Get perishable shipping tips from a seasoned peer
Posted April 2025
Shipping food, flowers, or other perishables can be tricky. Don’t sweat it! Fahim Mojawalla is here to help you ship with confidence.
Fahim and his wife Seema are the owners of Island Ship Center in Niagara Falls, NY. They’ve been in business for 19 years, and they offer FedEx® services and packing guidance. They’re especially busy shipping perishables for Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and June graduations. Fahim also stays busy with his second business, Aym High Consultants.
Fahim said his biggest perishable shipping challenge—and achievement—was shipping a chocolate train to Atlanta in August.
Follow these 4 tips and you too can master the art (and science) of shipping perishables.
1. Stay educated and up to date
Whether you’re on your own or have team members, never stop learning. For example, hold a group session on packing techniques or take an online quality control course.
“We make sure we invest in training,” Fahim said. “And I tell my team, even if you’re 99% sure about something, still call my wife or me to double-check. Ego is not the amigo.”
2. Build trust with your customers
You’re not just shipping perishables—you’re building trust. Events such as births, weddings, and funerals are emotional times. When your customers can count on you to deliver, it keeps them coming back.
Fahim remembers a customer who shipped flowers to Texas for her mom’s funeral. She now recommends Fahim to everyone she knows. “I had one small window of opportunity to help her make a memory. It mattered that it was done with empathy and collaboration.”
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3. Prep for a successful journey
Fahim suggests looking at your history of perishable shipping, so you can plan for summer months or busy holidays. Other tips from Fahim:
Stock up on ice packs.
Always mark packages with yellow “perishables” stickers.
Some areas have banned foam packing materials, so check your state and local regulations before using them.
4. Let social media followers know
Post content about perishable shipping before holidays like Easter and Mother’s Day. “Get permission from customers to show images of real shipments, rather than using stock photos,” Fahim said. “And only share them after the deliveries.”
You can find social media content to customize on FASCnet.
Preserve product quality and customer loyalty
When your customers trust you, they’ll be happy to hand over their perishable shipments. Follow these tips to position yourself as an expert and get new business. You may soon have a story that trumps Fahim’s chocolate train!