The convenience of buying clothing via the web is obvious since it is essentially a store that is open 24/7. Consumers also love the variety and selection of products available to them, sometimes not available in local retail stores. Add great pricing, in many cases – free shipping, as well as liberal return and exchange policies, and it is no wonder the market is growing by leaps and bounds.
We hear from dozens of sellers of clothing every month and their most common question is – what is the best branded packaging option for me? A mailer box or a mailer envelope? While it is a simple question, the answer can be very complicated, depending on your specific requirements and application.
How to Determine Which Packaging Option is Best For You
- Quantity? Every branded product has a MOQ or minimum for custom printing and they vary a great deal. For example, the minimum on a poly mailer envelope may be 25,000, for a paper mailer envelope, only a few hundred, and for most boxes, a low 1,000. So to some degree your best option may be determined by how many you are interested in purchasing at one time.
- Is your packaging utilitarian or presentation? If your only concern is a shipping container to get the product from point A to point B safely without damage, then almost anything will work. However, if you believe like most of our customers do, E-commerce packaging is all about first impressions and the customer experience begins with the shipping container. I always use the example of a seller of organic cotton baby clothes should NOT ship the product in a plastic, poly mailer envelope.
- What is the price point of your product? Experience tells us the expectations of a customer purchasing a twenty dollar tee shirt is obviously different compared to a $200 custom tailored dress shirt. In addition, some materials are more likely to shift and wrinkle in shipment.
- What does your graphic design look like? To some degree, the artwork determines the best printing process and the printing process determines the substrate, which ultimately determines the MOQ. So if you are looking for a five-color complex design, a direct print corrugated container is probably not the best choice. As a rule we will usually suggest that your graphics be simple, eye catching, and memorable. Remember, the recipient already knows who you are and has decided to buy from you. Your packaging is a great opportunity to reinforce your brand but it is not a brochure and no one is likely to take the time to “read” or study your packaging.
- How Much Flexibility Do You Require?
In many cases envelopes are a better choice because your order sizes vary a great deal. Unfortunately box sizes are not adjustable, but many envelopes are designed to expand and accommodate a larger product or a larger order.
How about Mailer Boxes and Mailer Envelopes?
It is not always an either/or decision and many of our customers use both envelopes and boxes. They have determined that mailer envelopes work best at a lower cost for smaller orders, die cut corrugated mailers for mid-size orders, and possibly even RSC style shipping boxes for bulk or wholesale orders. We can custom print any of those products so your brand is consistent and distinctive.
We provide a tremendous amount of information and are probably one of the most transparent companies in the packaging industry. However, all of the blog posts and reference materials we make available cannot replace a five minute conversation with one of our branded packaging advisors. Please feel free to contact Salazar Packaging or call us at 630-551-1700 for a no cost, no obligation application review.
Related posts:
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/minimum-custom-printed-packaging/
