If you have your own online retail business and do the packing and shipping of the items yourself, you should use a packaging checklist to ensure that you always have sufficient packaging supplies to cover scheduled orders, as well as provisional orders that might come through. Running out of packaging materials can disrupt your packing and shipping process which could lead to unwanted delays in delivery of your products.
Making do with whatever packaging materials you have just to meet shipping schedules should be out of the question as it could lead to more problems which could ultimately lead to losing customers. A packaging checklist should help you know when it’s time to replenish your packing supplies and ensure that the shipping aspect of your online retail business runs without a hitch.
Depending on what kind of items you ship on a regular basis, your packaging checklist can be simple or extensive. To give you an idea, below are items which a basic packaging checklist should include.
Cardboard Boxes
Make sure you have all the right sizes and kinds in stock to cover all potential orders.
Packing Materials
You should never run out of packing materials such as bubble wrap, packing peanuts, foam pads, etc. Keep your stock of these items always full as they are the key in keeping items, especially fragile ones, intact and undamaged during transit.
Packing Tape
Only use heavy duty packing tape with excellent adhesive properties for your packages and make sure you always have enough rolls. You want to support every seam and flap of a shipping box with sufficient packing tape especially when shipping heavy items and you should never scrimp on packing tape!
Post Office Labels
Always make sure you have plenty of courier labels. They are free and you can order them via the USPS online shop or ask for them from your local post office. Having them readily available saves a lot of time. You can simply fill them up, attach to your packages and have the items picked up by USPS personnel so you don’t even have to leave you home or office.
Buying packaging materials in bulk can save you a lot of money. You can also have the supplies delivered to your doorstep so you don’t have to leave the house.
Always check your stocks and don’t wait till you run out of supplies before making a new order. Following these tips will help keep your online retail business running smoothly.