Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I know there is no easy answer to this question, but shipping costs are eating me alive.  Customers want free or very low shipping, but they have no idea what that means for small online retail stores.  Not everyone (especially not the "mom & pop" stores) can be like Zappos.com. 

If you're a small online retailer, how do you deal with shipping costs and still remain competitive?  It would be nice if I can charge customers the FULL cost of shipping plus packing materials, time, etc, but I know that's not realistic.... :)