DYMO Endicia

Sunglasses Internationale

Sunglasses Retailer Gets Rid of Private Carrier "Junk Fees"

Outreach logo In 2005, it became glaringly obvious to Paul Primeaux, owner of Sunglasses Internationale, that using DYMO Endicia and the U.S. Postal Service® was the ideal solution to his shipping needs versus private carriers. The only downside was that he wished he’d had his eyes opened to the cost savings when he began his online sunglasses store in 1996.

Background.   When asked how he chose sunglasses to sell online, Primeaux mentioned that as a U.S. Coast Guard licensed captain, one of the necessities for being out on the ocean is a good pair of sunglasses. As he started thinking about opening an online business, he realized that there were lots of other professions and recreational activities where sunglasses were practically required accessories, just like boating. That vision has proved true if his business success is any measure.

Besides his initial customers of boaters and outdoor sports enthusiasts, Primeaux’s patrons have expanded to the general public and even to celebrities. “If you see a photo of a rock star wearing sunglasses, there’s a pretty good chance they bought them from us,” Primeaux proudly states.

Endicia's Role.   When he began his online business, Primeaux primarily used private carriers to ship the dozens of brands of sunglasses he sold from his Florida home. More and more, however, he thought he was seeing double when he looked at the surcharges, or “junk fees,” as he called them, that the private carriers were billing him at the end of each month.

Sunglasses Internationale “I stopped using them out of frustration,” Primeaux continues. “First, it was a residential delivery charge. Then, it was an extended delivery charge. Then it was the signature confirmation charge. Then a fuel surcharge----there was no end to it,” he exclaims. It finally got to the point where the cost of shipping was equal to the price of the product. That’s when he began seriously looking for other options.

In 2005, he found Endicia.com while searching the Internet for less costly and more efficient shipping options, “I’m always researching, trying to find a better way to do business,” Primeaux adds. When he considered that most of his product shipments weighed under one pound and when he compared costs, using DYMO Endicia and the U.S. Postal Service made perfect business sense to him.

When he investigated DYMO Endicia’s online postage options further, he became very excited at the ability to print both shipping labels and postage right from his company’s desktop PC. DYMO Endicia also allowed him to print labels in a variety of options and delivery methods. While Primeaux is now an old pro using DYMO Endicia, this wasn’t always the case. He appreciated how DYMO Endicia’s software guided him through label and postage options when he was getting started.

In the last three years, Primeaux has done a complete about-face and now uses online postage to ship 85% of his product. While DYMO Endicia offers a selection of plans, Primeaux uses their Professional Plan because of its versatility. With DYMO Endicia Professional™ he can process shipments one order at a time or in a batch, and can get lower USPS rates—domestic or international—many of which are only available for PC postage users. In addition, DYMO Endicia Professional allows him to synch his orders directly from his customer database. It also lets him print shipping labels with discount parcel insurance and electronic Delivery Confirmation™. On days with large amounts of orders going out the door, Primeaux has the option of calling the Post Office™ and providing a bulk SCAN when a postal carrier comes to pick up his orders rather than taking his outgoing orders to the Post Office himself. Among the other factors Primeaux liked about Endicia when first trying them out was that there were no minimum requirements, no certification, and no lengthy setup.

The Future.   While the recent economy has been unsteady, Primeaux says business has been good for him. In addition to the online store, Sunglasses Internationale has had a brick and mortar operation for 11 years, which is also very successful. One of the reasons for his success is that Primeaux offers styles from every major sports sunglasses manufacturer. And while business has grown, Primeaux knows that by using the U.S. Postal Services and DYMO Endicia, his shipping costs will remain stable and won’t rise along with his growing customer base, allowing him to be competitive.

To learn more go to http://www.sunglasses-int.com.