The Holiday Shipping Checklist: What to Stock Before Orders Pick Up

Getting ahead of the rush can make a big difference.

Now is a good time to look at the packaging supplies you use every day, think about where holiday volume could put extra pressure on your operation, and stock up accordingly. That means looking beyond boxes and making sure you have what you need for the entire packing and shipping process.

Here’s a good place to start.

Start With Your Boxes

Take a look at the products you expect to ship most often this holiday season. Do the boxes you have on hand fit them well?

Using a box that’s too large can mean using more void fill, taking up more storage space, and potentially spending more on shipping. Go too small, and you may not have enough room to properly cushion the product.

It’s also worth checking box strength. Lightweight products may be a good fit for single-wall corrugated boxes, while heavier or more fragile items may need the added protection of double- or triple-wall construction.

Before ordering more of your usual boxes, check your most common product sizes and weights. A few adjustments to your box lineup now could make packing easier when things get busy.

Make Sure You Have Enough Cushioning

Once you’ve got the right box, think about what’s going inside it.

Bubble, foam, kraft paper, and other protective packaging can help cushion products and keep them from shifting on the way to your customer.

This is also where planning ahead matters. If you’re increasing your box inventory for the holidays, your cushioning supplies need to keep up. Nobody wants a packing station full of boxes with nothing left to protect what’s going inside them.

Look at the products you ship most and stock the protective packaging that makes sense for each.

Take Stock of Your Tape

Tape is one of those supplies that’s easy to take for granted right up until the roll runs out.

Don’t wait until peak shipping season to find out you’re running low.

There isn’t one packing tape that’s best for every shipment, either. Package weight, carton surface, storage conditions, temperature, transportation, and the way the tape is applied can all influence which option works best. Acrylic, hot melt, natural rubber, and water-activated tapes each have different performance characteristics.

Think about both the type of tape you’re using and how quickly you’ll go through it when orders increase. If your shipping volume changes significantly during the holidays, your tape needs may change with it.

Don’t Automatically Reach for a Box

Some holiday orders simply don’t need one.

Smaller, lightweight products may be better suited to mailers. Bubble mailers combine a lightweight format with integrated cushioning, tear resistance, and moisture protection. Padded mailers add interior padding and can be a better choice when an item needs additional protection.

Keeping a few appropriate mailer sizes on hand gives your packing team another option and can help you avoid using more packaging than a product actually needs.

Take a look at what you’re shipping and identify the products that could go out in a mailer instead.

Check Your Labels, Too

A box can be perfectly packed and sealed, but it still needs the right label to get where it’s going.

Shipping labels help identify the sender and recipient and provide tracking information. Handling labels can communicate important instructions such as Fragile, Handle With Care, Keep Dry, or This Side Up.

Before holiday volume picks up, check the labels you use throughout your operation—not only shipping labels, but also any handling or inventory labels your team regularly relies on.

They’re easy supplies to overlook and frustrating ones to run out of.

Look Beyond the Packing Station

Holiday volume can put added pressure on more than just packing and shipping. Storage, inventory organization, bundling, palletizing, and movement throughout your operation may all require additional supplies as volume increases.

Stretch and bundling film are good examples. They can be used at the packing station and throughout your operation to group products, secure items together, and stabilize palletized loads for storage and transportation.

As you prepare for peak season, think through the entire journey of your products, from receiving and storage to packing and final shipment. You may spot everyday supplies that are easy to overlook when you’re focused on boxes, tape, and mailers.

Go Deeper Into Your Packaging List

Instead of placing an order for boxes today, tape next week, and mailers when somebody notices they’re running low, use holiday preparation as an opportunity to look at the bigger picture.

What will you need to pack, protect, seal, label, bundle, and ship your expected orders?

Building that list now can help you stay ahead of shortages and keep your operation moving when there isn’t much time to spare.

Packaging Price carries packaging supplies across the shipping process, so you can stock up on more of what your business needs in one place. And when you’re unsure about a product, Packaging Price experts can help you find an option that fits your products, shipping conditions, and budget.

The holiday rush is busy enough. Running out of packaging doesn’t need to be part of it.

Lots of Saving. Lots of Support.