Holiday shopping in Alaska can be complicated, especially if you’re somebody who buys gifts online. That’s because it’s difficult to find retailers who ship to Alaska. This leaves consumers to find alternative methods for shipping holiday gifts to Alaska. Luckily, MyConnect, Carlile’s retail package forwarding to Alaska service, is here to help.
Not All Retailers Ship to Alaska
Many online and brick-and-mortar retailers won’t/don’t ship to Alaska because of complex shipping logistics associated with packaging requirements and/or irregular shipment sizes. Retailers accommodating shipments to Alaska often have higher shipping costs associated with purchases.
Retailers may choose not to offer shipping to Alaska for several reasons:
Uncertainty with Large Items
Retailers unsure how to manage the logistics of large items often avoid shipping them to Alaska altogether. The potential for unexpected delays and customer service complications makes them hesitant to commit.
Lack of Expertise in Shipping to Alaska
Retailers typically employ sales and customer service staff focused on standard shipping procedures. Shipping to Alaska falls outside standard practices, with high costs, size restrictions, and unfamiliarity. As a result, many retailers struggle to handle it efficiently.
Shipping Time Uncertainties
Packages often take longer to reach Alaska because of its remote location and the complexity of moving goods from the lower 48 to Alaska. Retailers may avoid shipping here due to potential delivery delays, increased costs, and the risk of dissatisfied customers.
Potential Methods of Transport
There are several potential methods for shipping holiday gifts to Alaska, each with its own timeframe. There is no direct rail option to Alaska. All rail terminates in Seattle for barge movement to Alaska, which can take up to two weeks to reach the destination.
Shipping via air can happen overnight while shipping over the road (using team drivers) can take a few days. Shipping via container ship from the port of Tacoma to the port of Anchorage usually takes about four days.
Pricing Complications and Customer Impact
Shipping costs to Alaska are often unpredictable, adding complexity for both retailers and customers:
- Quoting Difficulties: Retailers struggle to quote accurate shipping costs in advance, as carriers charge based on weight or cubic size. Without the product, it’s challenging to predict final shipping costs.
- International Shipping Fees: Despite Alaska being part of the U.S., some retailers charge international shipping fees to cover the additional delivery costs. These fees can deter Alaskan customers from completing purchases.
- Misunderstandings About Alaska’s Location: Retailers often confuse Alaska’s status within the U.S., complicating shipping policies and pricing.
The Continental vs. Contiguous United States
Retailers sometimes refer to “continental” and “contiguous” interchangeably in their shipping policies, but these terms have different meanings. The Continental United States includes all 48 contiguous states plus Alaska. The Contiguous United States refers only to the 48 physically connected states, excluding Alaska and Hawaii.
Common Confusion About Alaska in Shipping Policies
The Continental and Contiguous United States often get mixed up when shipping items to Alaska. This confusion occurs because companies lack shipping expertise and rarely receive requests to ship items to Alaska. Technically, Alaska is a part of the Continental United States. However, some retailers still confuse that with contiguous or apply international shipping fees.
When a retailer only ships to the contiguous United States, they don’t ship to Alaska (or Hawaii). This misunderstanding often leads to limited or more expensive shipping choices for Alaskan customers.
Why MyConnect Is The Solution for Mailing Holiday Gifts to Alaska
Carlile MyConnect is the perfect solution for shipping holiday gifts to Alaska – even when your favorite retailer says no!
With MyConnect, you get a special Lower 48 shipping address to use for your purchases. This allows retailers to ship your items to Carlile’s Tacoma, WA terminal. Your shipments will then be transported to Alaska for pickup at a Carlile terminal near the recipient.
How MyConnect Works
Here are the 3 simple steps for having your holiday gifts shipped to Alaska:
- Shop like normal, adding the items you want to your cart and checking out as usual.
- At checkout, you’ll enter our Tacoma shipping terminal’s information and have your order sent there.
- Once your order is shipped to the Carlile Tacoma terminal, it will be transported to your chosen terminal in Alaska. Once it has arrived, you can pick it up at your convenience.
Carlile is here to help make your holiday season a little bit easier and less stressful! By offering a solution that ships your holiday gifts to Alaska without breaking the bank.
Sign Up for MyConnect Today and Save on Shipping Holiday Gifts to Alaska
Sign up for your Carlile MyConnect account today and simplify your holiday shopping with reliable shipping logistics in Alaska. We frequently send shipping codes to help you save even more money on shipping costs.
Get started today by visiting our website or contacting our customer support specialists. Find out just how easy it is to have items from your favorite retailers like IKEA, PartsGeek, Joss & Main, RockAuto, and Wayfair shipped to Alaska.