We worried that the membership programs that involved an annual fee for free standard shipping or for free two-day shipping would encourage customers to purchase fewer items per order. This would not generate enough money to cover shipping costs, which meant it would not be sustainable. Unsustainable growth at any cost was definitely not the customer behavior we were after. Review meetings often ended when someone asked, “Wouldn’t the money be better spent on lowering prices and improving In Stock for customers?”
