Arrow Electronics - Shipping no longer Free

[somnif]

Just as the title says, it appears that the good times have ended.

Such a shame, guess I'll return to using Mouser's competent search function now .

[Leevibe]

I wouldn't give up hope. I think the free shipping is something that comes and goes. Yeah, Mouser is an easier search.

[BrianS]

You get free ground at $20 and free overnight at $50.  That's still not a bad deal.  Not hard to get a $20 order.  I guess they finally figured out they were paying more for shipping materials than shipping costs lol.  Gone are the days of getting one cap shipped free .

[pickdropper]

You get free ground at $20 and free overnight at $50.  That's still not a bad deal.  Not hard to get a $20 order.  I guess they finally figured out they were paying more for shipping materials than shipping costs lol.  Gone are the days of getting one cap shipped free .

Realistically, free shipping under $20 is totally unsustainable anyway.  Add $8 worth of packing material and it's definitely not a recipe for success.  ;-)

[BrianS]

Totally with you on that.  I'll miss getting the large packing paper.  It was useful for several other things.

[pickdropper]

Totally with you on that.  I'll miss getting the large packing paper.  It was useful for several other things.

$20 isn't too high of a bar.  I'm sure I'll still get some giant boxes full of packing paper and a handful of parts.  ;-)

[somnif]

I just see absolutely no reason to shop there anymore. I've made a dozen orders, the largest of which was 15$. If all things are held equal now, I will just shop at Mouser. Better search function, larger selection, and now the same shipping price.

I know it makes sense, but it still makes me sad. I enjoyed not having bouts of anxiety dread when I only needed 4$ worth of parts  .

[dan.schumaker]

Last week I made a $0.22 order with free shipping.  That was amazing, it can't be sustainable, but I definitely took advantage of it.

[Leevibe]

A while back I talked with a rep for a while and they are aware that they lose money on those small single orders but they have a diverse customer base and it sounded like they were kind of experimenting with different incentives for their customers. I told him that I thought it was great for guys like us who often need a single part, a hard to find part, or small quantities and that it was what made me choose them over Mouser despite Mouser's better search function. He told me they didn't know how long the free shipping would last but that it would probably come and go as a promotion.

I would say having the free shipping worked in terms of them establishing themselves in my mind as a great supplier. I've experienced really great service and super fast shipping. I like their selection and I don't mind getting follow-up phone calls from sales reps who give me the impression that my feedback matters. I know some people get annoyed by those calls but I feel like it's my chance to represent hobbyists and help keep our options open. Anyone who does this longer than one or two pedals will easily be putting in those $20+ orders anyway. I think they are working on their search engine too. Can't remember if their rep told me that or if I heard that here.

[pickdropper]

A while back I talked with a rep for a while and they are aware that they lose money on those small single orders but they have a diverse customer base and it sounded like they were kind of experimenting with different incentives for their customers. I told him that I thought it was great for guys like us who often need a single part, a hard to find part, or small quantities and that it was what made me choose them over Mouser despite Mouser's better search function. He told me they didn't know how long the free shipping would last but that it would probably come and go as a promotion.

I would say having the free shipping worked in terms of them establishing themselves in my mind as a great supplier. I've experienced really great service and super fast shipping. I like their selection and I don't mind getting follow-up phone calls from sales reps who give me the impression that my feedback matters. I know some people get annoyed by those calls but I feel like it's my chance to represent hobbyists and help keep our options open. Anyone who does this longer than one or two pedals will easily be putting in those $20+ orders anyway. I think they are working on their search engine too. Can't remember if their rep told me that or if I heard that here.

Agreed.  Even if you only really need one part, it's easy enough to add a dozen or two of the commonly used opamps, or 100 diodes, or anything that is part of the standard kit.  Over time, it builds up and those 1 piece orders become less common.