Selling large or heavy products

Selling large or heavy items can present unique challenges, especially when it comes to shipping. Use this guide to learn best practices for adding products, setting up shipping options, and sharing your store policies with customers.

Adding products to your store

When you add a large or heavy products to your store, enter the product’s size and weight in the Pricing and variants tab. This information is required for shipping options that use product size to determine the cost.

In the Additional info tab, consider adding:

• The product’s weight and dimensions, so it displays to customers on the product page.
• Information about the product’s expected delivery time.
• The product’s shipping and return policy.
• A drawing or brochure that illustrates the product’s dimensions and customization options.

Create a custom product form to collect more information from customers at checkout. This is a great option if you offer custom products, like light fixtures or furniture pieces that you tailor to specific dimensions.

Choosing the right shipping options

Certain shipping options in Squarespace work especially well for selling oversized items:

• Add a Carrier Calculated shipping option, which determines the shipping costs by using the customer’s shipping address, shipping options from multiple carriers, and the product’s size and weight.
• Offer In-store pickup to local customers, instead of relying on a shipping carrier to transport goods short distances.
• Create a local, white-glove delivery option by adding flat rate shipping. You can offer the option to customers in your city, and deliver products yourself or through a local courier. If you choose this option, create a custom checkout form to gather delivery instructions.
• Depending on your product’s size and weight, you may need to use a freight or parcel shipping service. When you find a company that will deliver your goods, create a flat rate shipping option in Squarespace to charge customers for the service.

To learn more about the shipping options in Squarespace, visit Choosing the right shipping option.

Use a fulfillment service

Use the Squarespace Orders API to connect your site to third-party fulfillment services, which store your inventory and manage shipping and returns for you. This is a great way for small businesses to grow without having to rent a warehouse or hire a shipping team.

Display shipping and return policies

Adding terms and policies to your site is a good idea for all merchants. If you sell oversized items, you may want to focus on your shipping and return policy in particular. Here are a few ideas to consider:

• Under what circumstances will you accept returns?
• Will you offer free return shipping?
• If a customer isn’t home during their delivery window, will you leave the package outside, or will it return to your store?
• If you offer in-store pickup, how long does a customer have to collect their items? Do you charge a storage fee?

Visit Sharing terms and policies on your site for ideas on how to display this information.

Note: Squarespace can’t provide you with specific advice about your store policies.