ODL have been supplying packaging solutions, both innovative and conventional, to a range of amateur sellers, individuals and large businesses alike for several years, but we don’t just fulfil orders and distribute supplies; instead we work with our customers, delivering recommendations based on their requirements. It’s with this service in mind that we’ve compiled the following blog, which is designed to advise our customers as to which of our products are best suited to their needs, regardless of their budgets.

A Weighty Issue

Whether you occasionally sell items on sites such as Gumtree or eBay, or in fact have made an enterprise out of exporting goods across the world, postage and packaging is a business expense that, if left unaccounted for, can drastically affect your profit margins. The majority of postage services calculate costs based on the following three factors; weight, shape and delivery time. Naturally, the time it takes to deliver your parcel is at your discretion, depending also on how much your customers are willing to pay for postage, which means you have to pay close attention to both the weight and size of your package.

Shape Yourself

Taking the Royal Mail as a working example, parcels are by-and-large classified as one of three categories depending on their size; Small (45cm X 35cm X 16cm), Medium (61cm X 46cm X 46cm) and Large (anything exceeding the previous specifications); obviously, the smaller the parcel, the lower the postage costs. ODL stock a range of postal boxes that are designed to offer the utmost protection whilst minimising weight and maximising spatial potential; hence, if you need to send something that requires hard, protective packaging, take time to work out its exact dimensions before packing it.

By opting for smaller packaging, you’re not only reducing the overall postage costs, but also cutting down on weight involved in securing the item internally. Alternatively, if you’re posting other items such as clothing or apparel, we’d urge you to consider our purpose-built mailing bags. Watertight by design and fitted with tamper-proof seals as standard, our mailing bags can also be bent and shaped along with your products, making them versatile enough to fit into most Small Parcel categories, and be posted easily through the vast majority of letter boxes.

Protecting Your Product

Distributing your items, however, is only part of the issue; it is your responsibility as a seller to make sure they arrive un-damaged, or in the condition as otherwise specified. Securing your items internally within the outer packaging seems like a straightforward task; however, unless you take extra precautions to monitor your package’s weight, it could end up driving distribution costs up overall.

Although most amateur sellers opt for excess materials such as spare newspapers to package their items, we at ODL would heavily recommend opting for air-pocketed bubble wrap. Available cheaply from our website, bubble-wrap offers an unparalleled level of protection for all of your items, can easily be wrapped around or affixed to them, and most importantly does little to add to the package’s overall mass. Alternatively, if you want your brand to stand out a little amongst your competitors, tissue paper represents a vibrant contrast that’s a highly effective form of securing your products without necessarily adding too much weight. Remember that whenever you’re posting any form of valuable item, from electrical goods to collectibles and jewellery, be sure to clearly label the item as fragile in order to avoid undue superficial damage; ODL also stock adhesive ‘Fragile’ tape to save time without compromising package security.

Profiting From Packaging

Packaging your items efficiently needn’t be a time-consuming or expensive exercise; with a little common sense and some affordable supplies, you can maintain a healthy retail business, develop an online empire or even just make a spare bit of money from old stuff you have lying around. When you’re packaging your wares for distribution, it’s important to try and keep both size and weight down at all times, without compromising on your parcel’s security or protection. Here at ODL we have a wide range of supplies to cater to all sorts of sellers - browse through our products today to find out how we can help you. Alternatively, if you don’t find exactly what you’re looking for, get in contact with us directly and we’ll be happy to try and help you out.