How can I boost ecommerce profitability with shipping, fees, and returns?

[William.R]

I launched a niche ecommerce store selling curated outdoor gear six months ago, and while sales are steadily growing, my margins are being completely eroded by shipping costs, payment processing fees, and high return rates, pushing my actual ecommerce profitability into the red. I know I need to systematically address these operational costs, but I'm unsure where to start for the biggest impact. For seasoned store owners, what were the most effective strategies you implemented to improve your bottom line? I'm particularly interested in practical advice on negotiating better shipping rates as a small business, optimizing packaging to reduce dimensional weight charges, and policies that successfully minimized returns without hurting customer satisfaction.