Earn with Eden: Dropshipping with Royal Mail 24 and 48

We’re proud to make shipping even easier for our clients with our new partnership with Royal Mail 24 and 48. Receive your orders as soon as the next working day, wherever you are in the UK.

What’s more, it’s even easier for you to deliver our trusted hydroponics, horticultural, and garden products to your own customers. Royal Mail 24 and 48 provides the added speed and security to make dropshipping a breeze.

What is dropshipping?

“Dropshipping” is when you buy stock from a third-party supplier and work with them to send items directly to your buyers. This third-party supplier will prepare and ship your customer’s order without you ever handling the stock directly.

It’s a popular way to use reputable wholesalers for fast, fuss-free profit.

How can I benefit from dropshipping?

If you’re an online Eden customer, you can take advantage of our competitive wholesale pricing. Not only will you pass some savings onto your customers, but you’ll make a profit too.

You won’t need to do the admin that being a business owner involves: for as little as £3.50 per delivery everything is organised, prepared, and shipped by Eden.

Another huge benefit is that you are not required to keep products in stock in the same way that you would as a retail owner. Just order products as and when they are required by your customers.

This means you’ll never lose money on unsold or expired stock, and you’ll never have to find a place to keep it all. You can make a lucrative dropshipping business from anywhere.

How can Royal Mail 24 and 48 help me?

As their name suggests, Royal Mail 24 and 48 can get products to you or your customers in as little as 24 or 48 hours:

• Royal Mail 24 - aims to deliver the next working day;
• Royal Mail 48 - delivers within 2 to 3 working days.

It also offers you:

• Online delivery confirmation with GPS map;
• The extra option for customer signatures on delivery;
• A second delivery option for buyers, such as leaving it in their Safeplace or with a neighbour if they’re out.

For your customers, this means faster service and hassle-free delivery. No more chasing up an “attempted delivery” or having to face that neighbour again.

It also protects you as a seller from shipping issues or ill-intentioned buyers. Royal Mail marks a parcel as lost after 10 working days. For an extra £1.30, there’s the requirement for customers to sign on delivery. This extra authentication reduces the risk of you being scammed.

 

What else should I know?

Dropshipping saves time, money, and effort for anyone looking to sell online. However, it’s worth remembering that even though you’re not handling the goods, you’re still the seller and you’re still responsible for orders reaching your customers exactly as they expect. If they arrive late or damaged, you’re liable.

Fortunately, Eden’s products are quality checked and will always leave our warehouse securely packaged and in top condition. Royal Mail 24 and 48’s extra features make delivery faster and safer than ever before.

Where can I dropship?

There are a number of sites you can use to begin dropshipping, and chances are you’ve used most of them before. Amazon and eBay are the most popular options, and you’ll need to use the Eden website as you would your usual orders.

ALWAYS make sure that you are using a reputable company to handle your stock. The big sites tend to have the most stringent selling policies, but this is to protect both genuine dropshippers and their customers.

Dropshipping has previously been used to scam buyers or harm the original retailers. Reputable sites have tightened in response to this and will not allow you to dropship stock from retailers or online marketplaces. You must only buy from wholesalers and suppliers.

Thankfully, Eden has the largest range of hydroponics wholesale products in the UK and offers a genuine way of selling on these sites.

See the guide below for the most common and secure dropshipping platforms available, and to see which one might best suit you:

eBay

Dropshipping is allowed on eBay, so long as it follows the rules talked about above. eBay’s dropshipping policy says that:

“Dropshipping, where you fulfil orders directly from a wholesaler or supplier, is allowed on eBay. Remember that if you use dropshipping, you’re still responsible for the safe delivery of the item within the time frame stated in your listing and for the buyer’s overall satisfaction with their purchase.”

“Listing an item on eBay and then purchasing the item from another retailer or marketplace that ships directly to your customer is not allowed on eBay.”

The site has a standard delivery guarantee of 30 days, but you can also set a shorter period as an individual seller. Make sure to stick to these otherwise you could incur selling restrictions, deceive customers, or damage the reputation of your account. With Royal Mail 24 and 48, this should be no problem! Royal Mail 24 deliveries arrive as soon as the next working day.

eBay offers a more straightforward and cost-effective approach than many other sites, and its tight procedures make it a secure place for genuine dropshippers to make money. They offer up to 200 free listings - at a base rate of 35p per listing (insertion fee), this saves you at least £70 straight off the bat.

eBay charges another fee on selling, the final value fee. It depends on the items sold, but the site takes a cut of approximately 10% of your sale plus the stated shipping cost.

There are also paid extras that make your products stand out for scrollers. Visit eBay’s pages on fees for private and business sellers , or use this eBay UK fee calculator to do the maths for you.

What are the benefits of eBay?

The biggest bonus is that it requires virtually no money to set up. While you’ve still got your free listings, you’ll only pay if an item sells.

On the whole, eBay is one of the largest, fastest, most secure sites, and is one of the cheapest from the outset. As of Q1 2021, it has 187 million worldwide users , and in the same period it sold $27.5 billion (£20.3 billion) of products.

Are there any downsides?

Because it’s so easy for dropshippers to use, eBay is a vastly competitive site, so you’ll need to make sure your product stands out. Make sure your image, title, and description are accurate, clear, and engaging. It’ll attract scrolling customers and help you build a stellar reputation.

eBay’s popularity can mean that it’s harder to make a serious gain if you have lots of competitors. You’ll need to keep prices low enough to be the prime seller, but you’ll also want some profit for your time.

Luckily, Eden has one of the largest ranges of hydroponics wholesale equipment in the UK, so you’ll find products that buyers can’t find elsewhere.

How do I dropship on eBay?

Listing on eBay

1. On the eBay homepage, click the blue“Sell” button on the top right. This will take you to another page, where you can press “List an item”.
2. On the “start your listing” page, you can enter details about your item that will make it easier for buyers to find it.

 

3. On the“Find a match”page, add further details using the filters suggested. This might include the category your product will be listed in, as well as the brand, weight, size, and material. You may find an exact match for your product, in which case you can select this instead. You’ll also be asked to select the condition of your item.
4. You’ll then be taken to the main listing page. Add atitle, description, and imagesfor your item. Be sure to be clear and accurate and use phrases that will allow buyers to find your item and that will inform and interest them.

 

5. Add your listing price, selling method (auction or “Buy It Now”), and choose how long you would like your product to be listed for.
6. Next, you will be asked to select a delivery method. Make sure that your selected delivery method lines up with the method you have chosen in your Eden order and will not cost you or your buyer extra money.
7. When you have completed all the details, you can preview your listing or upload it straight away.

 

  

Ordering from Eden

On the Eden website, select the item(s) that your customer has ordered and add them to your basket. When you’re ready to pay, click on the trolley icon in the top right corner of the page and select “Secure Checkout”.

1. Useyour customer’s addressas the delivery address. You’ll be taken to the “Delivery Options” page, where you can select “UK Royal Mail 24” or “UK Royal Mail 48".

  

2. Complete the order. You will then receive an order number and a receipt confirming that your products are on their way to your customer!

 

Amazon

We don’t really need to introduce this one. It’s the first port of call for 55% of all online consumers, so Amazon has the potential for huge sales to be made.

Like eBay, dropshipping is allowed on Amazon provided it meets certain criteria. You must:

• Always be the seller of record for products;
• Identify yourself as the seller on invoices, packing slips, and packaging. Failure to do so, or listing another supplier as the seller, is strictly prohibited;
• Remove all information that identifies the third-party seller before shipping the order, such as invoices, packing slips, and packaging;
• Be the sole person responsible for accepting and processing returns;
• Follow your seller policy as with any Amazon sale.

The full dropshipping policy can be viewed here.

 

Individual Selling Plan

Amazon offers a basic, pay-as-you-go selling plan for individuals . You don’t pay anything unless your item sells, at which point it’s a £0.75 base fee and then the appropriate referral fees. These referral fees depend on the category of items you’re selling and vary from about 7% to 20% of your item’s cost (with the exception of Amazon accessories at 45.9%).

For most items, Amazon will take a cut of 10-15% as the referral fee. A full breakdown of individual seller fees can be found here .

One important thing is that Amazon determines the delivery fees for individual sellers, so it’s important to make sure you don’t lose any money in this way. For example, if you pay £4.50 to have an order shipped with Royal Mail 24, and Amazon decides that your delivery price is £3.50, you’ll lose the extra £1 you spent on delivery with your third-party supplier.

 

Professional Selling Plan

If you’re planning to sell large quantities of goods, you might benefit from Amazon’s Professional Selling Plan. It costs £25 per month and removes the £0.75 base fee - so, you’d have to make approximately 34 sales per month to break even on base fees alone. The referral fees are the same as with individual sellers, so again you can expect cuts of roughly 10-15% of your listed price.

The Professional selling plan provides features you won’t have as an individual seller. Users can manage their inventory on the Amazon site, receive reports on their sales, and compete for “featured” status on products that are sold by multiple sellers.

If your product is deemed to be the highest quality or best-performing amongst its competitors, it may be listed as the “Featured Offer” near the top of a product detail page. This makes it more visible and more accessible to sellers looking for your item, and many “featured” product sellers see an increase in their sales.

However, it’s worth noting that you’ll be charged the £25 monthly fees whether you make any sales or not.

 

What are the benefits of Amazon?

Like eBay, Amazon offers an easy and fairly inexpensive way to dropship. Sellers don’t have to worry about marketing or SEO beyond accurate, informative descriptions and images.

Dropshippers can expect to make margins between 10% and 30%. With an average cut of 15% per item, you’ll likely make profits of up to 15%.

There’s also the fact that it’s the second-largest retailer in the world - so, if someone’s looking for your product, they’re bound to search for it on Amazon.

 

How can Royal Mail 24 help?

Amazon Prime is a huge selling point, with roughly 65% of its users paying for the next-day service. Royal Mail 24 can offer the same results to Eden web sellers for as little as £4.50 per item: you won’t have to store, package, or post a thing.

 

Are there any downsides?

Nobody has a favourite Amazon seller, right? Amazon is more focused on the best deal than customer loyalty. If you’re the top dog for your item, great! However, you may be less likely to retain returning customers than on some other sites.

It’s also worth noting that there’s some upfront investment involved. You’ll need products from the supplier in your inventory to begin with, in order to meet Amazon’s selling requirements.

As with eBay - and any reputable dropshipping site - you’re the seller and are therefore responsible for any issues, refunds, or delays in selling your items.

 

How do I dropship on Amazon?

Listing on Amazon

1. Sign in to your existing account or create a new one.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the homepage until you reach the dark blue section. Click “Sell on Amazon” or “Sell on Amazon Business”.
3. You will then have the option to sell as an individual or sign up as an Amazon Professional Seller. After choosing one of these, you will be asked to complete some personal details to verify your seller status. You will need an address, phone number, credit card, and form of identification for this.
4. Once you have an account set up, you can list your product(s) in a similar way to eBay. Choose from an existing product or add your own. Add an engaging title, image, and description, and include specifications such as product dimensions, materials, and weight. Amazon has a helpful seller’s guideto provide more information, depending on your seller status and listing options.

 

5. As with eBay, choose your delivery method and ensure that it does not cost you or your seller more than with your chosen Eden order.
6. Upload your listing. Then, use the “Ordering from Eden” instructions listed above to place your Eden order using Royal Mail 24 or 48.

Other dropshipping options

There are dozens of other dropshipping platforms around - however it’s vital to make sure you pick one that’s safe and high-quality. If it’s not popular enough, you’ll likely be wasting your time. If you don’t read the small print, you could be liable for surprise fees.

If you choose to use another dropshipping platform, you should do your research thoroughly. Look for the following:

• Free registration and listing fees;
• 24/7 support for buyers and sellers;
• Competitive (but not too competitive) markets for your product category;
• Order and delivery confirmation;
• Flexible listing options.

You might find a site that provides more freedom, saves you money, or better suits your selling requirements. But, remember: as with any selling platform, you’re 100% responsible for the successful sale and delivery of your products.

Dropshipping made up almost a quarter of online transactions in 2017, and it’s easy to see the appeal! With a trusted wholesaler like Eden Horticulture and super-fast, reliable delivery from Royal Mail 24 and 48, you’re set to share your favourite hydroponics equipment with a whole new market.