3 Packaging Mistakes You Might Be Making

Are you making mistakes when it comes to the packaging your company uses? When done right, your packaging should represent your brand and keep your items secure during transit. When done incorrectly, however, you might lose out on profit.

If you’re faced with customer complaints, damaged products, and frequent refunds, it’s time to re-evaluate your shipping and packaging strategy. There are three major mistakes that companies tend to make in purchasing their protective packaging supplies. Here’s how to avoid them.

1. Using Wrong Sizes

If you’re using boxes that aren’t sized to fit the items you’re selling, you could be setting yourself up for failure. Not only will you need to spend more on protective packaging to fill the void inside each box, but having a lot of additional space also means that the item is more prone to being jostled during shipping, protective packaging or not.

It’s important to use boxes that are the appropriate size for the items you’re trying to sell, even if that means investing in multiple box sizes to fit the variety of products you offer. Items should fit securely in their box with just enough void-fill to cushion any possible impact.

Check Your Bubble, Too

It’s not just your boxes that could be the wrong size; your bubble could be wrong for what you’re trying to ship, too. When we talk about bubble size, we mean the size of the individual bubbles themselves. At Premier Protective Packaging, we carry bubble sizes from as small as 1/8-inch to as large as 1/2-inch. 

2. Not Enough Protective Packaging

If you’re only using the bare minimum amount of packaging, there’s a good chance your items aren’t being properly protected during transit. It’s not enough to toss an item into a box full of packing peanuts. Items should be individually wrapped and secured so they will not break, chip, or scratch during shipping.

Protective packaging isn’t one-size-fits-all. You should have slightly different packing methods for each different item you offer in order to ensure that nothing arrives damaged. The investment you spend up front on packaging will pay for itself considering what you’ll save on replacing damaged goods.

It’s not always obvious how much packaging your products need. Our protective packaging manufacturers would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.

3. Too Much Packaging

On the other hand, overdoing it in the packaging department can also be an issue. Using too much packaging is wasteful, and your customers will likely notice. Consumers are increasingly speaking out against companies with wasteful packaging practices, and you don’t want yours to be next.

The solution is to use packaging wisely. Use what you need to keep your items safe, and use eco-friendly packing materials when you can. Our spunbond polypropylene, packing foam, bubble, and other protective packaging materials are all recyclable. To go the extra mile, you could even mention on your product page that packaging is recyclable, and encourage your customers to reuse it.

Find the Solution to Your Packaging Problems

If you’re not sure what type of packaging would work best for your company, our Grand Rapids, MI, protective packaging suppliers can help. We have more than 15 years of experience in manufacturing protective packaging for clients around the globe. Call Premier Protective Packaging at (616) 791-7400 today, or contact us online for more details about how to order.

This blog post has been updated.