when measuring you bags, make them as flat as you normally do to ship them - don't give the dimensions of full size. If you can fit two in a particular box, then make sure the dimensions you enter are half that box size.

List all you boxes in Package Preferences and uncheck the box for Etsy common sizes. Go ahead and put a fee on each box - it won't matter if you get a little extra for those free boxes - you will be charging actual shipping now so that won't be too much. And that way, no matter which box the calculator chooses, the fee will be there to cover your costs.

And just because the calculator chooses a particular box - that doesn't mean you have to use that box - you can use whatever you want. The weight you put into your listings is the item all boxed up ready to ship - so the shipping cost will be correct for whatever box you had planned to use - the calculator doesn't add weight for any box - you do that with the weight in your listing.

Remember it's the dimensions of the item only - do not include the shipping box in those dimensions. So for your pincushions - put in the dimensions and the calculator will fit them into boxes. It's pretty accurate with multiples. I ship mostly multiples and it is almost always 100 percent correct in how it fits things. But you must use item dimensions.

Test - do some listings and then sign out of your etsy ID and then go back - put in a zip code to the other coast and then add things to your cart. See how it is working before you do everything in your shop. (or you can open to your shop in another browser to test)

Come back with any questions and good luck!

[Former_Member]

One last thing Pam - if you are entering envelopes to use in Package Preferences be sure to add in your own height figure - and make it big enough so the height of your item will fit. The calculator does not recognize anything under one inch - so be sure to use at least 1 inch in your height dimensions in your listings.

If you have something that has a height of 2 inches and you can put 2 of those in an envelope - make sure you put 4 inches for the height of the envelope.

And if the calculator is putting things in separate boxes it is because your dimensions are too big for 2 to go in one box. Remember it is ITEM dimensions not the box dimensions.

[PWOriginals]

Kathy - Thanks so much for your response!

I get what you are saying, totally. I can't flatten my bags, tho, and this is where I hit a wall. For instance, a bag may just be 1.5" thick at the top but 3.5" at the bottom gusset. I can stack them, head to toe, with a box that has a couple extra inches in length.

So, here's what I'm wondering. What if I were to make up a fictional box size - say 13 x 14 x 7" deep and CS would always use that size for 2 bags, although that's not really the box I would use, in fact I don't have anything that size. Does that make sense? I would just eliminate all the in-between box sizes I have where I know I can fit multiple items. I would still enter the weight appropriately for the multiple items and an average box weight. I could do that in several situations rather than listing all the box sizes I actually use. I could then add a little extra to all costs to make up for the paid vs. free boxes.

Since it's really all about weight, could this be a workaround?

[PWOriginals]

I should add that I would still list shipping one bag in a standard 13 x 12 x 3.5 box - it's just the multiples that I'd do a pretend box.

[Former_Member]

Pam, yes you can absolutely do that. It's fine to be creative like that. A lot of people don't get it, and it's confusing to tell them stuff like that, but you understand now how it works - It's just important for you to get the results you want - doesn't matter how you get there!

[Former_Member]

And you always need to be flexible and tweak when you have to. I got a mixed item order just a little while ago and I was like, oh I hadn't thought of that combination. It worked okay, but I tweaked a number on something so I would get an even better result in the future.

Good luck!

[PWOriginals]

I'm setting this up for a test. Hope it works as, for me, I think it will be easier to tweak the box sizes than the product sizes for multi-item orders. I could fit probably 6 or 7 pin cushions inside a bag without changing box sizes - hard to factor in all the scenarios - one step at a time!

Kathy - Thanks for the tip about the envelope height, too - hadn't thought of that!

[custompetandtack]

Pam.
You need to make sure your box size is not oversize to some states.

I'm on the east coast and the bigger size box I can send to the west coast is 14x12x10, any bigger and it calculates at an oversize rate.

[custompetandtack]

I forgot to add, you can change the zip code when you test to make sure that it's not coming up double or triple the cost on the box size.

I know I can put 14x12x12 and to the west coast, that size is oversize and ridiculously high shipping (3 times the cost) but it's not considered oversize to states that are closer to me.

I can switch around the measurements some but I have to check to be sure a box size I've got in my preferences isn't oversize to anyone.

[Former_Member]

if she sticks to 14x13x7 she should be okay - I did test it in the USPS calculator and it came up regular shipping. I should have mentioned that lol.

But it's a good point - you can't go too crazy with box size like pat said. She has more experience with oversized boxes than I do.

[PWOriginals]

So far, so good! I've only done the sections where everything has to ship Priority and I used just 2 box sizes to calculate shipping (although I use 5). I've signed out and checked shipping nearby, to the west coast, and internationally. Just had to adjust the handling fee so it didn't get too high on multi-item orders.

Thanks for the heads up on the box size, Pat! I checked it before using that fictitious size and all was okay. I hope playing "make believe" will get me through the rest of my sections.

I so appreciate the encouragement I'm getting from both of you! Now, it's time for a glass of wine before I tackle some more!

[Former_Member]

Wine yes Wine is very important to the set up of CS Pam!!