Posted in: Comics, Current News | Tagged: comic shop, comicspro, diamond

Diamond Announces Flat Rate Shipping For Comic Book Stores

Today, for the ComicsPRO retailer summit, Diamond has announced a new flat rate for shipping within the USA served by UPS

In recent years, the former effective monopoly of the direct market from Diamond Comic Distributors was shattered by DC Comics, Lunar Distributors, Marvel Comics, Penguin Random House and everyone following suit, Lunar is known for incredibly secure shipping solutions, PRH for free shipping with Diamond caught in between.  They are still in between but are now shifting their positions, especially since they no longer have DC Comics and do not have exclusive rights to their other former biggest clients, Marvel, Image, IDW, and Dark Horse.

Well, today, for the ComicsPRO retailer summit, Diamond Comic Distributors has announced a new flat rate for shipping within the USA served by UPS to "simplify your shipping process and reduce your costs, making your expenses more predictable and manageable." Note, that doesn't necessarily mean cheaper. They state "at Diamond, we're dedicated to strengthening our partnership and contributing to your success and the success of our industry. Central to this mission is our commitment to providing the widest range of products, along with systems specifically designed for the Direct Market that streamline your operations and significantly reduce the time you spend tracking costs and managing logistics."

They state that "reflecting on our promise from last February, we've already implemented two significant freight reductions for our U.S. retailers serviced by UPS. The introduction of Flat Rate Shipping marks the latest evolution of this journey, aiming to boost your profitability and streamline your operations further."

"Our expansion in fulfillment operations for comic and game publishers, along with various cost-saving measures we've undertaken, has enabled us to offer Flat Rate Standard Shipping without compromising the quality service you've come to expect," says Steve Geppi, Chairman, President & CEO of Geppi Family Enterprises and Diamond Comic Distributors. "This move is not just about reducing costs; it's about making your business more efficient and predictable."

Here are their bullet points:

1. Predictable Shipping Costs: Enjoy the predictability of shipping with a flat rate for most products, facilitating easier management of your expenses.
2. Transparent Pricing: Only 3% of retail on all product categories (or 3% of MSRP on net-priced products), ensuring clear and straightforward pricing.
3. Upfront Fee Disclosure: Any special fees will be communicated at the time of solicitation, maintaining clarity and consistency in pricing.
4. Applicability: This rate applies to both weekly deliveries and replenishment orders, providing you with greater flexibility.
5. Direct Ship Reorders: Continue to take advantage of Direct Ship Reorders. A nominal $7.50 handling fee will be applied to orders under $500 retail / MSRP.
6. One Invoice for Ease: For Standard Shipping customers, freight and other fees will be consolidated on the same invoice as the related products, streamlining your accounting process. Please note, customers outside of Standard Shipping will continue to see freight charges billed a week in arrears, as part of our phased approach to enhance billing simplicity across all services.
7. No Change for drop point or LTL customers: Customers currently served by drop points, LTL trucks, or other shipping services will experience no change, ensuring consistency for customers who prefer those service options.

Stay tuned to our ongoing coverage of ComicsPRO 2024 with this handy tag.

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