In 2025, businesses are seeing costs go up across the board. This is frustrating as it can impact your bottom line, make it harder to maintain quality, and even cause many businesses to fold. The increase in shipping costs is a key concern for businesses in many industries, including ecommerce and traditional retailers. Global supply chains are experiencing fluctuations in labor shortages, fuel prices, and logistics disruptions, which means that businesses need to be smart when it comes to managing their shipping expenses. This post will give you a few ideas for ways to navigate these rising shipping costs in 2025.
Understand Your Shipping Costs
First, you need to understand your shipping costs. Calculate your total shipping costs, which tend to include base postage or carrier fees, packaging, handling, fuel surcharges, tracking, insurance, and any other fees. This will give you a clear overview of where your money is going and should help you identify the areas where savings could be made. Look at your historical shipping data to identify trends and predict which services or routes will be cost-effective.
Negotiate With Carriers
Now is also a good time to negotiate with the shipping carriers you use. If you are willing to commit to shipping high volume consistency and a long-term contract, you can often negotiate discounts, preferential treatment, and/or bundled services. During periods of economic instability like this, service providers are often willing to offer discounts to those who are happy to commit to a long-term contract. You could also partner with multiple carriers and compare prices for each shipment to find the most cost-effective option each time.
Make Use of Tech
In 2025, there is technology that can streamline shipping and help you keep your costs down. Shipping software and logistics platforms enable you to easily compare rates, optimize your delivery routes to reduce fuel costs, and automate basic tasks like label generation. These tools are a worthwhile investment as they can contribute to long-term savings while also streamlining and making work easier for your team.
Use Certified Mail Labels
USPS new postal rates mean that sending a USPS Certified Mail letter with a Return Receipt will set you back $10.44 at the Post Office. For businesses that send a lot of mail, this new rate can be hard to swallow. Fortunately, there is a solution in the form of Certified Mail Labels. Using their online service for the same mail will cost just $6.99, providing savings of $3.45 per mailing. Additionally, you can print your own labels at home or work, saving the time, cost, and hassle of a trip to the post office (and avoiding the lengthy queues!).
The advice in this post should help your business manage rising shipping costs in 2025. The increase in shipping costs is a cause for concern, especially with other costs rising. By understanding your shipping costs, negotiating with carriers, making use of modern tech, and using services like Certified Mail Labels, you can keep your costs down and protect your profit margins.
