With the e-commerce industry becoming increasingly popular in recent years, many small businesses need to be efficient with their packaging methods to reach customer fulfillment. Regardless of whether you have an established packaging routine or are building a new one, you should ensure the success of your packaging system. So familiarize yourself with the essential packaging supplies for e-commerce retailers.
Bubble Mailers
When your e-commerce business makes and sells items that aren’t fragile or breakable, such as clothes, you won’t need the protection of a corrugated box. Bubble mailers are cost-effective, and you can choose between a variety of hues to make your packages look more personalized.
Corrugated Boxes
If your business sells fragile items, such as beer glasses, you’ll need a more rigid material to keep the glass safe and free from damage during transport. Corrugated boxes work perfectly for this. But do try to keep the weight down by using the smallest box possible. Otherwise, it’ll cost your business unnecessary shipping costs.
Packing Materials
Packing materials is critical because it prevents your products from experiencing wear and tear from moving around inside the mailer or box. Excellent packing materials include bubble wrap, kraft paper, airbags, biodegradable packing peanuts, etc. Remember, don’t add excess packing material to your products. Otherwise, it’ll increase the weight of the package. Only add what’s necessary to protect the item inside.
Shipping Labels
It’s pointless to package an item without a shipping label because it tells the courier where the package is going and can indicate whether an item is fragile or not. However, the dos and don’ts of e-commerce packaging suggest not advertising on the label what’s inside the package. If it’s too clear what the package contains, the risk of the package ending up stolen amid transit or from your porch increases. This is because it tells the person exactly what they’re stealing. Stick with generic labels and only print the necessary information on them.
Printer Paper
After you receive an online order, most businesses print the invoice on a sheet of paper to include with the package. So the customer can review it to ensure everything from their order is there. You may also use printer paper for packing lists and other business documents.
Packing Tape
Packing tape is an essential packaging supply for e-commerce retailers because it ensures the box is sealed shut and enclosed. Even if you don’t use boxes, you can still use packing tape on the bubble mailers to enforce the seal.
Whether you’re new to starting a small e-commerce business or you’ve been in the game for a while now, it doesn’t help to brush up on your knowledge of the packaging items you could use for your business. The items above provide a great starting point for shipping your products to customers. You can always add more, such as packing inserts or business cards, as your e-commerce retailer grows.
