From custom tissue wraps to promotional inserts, packaging affects various dispatch speed, margins, and customer satisfaction. When peak season arrives, scaling up brings a few challenges: long supplier lead times, unexpected material surcharges, and disorganized warehouse packing stations. To protect your delivery timelines, evaluate your packaging across three areas. In this article, you’ll learn how to assess packaging option costs, lead times, and supplier or 3PL readiness so you don’t run out mid-sale.
Cost per Packaging Unit
As order quantities grow, custom packaging unit costs usually fall. But holding a large amount of packaging inventory introduces storage costs. In Q4, freight surcharges and rush order fees can push your cost per unit fast. Consider these points before ordering your packaging supplies:
- Forecast volume early. Calculate your packaging needs based on realistic sales forecasts and add a buffer. Purchasing larger quantities ahead of peak can lower per-unit price and reduce the risk of running short.
- Factor in storage space. Bulk custom boxes take up warehouse pallet space. Work with your fulfilment partner to understand how packaging storage fits into your overall storage fees.
- Watch for rush fees. Ordering custom packaging late can mean expensive air freight or express courier surcharges to get materials to the warehouse before sale starts.
Supplier Lead Times
During peak season, packaging suppliers are busier than usual. Your order may take longer. To avoid running out of branded mailers and other materials mid-sale, work backwards from your sale date to set up procurement deadlines.
If you use custom packaging, start by finalising artwork for box, tape, tissue paper, then place your order. Remember that lead time covers approval, proofing, production and freight. Useful questions for your supplier include:
- What is the realistic production time for my run size?
- Do you need a proof or sample approved before production?
- What is your last order date for peak delivery?
- Can you supply top-up runs if I need more?
While your supplier works on the order, line up a backup, such as an off-the-shelf plain or eco-friendly box in matching sizes. For example, beauty & skincare products come in different container shapes, so one backup box rarely fits them all. A lipstick tube box is around 2.5×2.5×8.9 cm. A standard cream jar around 5.1×5.1×5.1 cm, and a bulky cream or lotion jar around 10.2×10.2×10.2 cm. Sizes may vary by brand, depending on how much insert padding is built in. So, measure your capped product before ordering.
Unbranded backup stock helps keep dispatches moving if your packaging runs out unexpectedly fast. When packaging arrives, inspect it immediately upon delivery. Misfolded cartons or weak adhesive tape discovered during a high-volume shift can halt your dispatch line.
Partner and 3PL Readiness
A large stock of custom boxes means little if your fulfilment team or 3PL can’t pack them quickly. The more intricate the unboxing steps, the clearer the systems need to be to maintain speed.
Before peak trading starts, confirm that your fulfilment partner can execute your custom packaging standards under volume surge. What to confirm include:
- Station setup. Is each station set with dedicated holders for tape, branded stickers, and tissue rolls so packers don’t waste time searching?
- Visual SOPs. Are clear, photo-based SOPs displayed at each workstation, following your brand guidelines?
- Pre-assembly. Ask if your 3PL can pre-fold high-volume custom mailer boxes during quieter shifts before the sale. It allows packers to load and seal top-selling orders faster.
Additional readiness factors: system sync and packaging strength
Beyond costs, lead times, and supplier readiness, there are two technical factors keeping peak packaging run smoothly:
- Real-time WMS tracking. Ask whether your 3PL’s warehouse management system tracks packaging materials alongside your product SKUs, with minimum stock levels that alerts you when boxes need to be reordered.
- Box strength. Ask your supplier to confirm that your chosen box suits your product weight. Suppliers usually rate board strength by edge crush test (ECT) and wall type (single or double wall). Heavier products may need double-wall board or better void fill to arrive undamaged.
Protect Your Brand Experience with TSF Logistics
Scaling your ecommerce business through peak season takes preparation long before the actual event begins. Ordering materials early, auditing lead times, and partnering with a fulfilment provider that respects your brand standards keep dispatches moving and protect your brand reputation.
At TSF Logistics, we specialise in customised fulfilment for various scaling brands across Australia, from fashion to supplement & wellbeing. Operating from our facility in Epping, Melbourne, we follow your packaging SOPs through careful pick-and-pack fulfilment, supported by real-time WMS visibility and direct communication with dedicated account managers. If you’re looking for a reliable partner that adheres to your packaging setup even in busy seasons, contact us today to get a custom quote.