Delivery is both a conversion lever and a margin risk. UK shoppers are used to fast, cheap and tracked delivery, and they compare your options with the last big retailer they bought from. These are the settings that decide which way it goes.
Which carriers to offer
| Option | Typical carriers | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Economy | Royal Mail, Evri | Small, light parcels and price-sensitive baskets |
| Tracked / next day | Royal Mail Tracked 24, DPD | Higher-value orders, gifts, a predictable delivery window |
| Lockers and pickup shops | InPost lockers, Evri ParcelShops and similar networks | Customers who are out during the day |
| Large items | DPD, Parcelforce or a pallet service | Furniture, bulky homeware |
Two or three options are enough. Each extra choice adds a decision at checkout without adding much conversion.
Labels and integration
Shopify Shipping offers discounted labels with selected UK carriers — check which are available on your account. Otherwise a shipping app or the carrier's own integration takes the order, creates the label and writes the tracking number back to Shopify. Lockers usually need an app that shows a map at checkout.
Zones and rates in Shopify
- Under Settings → Shipping and delivery, create zones: UK mainland, Highlands and Islands, Northern Ireland, and international.
- Many carriers charge more for the Highlands and Islands; set those rates by postcode rather than absorbing the difference everywhere.
- Jersey and Guernsey are outside the UK VAT area: parcels need customs data, and VAT is not charged in the same way.
- Use a separate shipping profile for oversized or fragile products.
- A cart message such as “£8 away from free delivery” is one of the most reliable ways to raise order value.
The delivery promise
Show the order cut-off time and the expected delivery date on the product page, not only at checkout. “Order by 2 pm for next-day delivery” answers the question most shoppers ask before they add to cart.
Free delivery threshold
Set it roughly 15–25% above your current average order value. Too low gives margin away; too high feels out of reach. Review it each quarter, because average order value moves.
Returns
Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations, consumers have 14 days from delivery to cancel, then 14 days to send the goods back. You refund within 14 days of receiving them or proof of return, including the standard delivery charge. Say clearly who pays for the return, and a prepaid label or a returns portal will cut support requests.
Shipping abroad
For the EU, register for IOSS and use DDP above €150 — see Shopify Markets for UK brands selling into the EU. For the US, every parcel is now dutiable — see selling to the US from the UK. VAT on delivery charges is covered in VAT for UK Shopify stores.
Shipping setup is part of every Shopify store setup we deliver.