Sometimes appearances matter. The packaging you ship your products in can help you connect with customers. The right packaging can boost your product’s perceived value and show customers you care about presentation.
Good product packaging has led to a slew of “unboxing videos,” in which people share their excitement over receiving a well-packaged product (check out YouTube’s top 15 unboxing channels here). Unknown. Your product could go viral with the right packaging.
Here are 12 shipping packages to consider.
1. Corrugated Boxes
Corrugated boxes are cardboard; they’re what your Nike sneakers come in. 95% of North American consumer goods are shipped in this packaging. Different corrugated cardboard types affect the box’s durability and strength. “Flutes” are the waves you see in some cardboard (flutes are found between liner boards, which are glued on top and bottom).
Larger flutes provide better cushioning and compression resistance. Be sure the product you’re shipping fits the corrugated box’s flute size. Multiple flutes are often used to strengthen corrugated boxes.
2. Paperboard Boxes
Lightweight and durable folding paperboard boxes. Custom structures can be cut and shaped. If you have time, personalise your packaging. Paperboard boxes:
SBS-boxes. Clay-coated paperboard boxes with a smooth top ply of bleached virgin hardwood are great for custom-printed packages. SBS boxes are used for frozen, wet, meat, dairy, bakery, medical, and cosmetic products.
Kraft boxes unbleached (CUK). CUK boxes are eco-friendly but less moisture-resistant, and customers like their natural look. Long pine fibres make CUK boxes ideal for soft drinks, beer, laundry detergents, and hardware. Sustainable packaging? GBB blog.
Paperboard recycled. Clay improved printing on recycled paperboard. This box is used by eCommerce sellers of paper products and dry foods like pasta and cereal.
Chipboard. Chipboard is recycled paperboard. Too lightweight for heavy items. In high-moisture storage, the chipboard expands and discolours.
3. Paper Bags
Paper bags are a grocery store staple for these reasons. Eco-friendly consumers prefer paper over plastic, so companies can highlight their green credentials.
4. Rigid Boxes
Luxury brands use this branded packaging. Tiffany & Co. jewellery, Jimmy Choo shoes, and the latest iPhones are usually inside.
What distinguishes these boxes? Rigid boxes are made from four times thicker paperboard than standard. They’re non-collapsible, making them costly to use and ship.
Small eCommerce businesses may not be ready for a rigid box, but it’s a worthy goal.
5. Bottle & Cap
Cosmetics, lotions, or creams? Maybe you’re into drugs. Bottle-and-cap packaging is best. They’re convenient for manufacturers and end-users and inexpensive in bulk. The right fulfilment centre can also label bottles.
6. Plastic
Plastic boxes, if airtight, can preserve food quality and reduce contamination. Flexible, lightweight, and coatable to improve appearance. Plastic boxes are cheap and recyclable, so cost-conscious companies like them.
Shippers use five plastic types:
Polyester (PET) (Polyethylene terephthalate). PET bottles are transparent, glossy, and tough.
HDPE is hard, tough, and waxy.
LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene) makes tough packaging and sandwich bags.
This hard, lightweight plastic makes bottle caps, drink cups, and auto parts. Shipments aren’t damaged.
PS (Polystyrene) – Single-use food containers and insulated packaging
7. Poly Bags
It’s a pouch or plastic bag. It’s a thin, flexible plastic film fabric. Wrapped around food, flowers, chemicals, magazines, etc.
Why poly bags? Lightweight and flexible, they reduce shipping costs. If your product design has multiple sizes, a poly bag may work.
8. Foil-Sealed Bags
You’ve seen these before—they’re used to keep coffee, cheese, and cured meats fresh, increase shelf life, and reduce bacteria contamination. Oxygen is sucked out of foil-sealed bags to keep the fabric tight. It’s not the cheapest packaging option, but it may be necessary.
9. Cotton
The world’s most popular textile can be packaged. Eco-friendly brands deliver their products in cotton bags. Cotton is used for premium products like jewellery, glassware, and high-end clothing because it’s soft and projects quality. Reusable, it’s eco-friendly. Cotton packaging can be dyed and branded easily. The material lacks environmental protection.
10. Jute
Jute, also known as burlap, is 100% biodegradable and recyclable. This fibre can be printed and coloured like cotton. It’s not premium like cotton, but it’s cheaper and has a “thick skin,” so it can take more punishment. It’s used to package coffee sacks and artisanal soaps.
11. Envelopes & Bubble Mailers
Sending many packages? Use envelopes and bubble mailers. This low-cost packaging option can be customised with branding and colours and offers many configurations (card-backed varieties don’t bend, while peal-and-seal gummed varieties offer good security). Bubble mailers protect fragile items without boxes and dunnage (interior wrapping such as peanuts, airbags, egg crates, etc)
12. Dunnage
What about interior packaging? Dunnage protects products from the inside. Optional.
Kleenex. Tissue paper is lightweight, cheap, and branded to stand out.
A/C. Packaging pillows. These pillow rolls can be wrapped around a product or used individually. Styrofoam. Styrofoam (95%) is an insulator and shock absorber. Cheap, lightweight Styrofoam prevents shipping damage.
Paperboard. Crumpled brown paper can pack a product. Imagine discarded newspapers. Kraft paper is recyclable and durable (it just resists moisture and heat poorly).
Foil. Well-known dunnage. Bubble wrap is polyethene film air cushioning. It protects items when wrapped or stuffed into a box and resists moisture.
Plastiques. This thermoformed polypropylene is flexible but rigid. It’s moldable, so it’s used to secure product accessories.
Custom Packaging with The Fulfillment Lab
Boxes, boxes, boxes! The Fulfillment Lab can help you improve customer experience through customized packaging if you’re too busy. Our customized order fulfilment service combines fulfilment and marketing to improve the customer experience.
Our customize packaging strategy uses customer data to personalize every delivery. We use the Custom CBD Boxes are right for your customers and budget, creating an affordable presentation. We can add coupons, flyers, inserts, and more.
The Fulfillment Lab offers small-business custom packaging. We’re reachable.
