Good Times with Arrow are over...

[dan.schumaker]

So I go to make an order with Arrow this morning.  Looks like free overnight shipping is done (for now), and they wanted to add a $12.99 handling fee for an order under $50.

Looks like that gravy train is over....

[Govmnt_Lacky]

Same thing happened when National bought out Fairchild. I used to get samples sent for work all the time for projects. Once National took over... no more free 2-day shipping on samples and ALL sample orders cost $12. Whether it was 1 piece or 10.

[Aentons]

So I go to make an order with Arrow this morning.  Looks like free overnight shipping is done (for now), and they wanted to add a $12.99 handling fee for an order under $50.

Looks like that gravy train is over....

I just got an enclosure from them with free overnight on tuesday

Edit: I tried the exact same order again and you are right, no free option.

It would be pretty funny if they didn't realize that they had been doing it this whole time and this is them "fixing the glitch"

[somnif]

Wouldn't be the first time they've nixed the free shipping, we can just hope that it comes back again.

[Bio77]

More importantly, will they still provide the same amount of shipping materials?   

This is a the package I received last week for 1 IC.  Inside the bag is ~3 feet of IC tube filled with foam.

[gtr2]

It was fun while it lasted.  There was no way they could maintain that.  It was super convenient as I sometimes really did need the overnight option for some time-sensitive work, but also pretty silly for small orders.  I will be seeing less of my favorite fed-ex driver.

[matmosphere]

More importantly, will they still provide the same amount of shipping materials?   

This is a the package I received last week for 1 IC.  Inside the bag is ~3 feet of IC tube filled with foam.

Hahahahaha

That is one of the most impressive yet!

I think Arrow did this a few years ago and it didn't last forever.

[BuGG]

Looks like shipping is still free (International Priority, and no handling charge) for orders over $50.

Not quite as good as free overnight shipping on a 35 cent part, but still reasonable at least.

[benny_profane]

I just got a trimpot earlier this week in a 5"x5" box, the trimpot mounted in foam like a ring, with foam on top as well, all stuffed in a static big. Somebody over there has to be having fun with that at least.

The drop off in orders of single box caps or ic's is definitely gonna hit their bottom line though. Let's see what happens next quarter.

I also imagine the parts jar subforum is gonna start getting a lot more requests.

[pickdropper]

I'll be the lame person and say that it *shouldn't* be free under $50.  That's a ridiculous business model and ultimately bad for the planet as it encourages people to send more boxes of one or two items (Arrow already has a problem with sending too many boxes per order).

On a related note, I met with our local Arrow reps and field engineers a couple of months ago.  At the end of the meeting, I asked about their need to send so many boxes per shipment.  They basically said that Arrow doesn't care because they have such a heavy footprint in worldwide logistics that an extra box is effectively free for them.  It's bad logic when they do it on every order (just how many extra boxes are they sending out every day), but they weren't the least bit concerned.

[benny_profane]

I'll be the lame person and say that it *shouldn't* be free under $50.  That's a ridiculous business model and ultimately bad for the planet as it encourages people to send more boxes of one or two items (Arrow already has a problem with sending too many boxes per order).

On a related note, I met with our local Arrow reps and field engineers a couple of months ago.  At the end of the meeting, I asked about their need to send so many boxes per shipment.  They basically said that Arrow doesn't care because they have such a heavy footprint in worldwide logistics that an extra box is effectively free for them.  It's bad logic when they do it on every order (just how many extra boxes are they sending out every day), but they weren't the least bit concerned.

It's interesting how the commercial logistics arrangements end up working. Ultimately I do agree with you. Throwing an extra box in the shipment leaving the distro hub (either splitting up orders or letting someone get free shipping with no minimum) may not matter to them—both in terms of their expenditures and emissions—but it certainly matters in terms of packaging waste and the impact of the 'last miles' of the delivery. The end-consumer side of things and the cumulative impact doesn't seem to factor into the main considerations.

[EBK]

Without free shipping, there's nothing to make up for their terrible website.   

(Seriously though, it is their packaging practices that give me more pause before considering placing an order.  Their terrible interface just gives me more time to reflect on my choice.)

[Invertiguy]

Oh damn, I can't say I'm surprised, but I am gonna miss it for those moments when you open up a box of parts and realize you forgot one or two things. Oh well, back to using Mouser it is, no sense dealing with their headache-inducing interface if there's no good reason for it...

[alanp]

I've often thought that, if I were a mid to high level manager there...

On day one, I would have stared in horrified shock, and then gone straight to the top boss and asked why the hell we're throwing money away.

Maybe it's 'cos my family was working class, growing up. You don't throw good things away, or waste things.