As an e-commerce seller dealing with fragile items, shipping is the most crucial aspect of your business. You have to ensure every product that leaves your store is packed with due care, handled with care during transit, and ultimately reaches your customers safely.
The last part, especially, is integral for your business, as customers would always expect products to reach them intact and safe - and if the products don’t reach them in optimal form, it would only impact your brand name; not to forget the additional expense you’d have to undertake to replace and reship the product over again to the customer!
When it comes to fragile items, the first things that come to our minds are products made from glass or porcelain - but there are many fragile items out there, including furniture, musical instruments, and food items, such as cookies. If due care is not taken during packing and shipping, these products will end up chipping, cracking, broken, or completely damaged.
So if you’re an e-commerce business selling fragile items, here are some essential things you can keep in mind while shipping your products domestically and internationally. These tips will help with fragile item shipping and ensure your products reach customers safely without any damage - let’s have a look:
Pick the Right-Sized Box
It all starts with choosing the perfect box for packing your fragile products. When it comes to delicate and easily breakable items, it is advisable to pick boxes that are only slightly larger than the product itself. This would leave just enough space for cushioning material while ensuring the item doesn’t have excess space to move around, reducing the probability of any breakage or damage.
Hard cardboard boxes are the best fit for packing fragile items. They may cost you a bit more than poly mailers and other containers, but at least you’re assured that your product is safe in the cardboard boxes.
Use Additional Packing Material
Before placing the product in the box, ensure it is wrapped with bubble wrap or other suitable cushioning material. Make sure you are generous with the cushioning material, as this additional packing layer will protect your product from impact, shocks, or other damage. If required, you can add an extra foam layer for expensive or super delicate items.
Fill Empty Spaces in the Box
First, layer the bottom of the box with some cushioning material so that you have an extra shock-absorbent layer. Now place the product that is all wrapped up carefully inside the box. Since you’ve picked a slightly larger box, it’s obvious that there will be at least some space between the box and the item. Fill up this space with packing peanuts, airbags, or crinkle paper. Ensure there's no empty space remaining, and completely fill up the box so that it is secure and ready to be taped.
Add Stickers to the Box
Once you’ve taped the box, you can add stickers to the box that say ‘Fragile’ and ‘Handle With Care’. These stickers are absolutely necessary so that the handlers know that there’s a delicate item in the box and it has to be handled with care. Additionally, if you want the box to be placed in a specific manner through the transit and delivery, you can also consider adding a ‘this side up’ sticker, with an arrow pointing upwards right beside it. And yes, make sure all these labels are large enough and placed in a conspicuous place on the box so that any person handling it can view it right away.
Summing Up
With due care and precautions, ensuring that even fragile items are delivered safely to customers is possible. Apart from these precautions, you also need to ensure you pick a reliable, experienced shipping service provider who will handle your parcels with just as much care and caution.
We hope these tips help with fragile item shipping and ensure they are delivered safely to your customers.
