₦airaland Forum

Is International shipping killing your millinery business?. I completely understand the frustration❤️. As a millinery business owner, you can spend hours creating an intricate headgear, only to discover that the international shipping fee is so expensive that your clients either cancels the order or refuses to pay.

The good news is that there are ways to reduce your shipping costs without compromising the quality of your headgears or your client's experience.

1.Why is shipping hats from Nigeria so expensive?

The biggest challenge is often volumetric weight.

Imagine you have created a beautiful, lightweight fascinator weighing just 0.5kg. Because it needs a protective box, the courier might charge you based on the box's dimensions rather than the actual weight.

For example, some couriers calculate volumetric weight using:

Length × Width × Height ÷ 5,000

If your hat box measures 40 × 35 × 25 cm:

40 × 35 × 25 ÷ 5,000 = 7 kg volumetric weight.

Although your hat weighs less than 1 kg, you could be charged based on a much higher weight, depending on the courier's rules.

This is particularly challenging for milliners because hats need sufficient space to prevent crushing and deformation.

What can you do?

- Develop compact, protective packaging specifically for your fascinators.
- Use custom-sized boxes instead of oversized standard hat boxes.
- Explore collapsible or nesting designs for suitable headwear.
- Ask couriers about their volumetric weight divisor and minimum chargeable weight.
- Never compromise the protection of structured hats just to reduce shipping costs.

My advice: Before changing your courier, investigate your packaging. You might be paying more for empty space than for the actual product.

2. Some logistics companies worth contacting in Nigeria

Since you're shipping headgear internationally, I recommend comparing established express couriers with freight forwarders and smaller international shipping companies.

1. DHL Express

DHL is worth considering when reliability, tracking, and delivery speed are important to your customers.

However, rather than paying the standard rate for every parcel, ask about a business shipping account and negotiated rates.

DHL confirms that business accounts can offer volume-based discounts, with rates depending on shipping activity and business arrangements.

DHL is Best for: Premium hats, urgent orders, and high-value headgear.


2. Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) / EMS

This is one of the alternatives you can investigate if you want to reduce cost.

NIPOST provides international postal services to numerous destinations. Its EMS service may be worth comparing against private express couriers.

You can contact EMS Nigeria to request current international rates and delivery estimates for commercial headwear shipments. ipms.nipost.gov.ng

Best for: Customers who are willing to wait longer if the total delivery cost is lower.

Before booking, confirm:

- Whether your destination is currently served.
- Whether commercial hats and fascinators are accepted.
- Whether tracking and compensation are available.
- Whether the service includes delivery to the customer's address.
- The expected delivery time and all additional fees.


3. Abiel Logistics

Abiel Logistics is a Lagos-based logistics and freight-forwarding company that advertises international shipping and export services.

It is worth requesting a quote for your hats, especially if you plan to ship regularly.

Best for: Comparing international shipping and freight-forwarding options for a small fashion business.

Ask whether they offer discounted rates for recurring fashion-product shipments and whether their international services include tracking and compensation.

Ask whether they offer small-business export rates, consolidated shipping, or other services suitable for sending hats to individual clients overseas.

4. Introduce a different shipping strategy for different customers

Not every customer needs the same delivery service.

Instead of offering only one international shipping option, create three choices.
Shipping option.

1.Economy shipping

*Clients who can wait.
*Lowest available verified rate.


2. Express shipping

*Urgent orders and premium clients
*Faster service at a higher price


This allows clients to choose according to their budget and urgency.

For example, a customer ordering a fascinator for a wedding next month may accept a slower service, while someone ordering a custom made hat for an event next week may prefer express delivery.

Always provide a realistic delivery estimate and make it clear that customs clearance may affect arrival dates.

Another option: Customer-arranged shipping

For some international orders, allow customers to use their own courier account or arrange collection through their preferred shipping company.

You can prepare the headwear for collection, provided the arrangement meets your packaging and insurance requirements.

This can work particularly well for repeat customers,

5. Explore consolidated shipping for international customers

This strategy may be particularly useful if you have clients in the same country.

Instead of dispatching several orders separately, investigate whether you can send multiple orders together to a trusted receiving partner or fulfilment provider in the destination country.

The provider would then distribute the individual orders locally.

For example, suppose you receive five orders from clients in the UK.

You could investigate whether shipping the five hats together to a UK-based partner, followed by local delivery to each customer, would cost less than five separate international courier shipments.

However, this is only worthwhile if the savings exceed the cost of:

- Sending the consolidated shipment.
- Receiving and storing the hats.
- Repacking individual orders.
- Delivering the parcels locally.
- Handling any additional customs or import charges.
It also requires reliable coordination and appropriate arrangements for customs declarations.

Important: Consolidation is not automatically cheaper, particularly when hats require large boxes. Compare the total landed delivery cost before adopting this strategy.

6. Develop a special packaging system for your millinery brand

This is an opportunity to stand out.

Consider developing two packaging systems:

A.For fascinators and flexible headpieces

Use a compact, lightweight protective box that prevents the design from being crushed. Secure the headpiece so that it cannot move around during transit.

B. For structured hats and elaborate couture pieces

Use a properly sized rigid hat box with internal supports to protect the crown, brim, feathers, and embellishments.

Where appropriate, ask your packaging supplier to design boxes that minimise unused space without compromising the hat's shape.

Before shipping a new packaging design internationally, test it for movement, compression, and handling damage.

Remember: the objective is not simply to create a smaller box. It is to create the smallest safe package for each type of headwear.
7. Send this message to logistics companies
Here is a message you can send to DHL, EMS, and the other providers to request business quotations.



Remember, the cheapest shipping option isn't always the best. Reliability and proper handling are essential when delivering handcrafted headwear.
Let's Find a Way Forward!
Nigerian milliners deserve to reach international markets without excessive shipping fees, that is discouraging their clients.

Over to you! 👇🏽

Are you a Nigerian milliner or fashion entrepreneur? Which logistics company offers you reliable, affordable international shipping?

Share your experience in the comments. Your recommendation could help another creative save money and secure more international orders!

ErSparkle Millinery — Celebrating the Art of Hats and Championing Nigerian Millinery. 🇳🇬 while Creating Quirky Headgears that Spark Conversations.

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