We all know that anxious feeling before proceeding to checkout where we are uncertain about the EXACT final cost of our orders. Shipping products overseas can get expensive but it also can be a very reasonable fee. In Japan, it all comes down to weight! Many countries have flat rate services where you can stuff as much as you want into a certain sized box for a specified rate. Unfortunately, Japan Post only offers a weight based system. The good news is that if you construct your cart carefully you can be efficient and your shipping cost per item will be much more palatable.
When you shop at napaJapan you will come across all sorts of Japanese snacks and sweets, including beverages. Whether it is an interesting version of Fanta, Pepsi, Canned Coffee, or Tea you are after, the simple fact is that these beverage items weigh a lot (relative to chocolate, candy, and salty snacks.) So, let’s say you were to order a dozen 500 ml bottles of soda; your parcel would weigh 7 kg (15 lbs.) Most potential customers who make such a shopping cart get quite the shock at checkout. Shipping such a heavy parcel from Japan costs napaJapan a lot of money and we must pass that cost on to the end user. Our shipping costs also cover packing material, labor, and transaction fees from the bank and e-commerce provider.
Most customers who order beverages from our shop tend to mix in candy and snacks together so that they can enjoy a wide range of goods, whilst spreading the shipping costs among all items. So in reality, the more items you order the less the shipping cost is, PER ITEM. This is because shipping costs will not increase at the same rate as the parcel weight does. The percentage difference in shipping costs between 100 and 900 grams is much higher than between 6100 and 6900 grams. In fact, the latter example has the same shipping price at both 6100 and 6900 grams! It isn’t until you reach 7000 grams where you will see the next price increase. This is how the Japanese Post pricing system is set up.
To calculate shipping weights we must consider three things: GROSS weight of product (not the net edible product), shipping box, and inner packing materials (which ensure a secure delivery.) Some candy products only have 25 grams of product however the weight of the package can be as high as 100 grams! Also, in some instances we must use multiple boxes to ship out your order since there are dimensional size restrictions (L+W+D < 90 cm) and weight restrictions on some shipping methods (2 kg max.) When this occurs we always mark the inner flap of the box with notification such as BOX 1 of 2.
We try our best to keep our product pricing down at reasonable levels as we understand the shipping is a big part of what will affect your budget. Japanese candy usually has very long shelf lives so placing a larger order may be beneficial to maximize on your shipping savings. We do offer at least three shipping options to most countries with the cheapest method taking 2-4 weeks. Parcel tracking is available for every country, however extra costs are involved and those are shown on our checkout page.
These days, shipping overseas is very reliable and we rarely see parcels returned to sender and it is extremely rare to see lost parcels. Delays can always occur due to Customs checks, bad weather, busy holiday seasons, or by using an economy stand-by mail service. Our customers have given us a lot of feedback and shipping is quite often noted as a very positive experience. Japan Post is a welcoming and reliable company!
So please come by our fun shop and mix and match the huge variety of Japanese sweets and snacks we offer. New products are listed WEEKLY! And don’t forget that limited edition products come and go quickly. If you see something you like, you may want to get a few. History tells us that some Japanese confectionery is a once in a lifetime eating/drinking experience! Please contact me directly if you have any questions or listing requests!
Sincerely, J-san
