Every online shop owner, regardless of whether he or she deals with bulky products, fragile products or books, faces the challenge of packing parcels. It is important to find the optimum solution to ensure both the safety of the products being shipped as well as the aesthetics together with the weight of the parcel. There are many suggestions when it comes to the question of how to pack a parcel for shipment, and we have prepared a short guide in which we present 3 proven methods of packing parcels.
Packing parcels containing fragile items
If you are planning to pack a parcel containing fragile items such as china or glassware, it is essential that the parcel is properly secured. Unfortunately, courier parcels are not always treated with due care, so items prepared for courier delivery need to be well protected both inside and out.
The outer layer should be a rigid cardboard box that is thick enough not to be damaged during transport and sorting at the logistic centres. It would also be a good idea for the cardboard box to be adjusted to the size of the contents. This will limit the possibility of the goods moving around inside the carboard box, thus allowing additional security and protection of the goods.
The protection of the products inside the parcel are just as important. Therefore, it is a good idea to wrap fragile items, such as bottles of perfume, porcelain, medicines, crafts, mirrors or small electronic equipment in material that protects it from mechanical damage. Bubble wrap or air mats are well suited for this purpose. By packing the goods with the use of air mats, the items are protected against damage and will not be damaged during transport.
How should I pack a parcel for shipping in a larger package?
Many online retailers use a few selected package sizes, making it impossible to perfectly match the size of the courier parcel to the size of the items being purchased. As a result, the problem of empty space in the parcel arises, which has to be solved in one way or another. This is where parcel air fillers come in handy to secure the contents of the parcel.
A variety of materials can be used to fill packages, and the creativity of personnel responsible for packing the goods can be surprising. Empty egg cartons or crumpled up old newspapers may therefore be used to fill packs, which may be zero-waste, but do not necessarily have a positive impact on the brand image. It is much better to use products made of cardboard, foil or starch to fill packages.
There is a wide variety of choices which one can choose from, but when choosing the right parcel fillers, it is worth paying attention to their usability, weight and aesthetics. When taking a closer look at the market with their product range, air pillows are in the lead. They are lightweight, so they do not increase the weight of the parcel and as a result do not have an impact on the shipping costs. They are suitable for filling any parcel, irrespective of the item it contains, and they do not spill or create clutter at the point of unpacking the goods. This guarantees that the package will arrive intact and that the customer will not be disturbed by the mess when unpacking.
How should I you pack a bulky parcel?
Questions about how to pack a parcel also arise in the context of bulky courier shipments. This applies in particular to parcels containing furniture or home appliance goods. The latter are usually sent in the original packaging provided by the manufacturer, so that the seller does not have to think about how to pack the parcel. The situation is slightly different in the case of furniture, the packaging of which requires appropriate protection and must be tailored to the type of furniture.
In the case of upholstered furniture, the most important thing is to protect the furniture from mechanical damage caused during transport. Any sharp object which may cut the fabric is a threat, therefore it is best to first protect lounge furniture with thick corrugated cardboard and then wrap it tightly with thick foil. The purpose of the abovementioned solution is to protect the furniture from dust and moisture.
Packing furniture without elements which have fabric on them is slightly different. Here, it is important to protect the entire surface of the furniture, especially its corners and legs. Stretch film wrap to protect the metal legs can therefore be useful, however the best solution would be to wrap the entire piece of furniture in protective material.
This is where the air mats come in handy, as they will protect all parts of the furniture from damage. They are much more effective than bubble wrap, due to the fact that one layer provides sufficient protection against damage. Covering a piece of furniture with a single layer of air mats is much quicker than wrapping it in bubble wrap several times, so it takes much less time to prepare the package, which in turn has an impact on the costs involved.
