Case Study: Sunglasses Internationale

www.endicia.com1-800-576-3279 ext. 140

Sunglasses Retailer Gets Rid of Private Carrier "Junk Fees"

In 2005, it became glaringly obvious to Paul Primeaux, owner of Sunglasses

Internationale, that using DYMO Endicia and the U.S. Postal Service® was the

ideal solution to his shipping needs versus private carriers. The only downside

was that he wished he’d had his eyes opened to the cost savings when he

began his online sunglasses store in 1996.

Background

When asked how he chose sunglasses to sell online, Primeaux mentioned that as a U.S. Coast Guard licensed captain, one of

the necessities for being out on the ocean is a good pair of sunglasses. As he started thinking about opening an online

business, he realized that there were lots of other professions and recreational activities where sunglasses were practically

required accessories, just like boating. That vision has proved true if his business success is any measure.

Besides his initial customers of boaters and outdoor sports enthusiasts, Primeaux’s patrons have expanded to the general

public and even to celebrities. “If you see a photo of a rock star wearing sunglasses, there’s a pretty good chance they bought

them from us,” Primeaux proudly states.

DYMO Endicia’s Role

When he began his online business, Primeaux primarily used private carriers to ship the dozens of brands of sunglasses he

sold from his Florida home.

More and more, however, he thought he was seeing double when he looked at the surcharges, or “junk fees,” as he called

them, that the private carriers were billing him at the end of each month.

“I stopped using them out of frustration,” Primeaux continues. “First, it was a residential delivery charge. Then, it was an

extended delivery charge. Then it was the signature con�rmation charge. Then a fuel surcharge----there was no end to it,” he

exclaims. It �nally got to the point where the cost of shipping was equal to the price of the product. That’s when he began

seriously looking for other options.

No hidden surcharges with U.S. Postal Service

www.endicia.com

© 2010 PSI Systems, Inc. DYMO and the DYMO logo are trademarks orregistered trademarks of Sanford LP or its a�liates. Endicia and EndiciaProfessional are trademarks or registered trademarks of PSI Systems, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

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December 2010

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In 2005, he found Endicia.com while searching the Internet for less costly and more e�cient shipping options, “I’m always researching,

trying to �nd a better way to do business,” Primeaux adds. When he considered that most of his product shipments weighed under one

pound and when he compared costs, using DYMO Endicia and the U.S. Postal Service made perfect business sense to him.

When he investigated DYMO Endicia’s online postage options further, he became very excited at the ability to print both shipping

labels and postage right from his company’s desktop PC. DYMO Endicia also allowed him to print labels in a variety of options and

delivery methods. While Primeaux is now an old pro using DYMO Endicia, this wasn’t always the case. He appreciated how DYMO

Endicia’s software guided him through label and postage options when he was getting started.

In the last three years, Primeaux has done a complete about-face and now uses online postage to ship 85% of his product. While DYMO

Endicia o�ers a selection of plans, Primeaux uses their Professional Plan because of its versatility. With DYMO Endicia ProfessionalTM he

can process shipments one order at a time or in a batch, and can get lower USPS rates—domestic or international—many of which are

only available for PC postage users.

In addition, DYMO Endicia Professional allows him to synch his orders directly from his customer database. It also lets him print

shipping labels with discount parcel insurance and electronic Delivery Con�rmation™. On days with large amounts of orders going out

the door, Primeaux has the option of calling the Post O�ceTM and providing a bulk SCAN when a postal carrier comes to pick up his

orders rather than taking his outgoing orders to the Post O�ce himself. Among the other factors Primeaux liked about Endicia when

�rst trying them out was that there were no minimum requirements, no certi�cation, and no lengthy setup.

The Future

While the recent economy has been unsteady, Primeaux says

business has been good for him. In addition to the online store,

Sunglasses Internationale has had a brick and mortar operation

for 11 years, which is also very successful. One of the reasons for

his success is that Primeaux o�ers styles from every major sports

sunglasses manufacturer. And while business has grown, Prime-

aux knows that by using the U.S. Postal Services and DYMO

Endicia, his shipping costs will remain stable and won’t rise along

with his growing customer base, allowing him to be competitive.

U.S. Postal Service® and Post O�ce™ are among the many trademarks of the United States Postal Service.