Challenges in the e-commerce industry
With the popularization of e-commerce, companies are facing new challenges. The larger scale of orders and changing consumer expectations make it necessary to thoroughly review the cost of each step in the process. One of them is product packaging, which, with the right approach, can be streamlined and its costs optimized. How to do it?
Verify:
- what packaging materials you use and whether you see the potential to reduce the number of layers,
- whether there are not cheaper substitutes for the products currently used that will protect the goods just as well
- whether changing the form of some materials will not speed up the process and thus increase its efficiency.
Form matters – bubble wrap confections for online stores
The most popular form of bubble wrap used in e-commerce is bubble wrap on a roll (in various sizes). It is great at absorbing shocks and protecting fragile objects. It comes in different variants:
- Bubble wrap B1
has two light layers, which makes it adhere well to the product, as it has great adhesion. It is an excellent choice for packing lightweight items.
- Bubble wrap B2
also has two layers, but with a reinforced weight, which makes it suitable for packing medium-weight products.
- Bubble wrap B3
is a three-layer wrap that protects bubbles from flattening thanks to an extra layer. Choose it for packing heavy products.
- Bubble wrap B4
is airtight, very strong and resistant to tearing. Perfect for wrapping products with sharp edges. Popular in horticulture and as pool protection. Choose it when your products require special protection.
We also produce antistatic bubble wrap (pink bubble wrap), which is used for packaging electronics, effectively protecting equipment from static electricity.
FILL&WRAP bubble wrap – effective filling for e-commerce packages
If your employees are using bubble wrap to fill packages, you should consider replacing it with FILL&WRAP large bubble wrap. This film has more than three times the diameter of a bubble, which means you need less material to fill the same package, and packing is faster.
In addition, if they also wrap products in bubble wrap, they can successfully do so using large bubble wrap to still order one packaging material.
Bubble wrap confectioning
You should bear in mind that it is not always the case that roll film is the most efficient solution in terms of packaging time and material costs.
If your online store packages products of similar dimensions or several different ones in bubble wrap (that is, you don’t have a spread of products from tiny to very large and heavy, numbering in the thousands or tens of thousands of SKUs) – you should consider buying confections – pouches, sleeves, half-sleeves or sheets.
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Bubble wrap bags
as a manufacturer, we can provide you with bags prepared to size with the option of adding an adhesive strip that eliminates the need to seal them with packing tape.
Using pouches, all the warehouse worker has to do is put the product inside – thus reducing the risk of waste resulting from an arbitrary number of wraps of the product with film taken independently from the roll. There is also no need to cut the material. All the employee has to do is tear the bag off the roll or take it from the package (bags are delivered to our customers on a roll with perforations or in a package).
Possible dimensions: 150x850mm – packaged; 175x1600mm – perforated.
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Bubble film sheets
We also produce bubble film in sheet form. This means that the warehouse worker does not have to cut it at the workstation, which significantly speeds up packaging. In addition, this way you standardize the amount of material taken to package the product.
Possible dimensions:
- Sheet width: 150 to 1250mm
- Sheet length: from 150 to 3000mm
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Bubble wrap sleeves
is a format that, like pouches, allows you to put the product inside, but has holes on both sides. Its width can be trimmed as desired. It will work great where one of the product dimensions varies. The sleeves are wound on a roll for easy storage.
Possible dimensions depend on the thickness of the film. You will receive a detailed specification from your advisor.
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Bubble film half-sleeves
sealed on one side, wound on a roll. Facilitate the packaging process.
Possible dimensions:
- Width: from 80 to 1650mm
- Length: from 25 to 100m
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Perforated film
a solution often chosen by our customers is film on a roll, but with perforations introduced on it. This means that every certain length of film has perforations that allow predetermined pieces of film to be torn off. Figuratively speaking, it can be said to be sheets connected in the form of a roll. This form makes the material easy to store. This is a good way to optimize the amount of film taken. It is then worthwhile to put it on a so-called unwinder at the warehouse staff place of work, which speeds up the work even more (especially when the roll is of considerable size).
Possible dimensions:
- Width: from 100 to 1800mm
- Length: from 250m to any length
Roll of selected assortment with transverse perforation at the ordered length packed in a plastic bag. This is an alternative for sheets that do not fit within the working range of the formatter.
Possible dimensions:
- from 250m to any length
Ordering bubble wrap directly from the manufacturer gives you the opportunity to indicate the specific dimensions of the product. In this case you can tailor the product to your needs. This reduces the amount of waste you will have to dispose of.
The film can also be any colour. It’s an interesting idea to reference the brand’s colours in the packaging. This can also help identify the product in stock.
Polyethylene foam for e-commerce industry
Another product that you can order from Mac-Graf to size is PE foam. It is a versatile material. It is flexible (especially those with less thickness) and water resistance. It dampens sound and provides excellent cushioning and insulation, making it a popular choice for construction. It is lightweight, so it does not significantly increase the weight of packages. You can successfully wrap products with it, but also when you choose a thicker version, you can interleave heavy items sent one on top of the other with it.
It is also used by our customers as a pallet liner (laid under cartons) to protect packages from water and moisture underneath.
Its standard form is a roll of selected width and winding. It is also possible to put perforations on it to make it easier to tear off the indicated size of pieces of material, thus reducing its potential waste.
You can also order PE foam sheets, which, as with bubble wrap, we can produce for you in the dimensions indicated. They significantly speed up the packaging of products (a popular solution for customers who need a regular size of material to pack products).
Possible dimensions:
- sheet width: from 150 to 1250mm
- sheet length: from 150 to 3000mm
Laminate
Laminate, on the other hand, is a combination of PE foam with polyethylene, HDPE, bubble or aluminum foil. It is a very strong and durable material that will be perfect for packaging large products that require special protection from dents and scratches. It is very often used in the furniture industry.
Packaging tapes for e-commerce
Selling by mail order means that the product has to be well packaged so that it can pass through the entire logistics chain without damage – from the transfer of parcels to the sorting office, through transportation by courier to collection by the target customer. Well-fitting ribbons are key here especially since not every type of ribbon will be appropriate at any given time of the year. We offer packaging tape of different roll, width, colour and type of adhesive thanks to many years of cooperation with their manufacturers.
What kind of tapes can you find in our offer?
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Acrylic, solvent and hot-melt adhesive tapes
their choice should be dictated by the conditions prevailing during packaging, but also during transportation and what they are glued to. Many of our customers in spring and summer use acrylic tapes, but in autumn and winter switch to hot-melt or solvent glue, which contains no water, and therefore there is no risk of the tape starting to peel off at lower temperatures.
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Paper tapes
are the natural choice of customers who opt for eco-friendly packaging. If you want to make the packaging of your products uniform in terms of recycling, and you ship them in cartons, then paper tape will not only adhere well to the carton, it will also enable the final recipient to recycle the packaging without having to tear the tape from the carton.
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Warning tapes
if you are shipping delicate and/or fragile products (ceramics, electronic equipment, etc.) then the warning tape will inform the courier and others who come into contact with the package to handle it gently. This reduces the risk of damage to the product in transit.
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Printed tapes
when you want the ribbon to contain a specific inscription or logo of your company, we can provide you with a personalized product. Our customers not infrequently want the tape to contain, for example, the address of their online store – using the package as an additional advertising medium.
We also offer double-sided tape, masking tape or DUCT repair tape. So you can order a whole range of products from us without having to search for them at other suppliers. This way you order comprehensively and can get a more attractive price.
Cardboard boxes for online stores
Cardboard boxes are one of the basic materials used in the e-commerce industry. Especially if you target the B2C industry and your products are delivered to customers by couriers.
You can order from us:
- three-layer cartons,
- five-layer cartons.
Of various weights and sizes. We can prepare custom-made cartons, tailor-made for a specific series of products.
You will buy from us cartons that fit parcel boxes – Inpost C and Inpost B, so you can be sure that they will fit into the boxes of your choice.
We also offer:
- flap cartons (making them easier to assemble – the flaps close the carton from the top and bottom),
- cut cartons (allowing them to be made into any cut and size),
- pallet cartons (durable – great for transporting heavy shipments).
You can also contact us if you need printed cartons or cartons in a specific colour. This is one way to highlight your online store’s brand.
E-commerce product shipping paper
Paper is also widely used in the packaging process in online stores.
You can order from us:
- packaging paper,
- Notched paper (a.k.a. perforated paper or so-called honeycomb).
Packaging paper is an excellent filler for packages. Since it is quite rigid, it takes up a lot of space when crushed, making it effective in filling voids and absorbing shocks. It’s also eco-friendly, which is important for e-commerce stores with eco-friendly values. At Mac-Graf, it is available in various forms:
We offer:
- recycled paper roll – allowing you to cut such length of material as necessary to pack each package. Available in 80g and 90g weights. The width of the roll is from 350 to 2,000 millimetres.
- recycled paper sheets – this form makes it easy to pick up without cutting the material. Also comes in 80 and 90g weights. Available in sizes from 500x500 mm to 1400x1200 mm.
- kraft paper roll – this paper does not have a thimble inside, which means that it is taken not from the outside like a classic roll, but from the inside. This avoids uncontrolled roll development and taking too much material.
- kraft paper sheets – its use is very wide – from advertising (leaflets) to product protection – depending on the selected grammage – from 70 to 300g. Its dimensions range from 500x500mm to 1400x1200mm.
Notched paper, on the other hand, is now a popular way to aesthetically and effectively protect products. This is because it has notches that make it flexible and a great fit for products of different sizes and shapes. Its weight is 70g. You will order it from us in widths of 20 and 30 cm and lengths of 250 m. It is very easy to work with, as it does not require the use of a knife or scissors – just tear off the amount you need. It is fully recyclable. Perforated paper is often used in the packaging of, for example, ceramics or delicate home-decor products.
Didn’t find the packaging materials you’re looking for above?
Contact our advisors. We offer more than 11,000 materials and can provide you with the best solutions to suit your needs.
We can help you and optimize the packaging process in your company
Make an appointment with our advisor
