It is usually assumed that packaging is only necessary towards the end of the supply chain to improve customers’ unboxing experience and deliver items in pristine condition. However, we do not give packaging enough credit.
Sustainable Packaging plays an important role throughout the supply chain right from the start of the supply chain when the raw materials or machinery is delivered to begin the manufacturing process.
Packaging supplies like corrugated boxes are useful because they preserve raw materials and finished goods, aid in storage, and save shipping and handling costs while providing customers with a positive unboxing experience.
Therefore, today we will give packaging supplies the credit they deserve. Continue reading to learn about the significance of packaging in the supply chain and suggestions on how to use sustainable packaging supplies to your advantage throughout the supply chain.
Role of Packaging in the Supply Chain
To understand the significance of packaging in the supply chain, we must first consider the role that packaging plays throughout the supply chain process. Here is a breakdown of the major supply chain processes and how packaging plays a part in each:
- Supplier to manufacturer:The supply chain process begins with the supplier delivering the raw materials needed to manufacture a product to the manufacturer. The raw materials are usually delivered in packaging supplies such as heavy-duty corrugated boxes.
- Manufacturer to distributor:Once the products have been manufactured, they are securely packed in shipping boxes and sent to the distributor.
- Distributor to the retailer:The distributor’s job is to deliver the products to retailers. They usually check to see if a packaging box needs to be replaced with a new one and use different packaging supplies to ensure the products reach retailers in good condition.
- Retailer to the customer:Once the retailer receives the products, they unpack them and display them on the shelves in their stores. From the customers can purchase the products. For online orders, the retailers again use packaging supplies such as shipping boxes, mailers, and packaging tape to ensure the package receives customers in good condition.
Therefore, one thing remains constant throughout the supply chain as the processes chain, which is the use of packaging supplies. Without adequate packaging supplies, the entire supply chain process may collapse because if the products sustain damage due to poor quality packaging at any point along the supply chain process, the company may have to restart the entire process from the beginning.
Significance of Packaging in the Supply Chain
Packaging offers numerous benefits for a business. If you are still not convinced of the need to invest in high-quality packaging, consider the following points.
Protects Products from Damage
Damaged products can cost businesses their reputation and cause significant losses. As time has progressed, the packaging industry has evolved significantly, with new and innovative packaging solutions being launched into the market every other day. There are many types of packaging supplies out there that protect different categories of products.
For example, you will find insulated shipping boxes for climate control, long shipping boxes for long products, or bubble mailers for small and fragile items. Therefore, no matter what kind of products you sell, you will now be able to find a packaging solution made specifically to carry that category of products. This helps to ensure that your product is safe from harm caused by shock, mistreatment, or environmental problems.
Efficient Distribution
Imagine carrying thousands of pieces of fragile jewelry items without the help of bubble bags or jewelry boxes.
The distribution process can be very time-consuming. However, if you use packaging efficiently, you can easily cut back on time it takes to transport products from one location to another. Using the correct packaging supplies, you can easily carry small or large items efficiently, making the employee’s jobs easier.
Promotes Products
Packaging could also be a great strategy to market your items and increase public awareness about your company’s products. When a firm uses high-quality or customized packaging, consumers and potential customers have a positive opinion of the company. People appreciate it when they see a company making an effort in areas such as packaging.
Therefore, paying attention to the minor details in your packaging is a terrific way to attract more customers. You may be creative with your packaging and customize it. For example, if you own a bakery, you can print your brand on the packaging or alter the color of your bakery boxes to match your logo. These minor details make a significant difference and will likely help you increase your customer base.
Communicates With Employees and Customers
Packaging can also be used to convey crucial information to staff and consumers. For example, if you are shipping a fragile, easily breakable product, what will you do to ensure that employees handling the product are extra careful with them?
You can stick a fragile label on the package or custom print your packing boxes with signs like fragile or perishable to ensure employees understand such packages require to be handled with special care.
Small touches, such as fragile labels, can help you save yourself from any losses due to damaged products and alert customers that they must exercise extreme caution while unwrapping their items.
Furthermore, they will help you increase customer satisfaction and customer loyalty since clients will appreciate that you took the time and effort to ensure that the products get delivered to them in good condition. This way, customers are more likely to promote your products to their families or friends.
Supply Chain Management Optimization through Packaging
Supply chain optimization is one of the primary aims that all firms strive towards. An optimized supply chain implies that your firm will function smoothly and without incident. Focusing on your packaging is one approach to optimizing your supply chain. Here are a few examples of how packaging may be used to optimize the supply chain.
Traceability and labeling
Labelling can significantly help firms increase package traceability and distinguish the contents of each shipping box. Communication is critical across the supply chain to ensure everyone is on the same page.
Using labels such as packing slips effectively communicates with employees along the supply chain while saving them the time it takes to open and inspect each shipment. This can also help reduce the likelihood of lost or untraceable parcels and delays, creating a slew of problems and ending in a dissatisfied client.
Understanding What Packaging Supplies You Need
If you get the wrong packing supplies, you might face great trouble. For example, if you’re shipping large and bulky items and decide to use standard cardboard boxes. This will almost certainly result in a disaster since the cardboard boxes will not be able to support the weight of your product or protect it.
Therefore, we recommend preparing a list of the items you are delivering to determine what type of packaging boxes would be best for carrying them. For example, say you own a clothing brand.
Ordering clothing boxes in various sizes is a good idea, or perhaps you own a firm that sells delicate crockery; ordering high-quality boxes for shipping and protective items like stretch wrap, kraft paper, and peanuts is always a great idea.
Reducing the Weight of Packaging
If you use heavy packaging supplies, the overall weight of the package will increase, as will the cost of transporting it from one area to another. Furthermore, it will increase the effort required for your employees to move the packages, and they may need to be compensated for that extra effort.
Therefore, we recommend considering the weight of the shipping supplies you use to determine whether you need lightweight alternatives. For example, if you use standard mailers, you can replace them with ecolite bubble mailers, which are an even more lightweight alternative.
You can also seek guidance from your packaging supplier on lightweight packaging supplies or look for other vendors that may have lightweight packaging solutions.
You will be shocked by how much money you save by focusing on lowering these expenditures, and those savings can be used to improve your business in other ways or expand your operations.
Choose Simple to Use Packaging
Difficult to handle packaging can add to the time and effort it takes for your employees to get the package packed and set it out for delivery. Therefore, you must choose packaging which is easy to handle. Packaging supplies such as mailer boxes with outside tucks can help employee’s package goods quickly and without much effort, as they require no packaging tape.
Here are a few other easy-to-use packaging supplies that you can use to make the packaging process more efficient and quick:
- Side loading mailers:Side loading mailers are easy to seal, making great packaging options for storage as you can easily stack them on each other
- Gift boxes:Using no tape gift boxes is a great idea if you run a company that ships gifts on behalf of your customers. All you will have to do is place the item inside the box and close it without having to use any adhesive
- Reclosable poly bags:Reclosable poly bags are a great way to store small items in your inventory to ensure they aren’t misplaced or damaged. They also make a good investment since they can be used multiple times
- Recloseable bubble bags:Similar to recloseable poly bags, recloseable bubble bags can also be used to ship or store fragile items. Your customers will also appreciate the packaging since they can use it to store your product or for other storage purposes
- Kraft mailing tubes:Kraft mailing tubes can be used to ship long items efficiently and save a lot of space. They also come with a plastic plug enclosure which means that you don’t have to waste your time taping it together
- Wardrobe boxes:Moving Wardrobe boxes are a must-have for moving companies since they come with preinstalled hanging bars. All your employees have to do is take clothes out of the clients closet and hang them on the hanging bars and seal the corrugated box
- Multi-depth boxes:Multi-depth boxes are ideal if you are short on box storage space and want to carry multiple sizes. You can customize the boxes and cut them according to the size you need
- Dish boxes:Dish boxes are essential for moving companies since they come with partitions which can help your employees efficiently pack different kitchenware items
How Do I Find The Ideal Packaging Store For My Business?
No Compromise on Quality
As discussed above, you should never compromise on the quality of your packaging supplies since it is better to spend a little more on quality shipping boxes than to deal with damaged products and dissatisfied consumers. Therefore, product quality is the first thing you should look for in a packaging supplier.
We recommend reading online reviews from other businesses using their products to do this. Furthermore, placing a small order and inspecting the packing boxes yourself is another option to test quality. This will spare you the trouble of purchasing boxes in bulk and receiving low-quality shipping boxes that cannot be returned.
Pricing
Pricing is another critical consideration when selecting a packaging supplier for your business. You don’t want to choose a packaging store to discover that their items are overpriced and that the quality of the products does not justify the price.
The goal is to choose a packaging store that provides high-quality packaging supplies at affordable pricing. Furthermore, if you are on a tight budget, look for a provider who gives deals and discounts on bulk purchases.
Customer Service
If you own a business, you understand the significance of customer service. Therefore, selecting a shipping supplies store that values customer service is critical. Ordering packaging supplies from a store that does not care about its clients after they have been paid might bring you a lot of problems since they will not be available to help you if there is a problem with the order.
Hence, researching the customer service experience of other customers who have previously ordered from the packaging store you are considering is essential to ensure you are not making the wrong decision.
Product Selection and Availability
You should also check the product selection on a packaging store’s website to ensure that they offer a diverse range of packaging supplies. Doing so will allow you to stay updated on the packaging trends in the industry, as you can order different packaging supplies and experiment with new designs to see what works well for you.
Furthermore, ensuring that the packaging store has bulk quantities of the shipping boxes you may want is a wise decision because you don’t want to wind up signing a deal with a store that takes months to deliver your order.
Why Choose the Boxery as Your Go-To Packaging Supply Store?
To spare you the effort it takes to type shipping boxes near me and go through multiple shipping supply stores to see which is the ideal one, we suggest you try out the Boxery. Now you must be thinking, why should I order from the Boxery? Here are some reasons you should choose the Boxery as your go-to packaging supply store.
- Eco-friendly packaging:With increasing awareness of environmental pollution, more companies and customers are moving towards sustainability. Many customers have stopped buying from sustainable packaging companies, which can severely harm the ecosystem.
The Boxery sells eco-friendly packaging supplies made out of recycled material. Therefore, by purchasing shipping supplies from the Boxery, you can also begin your journey toward sustainability
- Large Inventory:As mentioned above, when choosing a shipping supplier, you must ensure that the one you select has a large inventory. The Boxery has a large inventory of different shipping supplies, which helps us ensure that we offer quick shipping services to our clients
- Secure online payment:Placing a bulk order online can be risky since the cases of identity theft and fraud have spiked in the last few decades. The Boxery uses Authorize.net to secure payments and protect clients’ information. Hence, while ordering from the Boxery, you won’t have to worry about the safety of your bank details
Final Verdict
The Boxery is a packaging store that strives to provide its customers with high-quality product packaging supplies. We carry a large selection of shipping supplies such as paper tape, padded envelopes, paper rolls, poster tubes, and anything else you would need for packaging.
We have also joined the Stuff-A-Bus initiative, contributing a portion of our profits to provide school supplies to children from low-income families. So, by donating to us, you can be a part of this movement and help children from low-income families have a chance at a successful future.
Furthermore, in addition to shipping supplies, you will also find different categories on our website for moving supplies, office supplies, and janitorial supplies. For further information, please visit our FAQ section or call us at 877-826-9379.
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