Shipping carriers calculate zones depending on where the package is shipped from. Here are some of the ways e-commerce shipments are affected by shipping zones: Calculating Shipping Zones Shipping Zones in E-Commerce Order Fulfillment Now that we have a basic understanding of what shipping zones are and how they’re defined let’s take a closer look at how (and why) they play an integral role in your online order fulfillment strategy. Most shipping carriers determine shipping zones based on the distance from where the package is shipped from, to the destination: In the United States, for example, shipping zones range from Zone 1 to Zone 8. Shipping zones are assigned based on the distance a package travels from the warehouse to the end customer. It’s defined by a grouping of zip codes and measured from where the package is shipped from (also called the point of origin) to its destination. In simple words, a shipping zone is a geographical region to which carriers deliver. In this post, we’ll start by explaining what shipping zones are and then dig deeper to see why they’re important in the context of e-commerce order fulfillment. See how much of an impact shipping zones have on your company’s profit margins and take necessary steps to reduce shipping costs. Knowing how shipping zones fit into your overall order fulfillment strategy helps you:īetter understand how they affect shipping costs and delivery speed.ĭetermine whether you can offer customers affordable shipping options and what you’d have to do to make that possible.

Fedex zone chart 2021