Top Ten Tips for Buying Packaging Supplies

Packaging supplies are generally required by business owners as well as companies that sell goods. If you are running an e-commerce store, you will want to make sure that all of the products that you sell are properly packaged and then dispatched to your customers. Needless to say, you are going to have to make sure that the goods reach your customers in a safe and sound condition, otherwise you are likely to refund their money. You will have to buy packaging supplies in large quantities for your company. Here are seven tips on how to buy supplies for your company’s packaging.

1. Decide What You Need

The first step is to make a list of everything you require. You need to make sure you list everything you are going to need, ranging from the size of the boxes, the number of boxes, packing materials, and tape. Make an exhaustive list of everything you are going to require because it’s important that you don’t miss out on anything. It’s going to save you from a great deal of trouble because you won’t have to go shopping for essential supplies again and again.

2. Find a Reliable Supplier

Arguably the most important step is to find a reliable supplier who can deliver all of the packing materials and supplies at your company’s warehouse within the stipulated time. There are quite a few companies that offer packaging supplies around the country. But, as a business owner, you might be interested in bespoke packaging for your goods, so it’s recommended that you check with the packaging provider and find out if they provide customized packaging or not.

It’s recommended that you read a few reviews about different companies and then make your decision. If you know someone in the industry who is using the packaging materials provided by another business, you can ask them for a reference. Carefully go through the company’s website to find the different kinds of services they offer.

3. Cost Optimization

A very important thing you need to focus on is cost optimization. You will want to make sure the cost of packaging does not increase significantly because that could lead to a serious issue. In fact, if the packaging of your product isn’t cost-effective, you could end up losing money for every product you sell. The pricing must be balanced so you can set up the profit margins on your product effectively. The best way to do that is by optimizing your costs accordingly.

4. Packaging Design

When you talk to any company that offers packaging supplies, you also have to pay attention to the design of the packaging. If you are ordering bespoke packaging, it’s imperative that you visualize the designs first and find a style that will look really good. Packaging often becomes a part of the branding of the company itself, so you have to make sure you design it accordingly. The more colors you use in the packaging, the more it’s likely to cost you.

5. Lead Time

More importantly, you have to factor in the lead times before placing the order. The lead time is the amount of time it takes from the time the company receives your order until the time your order is received. You need to make sure that you keep the lead times as low as possible so that the deliveries aren’t delayed. If the company takes a long time to process your order, you might want to look at other options.

6. Final Quotes

You also need to compare quotes from different companies before placing the order. Provided the order is large enough, there are a few companies that might offer customization as an add-on package. You need to ask for final quotes from different companies in the city before you make a decision.

7. Quality

You should always place a trial order first to determine whether the supplies are of decent quality or not. Once you are satisfied with the quality, only then should you place a large order with the company.

8. Buy in Bulk

Most packaging suppliers typically offer volume discounts for bulk purchases. If you can accurately estimate your packaging supply usage over the next several months, you should strongly consider buying in bulk. While it may cost you more upfront, you will find significant savings over a long period of time. Another strategy is to increase purchase volume by buying related items. Packaging supplies such as packing tape, tape dispensers, tube caps, cushioning material, etc. are usually offered as well which can help boost your purchase volume for a bulk discount.

9. Invest in a Label Printer

Many businesses are still using a standard inkjet printer to print their shipping labels. While this may not seem like a big deal, inkjet printers are quite costly in paper and ink usage. Further, it takes quite a while to print large volumes using an inkjet printer. Depending on the size of your business, you could be not just spending a considerable amount of money on labels but time as well. A label printer while typically more expensive than an inkjet printer is much more suited for label printing. For one, the paper is the right size so there is no paper wastage. It works fast and the cost per label is extremely cheap, costing anywhere from 1 to 3 cents per label. Over a period of time, you’ll find yourself saving money and time on your investment.

10. Customization

It’s important for any business to have its brand recognized on its packaging. This can be done in various ways. Depending on the size of your business, there are various ways that range from cheap to more expensive. The expensive and most well-known method is custom-printed boxes. These are usually the best way to have your brand associated with your products and should be your go-to method if you want to associate your business with professionally made products. An alternative is custom printed stickers which while not as professional as custom-printed boxes, are cheaper and great if you are a small-time business that doesn’t need custom-printed boxes but would like some level of customization. Lastly, the cheapest method is usually including a custom business card in your boxes. While a business card doesn’t help with brand recognition, it can help you get repeat future orders with a low initial investment.

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