Hello folks, I just wanted to update you on a few changes in regards to postage.
At the moment, Novel's postage prices are based on cost of packaging plus cost of Royal Mail shipping from England. Unfortunately, Royal Mail have stated that due to exceptional cost increases, they have had to introduce price changes for parcels sent to the United States from 1st July 2020. The reasons include an increase of more than 100% in the fees the US Postal Service (USPS) charges for the ‘last mile’ delivery of international mail, and inflated market costs for air freight following the global outbreak of covid-19. Royal Mail has created an independent shipping zone for the U.S. labelled Zone 3 with postage prices starting at £8.33 ($10.41 at time of writing) for a small parcel. The shipping cost for letters hasn't changed.
When buying from Novel, you can expect that paper/planner refills and small quantities of binding discs are likely to be sent in an envelope but most of the orders for notebooks go out in cardboard book wraps that fall under Royal Mail's 'small parcel' category. The Novel shop shipping settings are based on several of these categories so that purchases can be automatically calculated at checkout based on the size, shape and weight of the packaged items, as well as the location of the delivery address. Previously, you would only be offered the Royal Mail Tracked & Signed option at the Novel online shop checkout for international shipping, which is great for an extra level of security as it comes with up to £50 compensation should anything happen to your parcel in transit.
But... the price of International Tracked & Signed currently starts at £9.86 for small parcels and I realise that the cost of this option may be prohibitive to some people, especially at this time. I aim to make Novel as accessible as possible so I have now added an option for International Standard shipping. If you don't mind not being able to track your parcel, and compensation only being up to £20, the up front cost compared to International Tracked & Signed is almost half the price in some cases!
You may be aware that aside from the Novel shop, Novel notebooks are also sold through Etsy. I've amended delivery prices on Etsy to be more in line with the prices in the Novel shop. However, Etsy only allows for fixed delivery prices, rather than a variable rate based on the specific weight and size of the order, so you will get a more accurate price by buying directly from www.novelnotes.co.uk.
In any case, Royal Mail state that they aim to deliver within 6-7 days for International Standard shipping and within 5-7 days for International Tracked & Signed. I always aim to dispatch within two working days unless it's a custom order or there is a backlog. There may, of course, be delays due to pandemic-related issues such as changes in lockdown status but if there are any expected delays with your orders I will keep you posted ;)
Please leave a comment below if you found this information useful, and if you have any questions or suggestions on how Novel can be more inclusive and accessible in the future.
Stay safe,
- Alex
p.s. I'm sorry that I'm not able to offer free postage at the moment. I'd love for you to all be able to get your Novel refills without the postage costs but at the moment it isn't feasible. I will of course keep you updated if this does become possible (subscribe for updates!).
One way to get there is by growing Novel. More people buying from Novel would lead to more savings for everyone as the business grows, so please spread the word about Novel - share on your social media, tell your friends - it all really helps!
The prices mentioned here are accurate as of July 2020 but I am keeping an eye out for the best deals I can get for you so prices are subject to change. If you would like to know more about price changes at Royal Mail, please visit their website for the most current information.