It would be extremely valuable to have a "Can Be Nested" option within the product dimensions setup to improve the accuracy of cubic shipping calculations.
Many products, such as party hats, cups, bowls, buckets, containers, tubs, baskets and similar items, can be stacked or nested inside one another. Under the current calculation method, each additional item increases the cubic dimensions by 100% of its individual size, which can significantly overestimate the final parcel dimensions when multiple quantities are purchased.
Example
Plastic Construction Party Hat
- Length: 0.20m
- Width: 0.25m
- Height: 0.12m
If a customer purchases 20 hats, Neto currently calculates the height as:
20 × 0.12m = 2.40m high
In reality, the hats can be nested together. A product setting could allow merchants to specify:
☑ Can Be Nested
Additional height per item: 0.02m
The calculation would then become:
0.12m + (19 × 0.02m) = 0.50m high
Resulting packed dimensions:
- Length: 0.20m
- Width: 0.25m
- Height: 0.50m
This would provide significantly more accurate cubic calculations, shipping quotes, carton packing outcomes and carrier rates for products that naturally stack or nest together.
This Matters -
This issue doesn't just affect shipping accuracy—it can directly impact conversion rates and sales.
When cubic calculations are significantly overestimated, customers can be presented with shipping costs that are substantially higher than the actual freight cost. In many cases this can lead to cart abandonment before the merchant even has an opportunity to review the order or offer an alternative solution.
As freight costs continue to rise, accurate cubic calculations are becoming increasingly important. Merchants selling stackable, nestable or interlocking products are particularly affected, as the current calculation assumes every additional item increases volume by the full dimensions of the product.
Business Benefits
A "Can Be Nested" option would:
- Reduce abandoned carts caused by inflated shipping costs.
- Reduce support enquiries from customers questioning freight charges.
- Improve the accuracy of shipping calculations across carrier integrations.
- Improve rates returned by carriers such as Australia Post, StarTrack, Couriers Please and other freight providers.
- Reduce the need for merchants to artificially understate product dimensions in an attempt to compensate for over-calculation.
- Improve customer confidence at checkout by presenting more realistic shipping costs.
- Increase conversion rates by reducing unnecessary freight cost barriers.
Industries That Would Benefit
While this example uses party supplies, the benefit extends across many industries, including:
- Hospitality (cups, containers, food packaging)
- Retail (baskets, tubs, storage products)
- Homewares
- Packaging suppliers
- Hardware (buckets, pots, containers)
- Promotional products
- Event and party supplies
- Warehouse and storage products
Suggested Implementation
Even a basic implementation would provide substantial value. Merchants could simply tick a "Can Be Nested" checkbox and specify an additional height per item value that is added for each extra unit purchased.
This would provide a practical and flexible solution without requiring complex cartonisation rules, while delivering significantly more accurate cubic calculations.
Accurate freight calculations are no longer a "nice to have" feature. For many merchants they directly influence checkout conversion rates, customer satisfaction and profitability.
A nesting option would solve a long-standing limitation in product-based cubic calculations and provide immediate value across multiple industries.
In some cases, the current calculation can return freight costs several times higher than the actual packed shipment, resulting in lost sales despite the merchant having stock available and competitive shipping rates.
