We have been making eco-friendly, custom printed packaging for clothing and soft goods for years and there is no right or wrong when choosing between mailer envelopes and mailer boxes. However, recent changes in shipping weight and rates have forced everyone to reevaluate how they ship out their apparel products for e-commerce customers.
DIM Weight and the impact on shipping cost
Dimensional weight and rates have become a hot and not too favorable topic for shippers of all sizes because now size really does matter when it comes to shipping. Delivery services like UPS, FedEx and USPS who used to only consider weight when determining shipping rates, would only penalize extremely over weight or oversized packages. The new rates however are based on total cubic inches so a large but light package now pays a higher rate penalty as well.
Considering these recent changes, the best advice we usually give our customers is – don’t use a box larger than is absolutely necessary and if possible, consider a mailer envelope rather than a box.
Packaging and Branding Solutions in the new Post-DIM Weight Rate World
There are many factors to be considered when deciding between mailer envelopes and mailer boxes including volume, cost per package budget limitations, and most of all, presentation. What type of impression do you want to make on your customers?
When using custom printed boxes – many customers are now using multiple boxes of different sizes. Whether you call them tall/short, large/small or retail/wholesale, having more than one size can result in substantial savings and easily offset the additional acquisition or storage costs.
When using mailer envelopes – much like the grocery store, your choice is typically between paper and plastic. Both can satisfy but paper mailer envelopes have much lower plate costs and minimums for custom printing. For example, on some paper mailers we can brand as few as 200 of one size while the plastic minimum is typically 25,000 or more.
When using mailer envelopes and mailer boxes- Many customers are now seeing the benefit of using boxes for larger shipments and mailer envelopes for smaller, less profitable orders. There may not be one size or type that fits all but by combining paper or plastic mailer envelopes with corrugated boxes, they can minimize packaging and shipping costs.
As we often say, every situation, application, and customer is different so please do not hesitate to contact us at Salazar Packaging or call us at 630-551-1700 if you have any questions.
We are confident we will be able to help you impress your customers at the lowest possible cost.
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