Most online marketplaces are geared towards selling secondhand or preloved items. If you are the type to sell clothing straight from your closet or your family's, one of your main goals is to sell everything from your inventory.
After all, you want to do away with your old clothes and possessions to make room for new ones.
This is why creating bundles is one of the best ways to attract buyers. Bundles allow buyers to negotiate discounts with you, helping you appeal to them and let them recommend you to their friends.
The appeal of discounts helps you build a good reputation as well. If you are also an effective seller who properly communicates with potential clients, then you can definitely close sales faster.
What is a bundle?
A bundle is two or more items sold together to one buyer, especially if they "liked" these pieces from your listings. You sell these to them for a discount and have them pay under one shipping fee.
On Mercari, it is the buyer who reaches out on the items they like to purchase from you. You only need to respond to their message and discuss the terms, such as discounts and shipping fees.
Creating bundles
When creating bundles, you must consider how you will construct them. You can simply create single-offering listings, which means you list items as is, or you can gather two or more items from your inventory and list them under one listing. When you opt for this, you get to show how your clothing pieces and accessories go together. It is much like creating one "look" or outfit and selling this to a potential customer.
Now on the Mercari website or app, the steps to create a bundle are the following:
First, check your listings and see if there is a buyer who wants to purchase multiple items from you.
Afterward, confirm these items by discussing with the buyer how they want to proceed with the purchase. Usually, they ask for a discount as they are buying multiple items.
Ideally, you grant this request so you can close the sale–as long as it is within a reasonable price, so you won't end up with the short end of the stick.
Second, create a new listing. You can take new photos of each item or use the initial ones you took.
Upload all these together and add descriptions for each of the items. Aside from labeling them, keep in mind to indicate the shipping weight and size of the overall package.
As much as possible, don't estimate or make a guess. If you have all items on hand, gather them and weigh them together. Add in the weight of the parcel and other packaging materials.
It is best to have the closest measurements to the actual to avoid unnecessary expenses for incorrect weight package fees. The last thing you want is for you or the buyer to pay an additional cost for either delivery or postage.
Third, publish the listing and inform the buyer once the listing is complete. You can message them about this and update them with any pertinent information about their order.
Fourth, when the buyer completes their purchase, make sure to deactivate or delete the listings included in the bundle. This step is essential to prevent other Mercari users from choosing the sold items to purchase.
From either the website or the app, click "Select" and choose the listings you must deactivate. But to delete, tap "Edit" instead.
Lastly, start packing the orders in one parcel. Wrap them securely–either place them in one packaging material or individually wrap them.
Don't forget to tape the shipping label on the box, ensuring the actual parcel's weight matches the one on the label.
Tips for packaging
When packing orders, you must consider two important factors: design and function.
- Creative design
The design aspect may seem less important of the two, but it is the first thing that buyers notice. When choosing outer and inner packaging materials, consider your branding and anything visually appealing.
Select colors, patterns, and styles that fit with your branding. You can explore non-traditional shapes of packaging and layout as well. It all boils down to attracting buyers from the parcel alone.
- Be clear on the packaging
After selecting the design, the function has to be considered. As much as you want to be creative, you need to be clear on the packaging–what the item is, its purpose, and how one should handle it.
You don't need to indicate each one but be straightforward so the courier and the buyer know how to handle the package. This applies especially to fragile, flimsy, and sensitive items.
- Explore innovative ways
Given the environmental movement to have less waste, consider eco-friendly packaging. These include recyclable papers, honeycomb paper wrap, cartons, and glass containers.
- Consider the weight
In choosing materials, you should consider their design, function, and environmental impact, as well as their size and weight.
Remember that the total shipping fee includes how heavy the package is. The heavier it is, the more the price increases.
Opt for lightweight packaging as much as possible but ensure the items are still securely wrapped.
Calculating shipping fee
The maximum weight of the package is 150 lbs, and the maximum length is 45 inches. Anything bigger and heavier than these, like furniture and huge appliances, you must ship on your own.
To calculate your volumetric weight (shipping weight that determines the Mercari shipping rate), take the entire package's length, width, and height measurements. Afterward, divide the number by 139.
Shipping options
Mercari has various shipping options: FedEx, USPS, The UPS Store, and its own Mercari Pack and Ship.
The last option is convenient as The UPS Store will print the shipping code you received, pack the order, and ship it for you. You only need to drop off the items at your chosen store branch.
Below is the fixed rate of some shipping options (minimum sizes). But take note this list is not exhaustive.
For The UPS Store, packages that weigh 0.25 lbs to 3 lbs are equivalent to $30 shipping (box, packaging, and shipping).
For FedEx, parcels weighing from 0.25 lbs to 3 lbs are equivalent to $14.
For UPS, orders that weigh 0.25 lb to 1 lb cost $11.50.
For local deliveries, a fee of $10.99 is paid by the buyer. This price does not include taxes and does not apply to furniture pieces.
Lastly, the good thing about Mercari is your items are secured with $200 insurance.
Making selling easy
Creating a new listing for a buyer's bundle may seem like a difficult task. After all, you need to edit the descriptions, weigh the items and the shipping weight, and discuss the delivery options with the buyer. The good thing is that automation apps like OneShop can assist you in all these tasks.
Aside from the longtime feature of crosslisting, you can now schedule these in advance. You can also do "Duplicate Listings'' when you have similar items.
When it comes to calculating fees, OneShop has "Smart Listing Prices," which help you add in the website's fees on top of your manual calculation for the shipping
When you are in the last step of packing orders, you can print all shipping labels or codes from different marketplaces at once. There is a QR code prepared that includes necessary information without having to manually print each one from each of the websites you are selling on.
Take advantage of the Constants.Marketing.TrialDuration-day free trial of OneShop so you can experience the app's efficiency and help you grow your business.