5 Must-Have Packaging Supplies for your Ecommerce Business
The concept of packing has been a constant theme in business for decades. However, it has evolved and taken up a more significant role of importance from just protecting the products in recent years, with business owners and companies paying more attention to their packaging and we at Awesome Pack are here to help.
With many businesses transitioning from the traditional business model to the eCommerce business model, packaging has become a vital component for businesses because it influences the customer experience.
In the Australia Post commissioned report titled “The Future of Global Packaging to 2022”, the demand for packaging is estimated to grow at a rate of 2.9% to reach $980 billion showing the growing importance of excellent packaging.
Simply put, the packaging of products – the type of packaging used, the packaging design, and how products are packaged affects the way customers view a business and plays a role in determining if the customer will or will not make purchases from the company again.
Packaging supplies are necessary when packaging products to help ensure proper packing, and below are five must-have packaging supplies for your eCommerce business.
1. Shipping labels
Shipping labels are essential for eCommerce businesses when packing products for delivery to their customers. They ensure accurate description and identification of the packaging to help monitor the product and create an excellent customer experience.
Typically, shipping labels contain essential information such as the sender and receiver’s name, the weight of the product, the contact numbers of both parties, the shipping date, the expected receiving date, the tracking barcodes, the routing code, and the location of both parties.
Each shipping label is specific and unique to each package and cannot be reused on another box. Automating shipping label production by specific online tools makes producing shipping labels easy and less stressful.
The Australia standard label for shipping and freight is a 100 x 150 mm label. We have 350/roll, 500/roll, 1000/roll, and Fanfold labels for large businesses, which are compatible with the size used by Australia Post, StarTrack, Aramex/Fastway, Couriers Please, TNT, DHL, and many other couriers.
We also have the 100 x 200 mm 300/roll, which is compatible with the size used in other couriers like Direct Freight Express.
2. Direct thermal printer or A4 laser printer
Direct thermal printers are an essential supply needed for packaging because they are required when printing direct thermal labels and is the most efficient way to print shipping labels.
Usually, direct thermal labels are made with the direct thermal printing process. Rather than using ink, toner, or ribbon, you use a thermal print head to selectively heat precise areas of chemically treated, heat-sensitive paper (mostly coated thermo-chromatic material).
They are environmentally friendly and are cost-effective for businesses to create simple shipping labels in large quantities. Also, they have low-cost, long-term maintenance, and transfer printing can print on a wide variety of printing stock.
A4 laser printers are also an ideal must-have packaging supply, especially for starting eCommerce businesses as you may already have a inkjet or Laser printer at home.
Although A4 inkjet or Laser printers is not made to print shipping labels it can and for low volume businesses it may be a more viable option. A4 laser printers use 4 per page A4 adhesive address labels (A6 size).
Direct thermal printers like Zebra ZD420D and TSC DA210, which use direct thermal 100 x 150 mm shipping labels, are excellent direct thermal printer choices as they are fast printing, no ink required and rarely cause a paper jam.
3. Mail bags or Mail boxes
Plastic mailing satchels are essential packaging supplies for eCommerce businesses. They are durable and provide the ideal solution for shipping products to your customers.
They usually are used to send clothes and lightweight goods that is not fragile and if you sell fragile items you can use white kraft bubble mailer which has a bubble lining on the inner surface of the satchel, which protects the product from any external load or pressure exerted on it, ensuring that it is delivered without damage.
Compostable satchels are a safe and environmentally friendly packaging option for your products. Unlike plastic satchels, compostable satchels are biodegradable and are not harmful to humans, animals, plants, and the environment.
Typically, compostable satchels decompose completely within 180 days and your customer can simply use it as compost or throw away into the rubbish bin knowing that it will decompose naturally in the environment.
Awesome Pack’s Compostable satchels are Australian certified AS5810 Home Compostable which is one of the highest standard in the world.
Cardboard boxes are also a must-have packaging supply for eCommerce businesses because of the numerous benefits.
White cardboard boxes provide a clean and premium feel to the packaging, giving customers the experience of class, luxury, and value and the robust protection of the cardboard box.
Pink cardboard boxes are a good option for packaging products over long distances and extreme environments and possess an attractive design. They also provide customer satisfaction to your customers.
Self-seal cardboard boxes are cardboard boxes manufactured from superior cardboard material that is tough, easy to use, and eco-friendly. They come with an adhesive strip along one flap or edge.
They are sturdy enough to protect the products inside, while the strip ensures that the cardboard box is sealed quickly and securely during handling, storage, and transport.
4. Protective packaging for sending fragile items
Fragile items require a careful type of packaging before being shipped to customers. While you want to ensure that the product is well protected to avoid damage when handled, stored, and shipped, you also want to avoid using the wrong type of packing material.
Honeycomb wraps are a flexible packing material that provides extra softness to the material. This softness acts as a cushion to absorb pressure without scratching.
They are pretty easy to stretch as they do not need any extra tape to interlock the paper structure and provide high customer satisfaction due to their unique branding.
Bubble wraps are a lightweight and cost-effective packaging option for fragile products. They provide a cushion for fragile items with air bubbles, allowing the products to be suspended in the carbon box while absorbing the shock.
They can easily be cut to varying lengths and can be used to wrap both small and oversized items.
Biofill packing peanuts are an environmentally friendly packing material for eCommerce businesses. They are made from natural resources, dissolve quickly and easily in water, and can be put in compostable piles and exposed to air to decompose.
They possess a high shock absorption as they do not carry an electrostatic charge.
5. Packing Tapes
Packing tapes are necessary packaging supplies for your eCommerce businesses because they are used to seal your packing boxes.
Clear paper tapes contain an adhesive that helps seal your products in the packaging boxes quickly and efficiently to ensure adequate protection while handling, storing, and transporting.
Kraft paper tapes possess a natural rubber-based adhesive that makes an excellent bond to most packing materials and surfaces. It performs well under moist and extreme weather conditions.
Fragile printed tapes in plastic and kraft paper are essential to ensure that anyone handling, storing, and transporting the products will take the product carefully.
In summary, for every successful e-Commerce business you will need Printer to print shipping labels with, a satchel or a box to pack your goods in, for fragile goods you will need protective packaging like bubble wrap/Void fill and finally to seal your boxes you will need some packing tape either in Kraft paper or plastic film. Of course there are other important parts of running a successful online business but what we mentioned are the 5 Must haves when starting a new e-Commerce business.
Hope you have learnt a few things about the necessary packaging supplies required to run an eCommerce Business, Awesome Pack is always here to help you with your e-commerce journey.
The Awesome Pack Team
8/72-76 Fenton St, Huntingdale VIC 3166
Ph: 1300 816 800