How to Set Up Shipping for a Clothing Store on Shopify
Shipping quietly makes or breaks a clothing store's margins and conversion. Set it up wrong and you either scare shoppers off at checkout or lose money on every order. Here's a simple, sensible shipping setup for a new apparel store on Shopify.
Shipping Setup Steps
| Step | What to set | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Zones | Domestic + any regions you serve | Accurate rates |
| Rates | Flat, weight-based, or carrier-calculated | Cover cost without scaring buyers |
| Free-shipping threshold | Set above your average order value | Lifts AOV, protects margin |
| Returns | Clear policy + easy exchanges | Confidence to buy |
Notes
Pick one rate model and keep it simple. Flat-rate shipping is easiest for a new store and easiest for shoppers to understand. Weight-based or carrier-calculated rates are more accurate but add complexity — start simple and refine as you learn your real costs.
Use a free-shipping threshold, not blanket free shipping. Free shipping converts, but eating it on every order kills margin. Set a threshold just above your average order value (e.g. 'free shipping over $75') — it lifts AOV and protects your margins at once.
Plan returns into your shipping, not after. Apparel gets returned, mostly for size. A clear returns policy and an easy exchange flow reassure first-time buyers — and cutting wrong-size returns with a size chart directly lowers your return-shipping costs.
Show shipping cost early. Surprise shipping at checkout is a top reason carts get abandoned. Show rates (or your free-shipping threshold) on product and cart pages so there are no nasty surprises.
FAQs
How do I set up shipping for a clothing store on Shopify?
Set your shipping zones (domestic plus any regions you serve), choose a rate model (flat rate is simplest to start), add a free-shipping threshold just above your average order value, and pair it with a clear returns/exchange policy. Show shipping cost early to avoid checkout surprises.
Should I offer free shipping?
Use a free-shipping threshold rather than blanket free shipping. Set it just above your average order value (e.g. 'free over $75') so it lifts average order value and protects margin instead of eating it on every order.
How does shipping relate to returns?
Apparel returns cost you return shipping, and most are wrong-size. Cutting size-related returns with a size chart or fit recommender directly lowers your shipping costs, so plan returns into your setup from the start.
Need this on your store?
Tailor Size Guide ships pre-built size charts for Shopify.