Shipping is one of the operations common with businesses that manufacture or handle products. In general, shipping is the transportation of goods from one location to another. With it, you could deliver goods to your customers or from a plant to a warehouse.
As a business that ships products to its clients, you need accessories to make this possible. One of these accessories is shipping boxes. As simple as an accessory a box might sound, finding the right one for your needs can be challenging due to the variety available. This begs the question, what should you consider when selecting shipping boxes for your store?
This article guides you on selecting the right one; read on.
It’d help to consider the following:
- The Size Of Your Products
Your product sizes should determine the size of the shipping boxes to buy. The products should fit appropriately in the box.
The boxes shouldn’t be too small. Otherwise, they might tear during transit, or your products could get damaged. On the other hand, if the boxes are too big, your products could move around and get damaged, especially if they’re brittle. Also, a box too big is a waste of resources since a big box is more expensive than a small one.
- The Material
The material of your shipping boxes is crucial. It determines the ability of the boxes to hold your products when rested or lifted.
Here, the number of products you pack in one box and the weight of your products should determine the thickness and type of boxes. Cardboard is often the common shipping box material you’ll find. Regarding thickness, if your products are heavy, ensure you use a box thick enough to hold your products; corrugated boxes will work best. The reverse also applies.
- The Product Type
Products differ in terms of being fragile during the shipping and delivery process. Some can get squashed during transit, like fruits and vegetables, and others break if packed next to each other, like wine bottles.
If your store handles fruits and vegetables, choose corrugated cardboard with air holes to allow ventilation. Ventilation will prevent spoilage. Also, ensure your shipping box has a tray inside for extra support.
Be sure to choose shipping boxes with partitions if you handle glass-bottled products like wine. The partitions prevent the bottles from knocking against each other while putting them in a steady position.
All in all, you should choose a shipping box that won’t harm your products.
- Your Budget
Having a budget before spending money is always advisable, especially on large purchases. A budget lets you know the maximum amount of money you can spend to avoid getting into financial strain in the future.
In this case, draft a budget and let it guide you. Be sure to choose shipping boxes that fall within your budget, factoring in quality. You shouldn’t fall into the trap of selecting the cheapest boxes available. In most cases, the quality is questionable. The secret is settling for affordability while considering your packaging needs.
- The Shipping Box Supplier
Shipping box suppliers play an important role in the industry. They more or less determine if you get value for your money from the boxes. This is regarding quality. Should they supply substandard shipping boxes, they won’t serve your needs, and you might get complaints from clients. To prevent this, it’s important to find a suitable supplier.
A suitable supplier has experience in the business and is reputable. It’d help to ask around from other business owners that handle products like yours. Find out their ideal suppliers, whose quality isn’t and has never in been questioned. It’s the supplier from whom you should source your shipping boxes.
- Customization
In most cases, you’ll find shipping boxes having one uniform color, often brown. It’s not a bad feature, but it’s not ideal if you want a strong brand identity. Brand identity starts from the first thing your customer will interact with before they reach your product. In this case, the shipping box.
Therefore, it’s important to consider customization. It’d help to source your shipping boxes from a supplier that can customize them to represent your brand. It’ll ensure you create an impression with your clients, which is good for business.
Conclusion
Finding the right shipping boxes for your store is crucial in ensuring your products reach your customers in one piece. The discussion above has made the process easy by highlighting the factors you should consider when selecting these boxes. It’s in your best interest to implement this guide. You’ll increase customer satisfaction in the process, gaining loyal customers. Should you encounter any hiccup or dilemma in choice, let your products guide you.
