Adding a Little Fat to the Bottom Line

In the catalog industry, shipping and handling (S&H) fees have long been a source of debate: Should they be used as a way to add a little fat to the skinny bottom line, or kept as low as possible to simply recoup the cataloger’s actual costs?

I asked consultant Lois Boyle, partner and chief creative officer forJ. Schmid & Associates, whether she knew of any tests of the different ways of dealing with the S&H charges. While she says she has no knowledge of any tests, Boyle notes: “The pros and cons for each often depend on the situation.”