As technology continues to evolve, all sorts of businesses are moving to an e-commerce format. One avenue of this is digital baked goods sales. A modern extension of mail-order business models, e-commerce baked goods is an exciting new venture for bakeries or online-only small businesses. Customers can order baked goods from any city or state and have them shipped to any location so that they can enjoy.
With this new business model comes new challenges. The biggest question at hand is: how do you successfully ship baked goods? You want the treats shipped to have the same freshness and quality as your in-store offerings. In order to accomplish this, we've compiled a list of important things to consider when shipping baked goods.
Important Considerations When Shipping Baked Goods
The worst feeling is opening a package and seeing the contents broken or shattered. In recognizing that shipping any item can be risky, it's important to note that it can potentially happen to your baked goods as well. But, there are ways to be prepared so it doesn't happen, and do everything you can to ensure your sweet treats are delivered fresh and ready-to-eat. Here are some factors to think about when shipping out sweet treats:
1. Shipping Time
When shipping baked goods, you want the quality to withstand the travel time. This means that shipping time should be one of your primary considerations when sending baked goods by mail. Typically, Priority Mail packages arrive within three business days from when they are sent out. This should be enough time for your goodies to arrive in good condition to customers.
You can also consider overnight shipping if you want to guarantee freshness. Some items such as delicate pastries or custard-filled desserts may require a faster shipping time to uphold their quality. While it may be more costly, shipping overnight to your customers is a more likely option to ensure fully intact and fresh dessert orders.
2. Packaging
How you package your baked goods to be shipped can be crucial. The goal in packaging your goods should be a mix of practicality and aesthetics. You want to package items so they arrive in a favorable state while also displaying them to maintain the same presentation as you would provide in-store.
Practical Packaging
The way you package a dessert to be shipped depends heavily on the item itself. You likely wouldn't wrap a cake in the same way you would wrap cookies. You would want to package individually-sized desserts like cookies, cupcakes, or pastries by:
- Wrapping them with wax paper, then placing them in plastic wrap or plastic storage bags.
- Placing them in a primary box or tin, which is the box that will protect the baked goods from the stress of being shipped.
- Lining the box or tin with tissue paper, newspaper, or styrofoam. This helps prevent the baked goods from rattling when the box is shaken or moved.
- Placing the box into the shipping box, being sure to line that box as well. Filling the boxes helps avoid the goodies from moving around too much and therefore reduces the risk of them getting ruined in transit.
Aesthetic Packaging
If you have a storefront bakery or cafe, you probably put a lot of thought into the presentation of your baked goods in the store. Naturally, you want your creations to look their best for visual appeal. The same should go for packaging those same creations to be shipped. Some options to consider are:
- Branded bags and boxes: The box or the bag that the customer receives will be the first thing they see, even before they get to their delicious dessert. By having your brand or shop's name on it, you're taking that extra step to elevate your business branding.
- Extra decor/goodies: You could also include colorful tissue paper inside the box or maybe even some small gifts, like coupons for future orders.
- Baked good presentation: The presentation of the dessert itself is also important. No one wants to receive a smushed brownie or a broken cookie.
By making sure your baked goods look nice, it lets your customer know that you put time and effort into packing this dessert just for them.
3. Mail Carriers
Of the major mail carriers in the U.S., each has its benefits and drawbacks. Here is a list of the pros and cons of each to help you consider which carrier best fits your needs:
USPS
- Pros:
- Free Saturday delivery
- Affordable for small, lightweight items
- Available everywhere in the continental U.S.
- Cons:
- Prone to delays
- Not good for large packages
- Inadequate tracking
UPS
- Pros:
- Expedited shipping is faster than other methods
- Good for mailing large packages
- Great package tracking
- Cons:
- Expensive
- Not available everywhere
- No free Saturday delivery
FedEx
- Pros:
- Good package tracking
- Offers specialty shipping for frozen or perishable goods
- Free Saturday delivery
- Cons:
- Expensive
- Not available everywhere
- No free package pickup
Shipping Specialty Items
It is best to prepare the shipping method for certain specialty shipping, such as items that require cooling. If your baked goods need specialty cooling to be mailed, then your best bet is to use dry ice and frozen gel packs inside a polystyrene carrier. These materials will stay cold for a long time. One to two blocks of dry ice can stay cool for up to 24 hours or include a few more to last up to 4 days. Shipping these items overnight can also be helpful. Marking the box "fragile" can help guide carriers when handling the box, while marking it "Perishable" will let the person receiving it know to open it right away.
Run A "Test Batch"
A good way to determine the delivery state of fragile baked goods when mailed is to do a test run. You can package your test batch as you would an official order to get an idea of which packing practices work. You can also try shipping that box to either your home, a family member, or friend's address to see if they hold up during delivery. If the test run isn't up to your standards, you can consider switching up your packaging method.
Another good tip is to reach out to loyal customers to see if they'd be interested in the test run. That way, not only do you still get to try out your shipping method, but it can also make them more likely to place another delivery order in the future. Just be sure to notify them beforehand that it is a test run, in case there are unexpected results.
Tips For Prepping Goods To Ship
While the actual packaging portion of shipping treats is important, a lot goes into preparing baked goods to be shipped. From ingredient substitutions to how to ensure your items stay intact, below are some tips for prepping your desserts to be mailed:
- If you are packaging items the same day as you are baking them, make sure your baked goods have cooled completely before packing them.
- A good tip is to freeze baked goods before shipping them. This ensures that they stay fresh for longer, making it more difficult for them to break in transit.
- Unfrosted baked goods are preferable for shipping, due to the perishable nature of the butter and eggs in most frostings.
- Using invert sugar instead of regular sugar in your recipes helps retain moisture and keeps items fresher for longer.
- If you're shipping items with more than one flavor, consider keeping them separate when packaging so that flavors don't blend.
- Substituting vegetable oil for butter in your recipes helps keep your treats safe to eat for longer.
You're Ready To Ship Your Baked Goods!
The continuing growth of online markets can be exciting, especially when it comes to baked goods. When shipping desserts from your bakery, pastry shop, or other foodservice establishment, it's important to have a method that works best for you and your customers. That way your delicious creations can be ready for delivery and enjoyed by people around the country.
