Online retailers often advertise free shipping.. but is FedEx, UPS or the post office are not delivering your goods free of charge, someone is paying them and that is you at the end of the line! For the first example lets look at a purchase of a dress shoes. It not time sensitive, it can take a week or two to get to where it needs to be and it’s still shoes. Places like the larger fashion retailer stores have warehouses around the country and the shoes are shipping using the closest warehouse and the least expensive way possible. In this case the shipping may actually be minimum, it will not eat into seller’s profit.