As a small business owner, ensuring your products reach customers in perfect condition is crucial for maintaining a positive reputation and encouraging repeat business. With Forbes recently reporting that up 52% of online shoppers are buying items both locally and internationally, it’s crucial to make sure whatever you’re shipping will get to its intended destination in one piece.

Why is effective packaging important?

Whether you're shipping fragile items or durable goods, proper packaging can protect your products from damage, and create a great first impression for your customers.

Making sure items are packaged properly also helps you save money on shipping replacements, and arranging refunds for damaged items. In all, the better protected your products are, and the less often they arrive damaged, the better for your brand’s reputation. Well packaged products are another way of showing you care what customers think, as well as their experience with your brand and products.

Understand your products

Assess the fragility of your items and make decisions from here. Fragile items such as glassware, electronics, ceramics, and delicate crafts will of course need extra protection due to their likelihood of breaking on impact or due to pressure in transit. Cushion these items using packaging options like bubble wrap, foam inserts, and double-walled boxes to minimise the effects of high impact shipping.

Meanwhile, items like clothing, books, and toys are more resilient. Of course, they still need decent packaging to avoid attracting dirt, moisture, and other minor damages in transit. However, cardboard or plastic mailing bags, or single-wall boxes with minimal cushioning is probably enough here.

Size and weight

The heaviness and size of your items will also play a factor in how you package them. For example, heavier items need sturdier boxes, and extra padding to avoid movement. Equally lighter items may also need extra cushioning to keep them in place. 

Choose the right packaging materials

Once you’ve established what your items might need in the way of padding and protection for their journey, you can start looking at more specific packaging options.

Boxes

Corrugated Cardboard Boxes are the industry standard for shipping due to their strength and versatility. They come in various sizes and are suitable for all kinds of products. Other options include single-walled boxes for lightweight to midweight items, and double-walled boxes for more sturdiness and protection for extra fragile items.

To save yourself money, consider getting exact measurements and requirements for your products with custom boxes to save spending on extra padding materials.

Cushioning & wrapping

In some cases, it will be necessary to include extra padding and wrapping to ensure more fragile items arrive safely in one piece. Below we have listed out some options to consider.

Bubble wrap

Ideal for wrapping around fragile items, and available in biodegradable and eco-friendly varieties, bubble wrap is a popular choice. Make sure you go for the right bubble size, too — small bubbles for lightweight items, larger bubbles for heavier or more delicate items.

Packing peanuts

These can be used to fill empty spaces in the box, preventing items from shifting or moving around too much. Biodegradable options are also available for eco-friendly businesses.

Foam sheets and inserts

For any fragile electronics or items with sharp edges, provide additional cushioning and support. Custom foam inserts can also be tailored to fit your product's shape if it’s a little unusual.

Air pillows

Lightweight and easy to use, air pillows are excellent for filling gaps and providing cushioning without adding significant weight.

Tissue paper

Tissue can be both decorative and functional, adding a layer of protection against scratches and scuffs, while also adding a touch of luxury to the unboxing experience.

Shrink wrap

Shrink wrap can help secure items together, preventing them from moving within the box, and useful for bundling items together. It can also be used to protect products from dust and moisture.

📚 Bookmark for later: A Guide to Sustainable Packaging Materials for Small Business Owners

Get stuck in

Seal and label everything up with high-quality packing tape that sticks well to the cardboard packaging you’re using and can withstand the stress of shipping. Reinforced packing tape, or tape that’s marked ‘Fragile’ is a must-have in your packing supply cupboard.

As for labels, make sure they’re legible and properly fixed to the package. Make sure all the essential info is included such as the proper address, a return address and tracking numbers where necessary.

Get packing

Once you’ve effectively scoped out your options and test-run your packaging, it’s time to get it set up. Consider sending your customers feedback forms to fill out to see what they think.

Using eco-friendly packaging? Shout about it, and let your customers know on your socials, website, and marketing materials. Highlighting this clearly signals your company ethics and values in a way that shows you care about making a difference.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more business inspiration, and check out our guides below on sustainability in retail.

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