QUICK HIT: Shipping Rates on the Rise

Some expensive news for 'Net retailers came out last week - FedEx indicated it will increase shipping rates next year.

Retailers can expect a 3.9 percent average increase at FedEx air shipping Express division and 4.9 percent for its ground and home-delivery services.

The shipping giant is not alone is raising its prices, of course. United Parcel Service (UPS) recently indicated it would raise rates by 4.9 percent to pay for its own system upgrades and expansion.

Retailers are also preparing for changes coming in early 2017 which will affect the cost of shipping. Starting in February, FedEx also will adjust its fuel surcharges weekly instead of monthly, reducing the lag time between U.S. government fuel index changes and its surcharge adjustments to two weeks from two months.

Pete Prestipino

Digital marketing executive with proven experience in all aspects of search engine optimization (SEO), performance-based advertising, consumer-generated/social media, email marketing, lead generation, Web design, usability, and analytics. - 20-year Internet marketing veteran, currently serving as the Digital Marketing Campaign Manager at Antenna Group (formerly Chicago Digital). - Former Editor-In-Chief of Website Magazine, and a regular speaker on Web technology digital marketing strategy - Author of several books on digital marketing Including Web 360: The Fundamentals of Web Success; Affiliate 360: The Fundamentals of Performance Marketing; Domains 360: The Fundamentals of Buying & Selling Domain Names, and SEO 360: The Fundamentals of Search Engine Optimization.