Chain Reaction - Quick, cheap delivery...but...

[Sheffield_Tiger]

Impressed as ever with CRC quick service and fast delivery

However I ordered this:

I got the correct thing but I can't for the life of me work out why it came in a box approximately 18" x 12" x 2"

(1) it meant I had to go the the PO depot to pick it up when a jiffy bag would have gone through the letterbox
(2) CRC free delivery - so why are they diddling themselves with unnecessarily increased postage costs

not to mention the waste packaging - though I re-use packaging like this for amazon book sales, for many it's just increased waste

 

[HLaB]

I've never found CRC bad for that its usually stuffed in a little bag; wiggle on the other hand, everything they have sent has come in a box at least 4 times bigger than what it needs to be.

 

[MacB]

I've had quite a bit from CRC recently and they seem to have switched to these new types of boxes with a tear strip for opening. Maybe someone's gotten carried away with it but the parts I've ordered have all been a lot smaller than the box.

 

[Jonathing]

Bare in mind that wiggle is based in Portsmouth. Earlier today, about a mile from the wiggle warehouse, I saw a man being outwitted by a small bag of crisps.
And yes my pedals came from CRC in a box nearly the size of a wheel.

 

[3narf]

My disc caliper adapters were in a huge cardboard packet, now you come to mention it!

Tax dodge?

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Logistics, gentlemen, logistics. The opportunity cost of the bigger box (pence) and any increased postage (which is probably marginal anyway and also will be pence) will be well offset by

a) not having to buy and stock loads of different size boxes
b) not having to pay people to decide what size of box to use only get it to the packing desk and go "Doh! it's too small"
c) having outsource the waste disposal to the customers anyway.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

Logistics, gentlemen, logistics. The opportunity cost of the bigger box (pence) and any increased postage (which is probably marginal anyway and also will be pence) will be well offset by

a) not having to buy and stock loads of different size boxes
b) not having to pay people to decide what size of box to use only get it to the packing desk and go "Doh! it's too small"
c) having outsource the waste disposal to the customers anyway.

I realise the above, working in mail-order myself (and we had a laugh at work about my grumble because that's a common thing we get marked don on eBay or Amazon ratings for - oversized packaging)

However it is cheaper to carry a couple of sizes of padded envelope for things like a tiny little barrel adjuster.

Having had a little ojimaflip (forget what) from Wiggle recently in a jiffy bag, I know where I will go for jiffy-bag sized things in the future - and that's the place that doesn't require me to be stood queuing at a delivery office..and whilst the loss of a few little nick-nack sales isn't a lot, shopping mail order is a habit and favourite sites soon change for the consumer, even subconsciously.

The one that's convenient becomes the one that is used regularly becomes the one that is trusted becomes the one that gets looked at first for that set of wheels or other higher priced stuff

What was worse though, was at work, in our old riverside warehouse we used to recycle old packaging by shredding it, then we'd use it as padding inside a box - ideal for breakable things. We managed to deliver a live mouse to one lady - the packer had picked up an armful of shredded cardboard, stuffed that in - along with said mouse that had bedded down in the lovely warm nest of cardboard - it survied the trip but was eager to escape as soon as the box was opened!

 

[gbb]

Logistics, gentlemen, logistics. The opportunity cost of the bigger box (pence) and any increased postage (which is probably marginal anyway and also will be pence) will be well offset by

a) not having to buy and stock loads of different size boxes
b) not having to pay people to decide what size of box to use only get it to the packing desk and go "Doh! it's too small"
c) having outsource the waste disposal to the customers anyway.

We have the same at work, boxes 10 times bigger than the components within.
a makes sense
b makes sense
c makes sense if they're using old boxes.

But also, is it the actual carriers that dictate these box sizes. Are there sorting machines more able to cope with 'one size' boxes, and maybe even easier to load for delivery, everything being a more uniform size/type.

 

[Basil.B]

My pump that I ordered from Chain Reaction, came in a jiffy bag.

 

[vickster]

I had the same from CRC - oversized box for a headband!! A small jiffy bag would have been ideal

 

[e-rider]

I ordered some funky valve caps from CRC and they came in one of those new boxes; what a joke. Worse still was that my wife thought that I'd ordered something 'big' spending money that I don't have! CRC might win on speed but certainly not very 'green'.

 

[phantasmagoriana]

I've noticed this with CRC recently too; I've had several small items delivered and they've all come in very oversized boxes (latest one was one roll of rim tape which could have easily gone in a small jiffy bag!).

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

I posted feedback about this on their facebook page and to give them credit they have replied and said that they are looking into the packaging for smaller stuff

 

[I like Skol]

I suffered from this too. Ordered a chain wear measure tool (about the size of a 6" ruler) and it came in the huge box that will not fit through 99% of letter boxes so I ended up going to the local sorting office to collect.

This really is ludicrous as it delays delivery by days. Envelopes and packets whizz through the system but parcels are much more labour intensive and not so quick. Customers are also qoing to be quickly turned off ordering from CRC the second time they have to plod down to the sorting office to collect a small gubbins that should have come through the letter box.

IMO, this is going to cost CRC in lost customers.