Types of Mailers

Mailers are a great way to get your message in front of potential customers. They can be a quick and easy way for companies to advertise their products or services, but choosing the right type for your business is important. As you know, e-commerce businesses that ship directly to customers need a way to keep their products safe and protected during the shipping process. What are the different types of mailers? What is the purpose of using them? Which one is right for you? Mailers come in all shapes and sizes, but there are a few main categories that they fall into. Businesses use these different types to ship their products safely or to promote themselves in some way. Below are different types of mailers.

Corrugated Mailer

Corrugated mailers are the most common type of mailer used by businesses. They consist of a cardboard front and back with a corrugated inner to give it strength. These boxes are typically large enough to fit one standard size product, such as a headband, necklace, or makeup palette. This is also an effective way to ship fragile items. The corrugated inner helps keep the product from moving around and getting damaged. This is a good option for products that need to be shipped in multiple pieces, such as jewelry or any type of art.

Bubble Mailers

Bubble mailers are an alternative to corrugated boxes. These usually come in a smaller size, but they may be large enough for one or two products or other small items. They can also double as promotional material if you use your company logo and contact information outside.

Poly Mailers

Poly mailers are great for shipping products that need to be protected, but they will not break if dropped. These are good options for fragile items like glass or porcelain figurines, speakers, or wine bottles.

Flat Mailers & Chipboard Mailers

Flat mailers and chipboard mailers are very similar. They both come in a flat shape with no inner corrugation, which allows them to be lightweight. These types of boxes are good for shipping items that don't need to be protected from being dropped, but they may still need additional cushioning for safe transit. Because these lack the protective properties of other types of mailers, they are best for items that are less likely to break.

Rigid Mailers

Rigid mailers are very similar to flat mailers, but they typically come in a larger size. They typically measure up to 22x28 inches. These are great for posters or large prints that need protection during shipping.

Glamour Mailers

Glamour mailers are a more premium option for businesses that need a more high-end look for their packaging. They have a smooth surface and come in various sizes, so they can even be used as an alternative to boxes. Glamour mailers have the advantage of being very lightweight, which means they may be subject to less expensive shipping rates.

Padded Mailers

Padded mailers are similar in size to flat mailers, but they have an additional cushioning layer. They provide an extra level of protection to keep products safe during transit. This is ideal for when you need your item to arrive in the same condition that it was when it left your hands.

Eco-Friendly Mailers

Eco-friendly mailers are designed to be made from recycled materials, making them a great option for environmentally conscious businesses.

There are countless ways that companies can use mailers to get their products out there in the world. Frequently, it is helpful to have multiple types of boxes, so you have options when shipping different items.

Boxes and Tape. Are you using the right ones?

2021 has been the great failure for the world unless you are in politics.  Then you are a hero and rich.  Surprise surprise, but the rest of us had to learn how to live in an eCommerce based world and one that limited our ability to work.  So with that being said, I have learned a whole lot about different things this year and how to survive.  The change in our company and in my family life has taught me that there is a whole lot of things, that I don't know before, and am excited to keep up.  My company moved into a new location and my family moved from an apartment to a house for the first time.  This had taken me on a journey of learning how to do things and how some small items end up being the most important and time-saving.  It really has been a fun experience this year and it turns out that having the right tape is truly important and can help save lots of time in certain situations. Never would have guessed it last year though.

This journey has led me down a lot of interesting paths and what I found was that having things available instantly to me was more important than not having them.  I am usually a you can get it later kind of guy, but not anymore.  I have been on many projects where I simply needed something and it takes an hour to go to the store and back or it takes two days to ship from online.  Those time frames in some cases can cause a catastrophe or simply waste a lot of money which is my time. This led me to learn how to buy lots of tape at a discount.  Moving into a home that needed tons of work meant that I made lots of trips to big box stores for small items wasting so much time.  What I learned from work as that I could order all these items from a big packaging supplies store and save tons of money and time.  

Some types of tape you simply use more than others.  If you buy all of those in single rolls the cost adds up quickly if you think about how many rolls you use during a year.  For my family, we were remodeling a house and that number tripled or more.  So we ended up shopping in bulk from a packaging supplies store that had bulk pricing and discounts for large quantities and large was not really that much.  So we ended up saving 30% or more on buying it all at once from this type of store.  It did take longer on shipping than amazon but for a 30% cost savings the few extra days were worth it and now we have tape for the whole year.  Savings was a big win to me.

Tape is a necessity in life.  If you need to package up a box to ship or to store your goods, then either of these tapes will work.  If you are doing any kind of ductwork rather in or under your house the duct tape is amazing for holding things tightly especially if you have to screw into the aluminum or plastic ducts to hold on pipes.  I found it priceless to have it on hand and ready to go. 

What you Gain by Packaging upgrades

 Packaging is something that’s the first contact point between you and the buyer. The packaging standard is what people judge, and the proper judgment determines what they believe to be a quality product. 

Consumers usually pick items based on the visuals, but nowadays, they also will look at other factors, including sustainability. A lot of times, you need to make sure that you upgrade, and here, we’ll go over what packaging upgrades can do for you. 

Packaging Roles 

There are a few roles that packaging offers. We’ll go over each of them below: 

1. They literally advertise you and your brand. A lot of brands look to packaging as a way to advertise themselves. Think about it, it’s the first point that they’ll see when interacting with you. 

2. It indicates whether or not the product is high quality. If the packaging is bad for an item that’s perishable, people will disregard it as something that’s easily spoiled 

3. It shows sustainability, as the right sustainable packaging does attract customers. It minimizes the carbon footprint, and it gets higher sales from products that already did have a decent number. 

4. Competition look at their competition and will switch their packaging to something more attractive to their customers and get the others to invest in their brand 

5. Manufacturers can make sure that the packaging fits the standards of the market.  It also will need to fit the sentiments, as the wrong packaging will turn up those sentiments, for better or for worse 

6. If you want to seem more appealing and fresher, you’ll want to improve the design of the packaging. It leads to better sales, and the brand builds trust through the use of their packaging naturally. 

7. Some manufacturers will revise their prices and packaging, and many times will actually offer discounts on certain packaging to get customers to look at this.

8. Changing to recycled materials allows for you to appear sustainable, get tax benefits from the government, and also reduces the costs 

9. You want to make sure that you’re constantly innovating. This includes not just the packaging, but the materials, as you want something sustainable and easy to use 

10. If products are recyclable, this is good for creating niche clientele that’s obsessed with sustainable or green forms of packaging 

Making sure it’s Food Safe 

If you’re going to be upgrading your packaging, the basic requirement is that they protect what’s within. 

The second, is that if there is food there, it’s food safe if the content contains various foods within. A lot of the food industry has factored that is, and a lot are also going towards more sustainable forms of packaging, with shiftable techniques in printing, and it’s visible, while also keeping up with the pace of customers. 

Upgrades should be done on all forms, as this is something that can make or break the business, and if you don’t have packaging that’s already food safe, it’s high time that you take matters into your own hands to ensure that this is possible. 

A lot of brands are always looking to innovate on the latest ideas for packaging, and creating innovative ideas that attract these customers through textures and designs. That's why it’s important to make sure that food safe packaging is done, in a manner that’ll be affordable, while also keeping costs for production factored in too. 

Bear all this in mind when putting together your packaging, so that you’re able to, through this, craft the ideal packaging experience for your customers that’ll blow them away too.

There are Packaging Supplies you must have at home

The change in how we work, live, and shop from COVID-19 has had many effects on me and my family.   The extra time we have spent at home due to the COVID-19 Pandemic has left us with many new tasks.  The more time is nice, but the fear and lies from our government and the totalitarian rules are simply sad.  Since we are unable to leave our home for State Regulations we figured we would work on making our home better.  I am sure the state will take over the value of my home, but for now, it is in our hands.  Through many of our tasks, we learned that there really are some items that you simply have to have on hand.  That is an understatement when it comes to working on your home in some cases.  The ability to fix problems before they become emergencies is really important for working on a house.  Sometimes a temporary fix is simply what is needed in order to hold off the end of the world problems that could come and cost you thousands. It is amazing to think that something as simple as tape could be that answer and I must say that there are a few tapes you should have on hand in order to accomplish this goal. Yes, tape can be the difference between success and a $5,000 plumbing bill.

Now, it does sound silly, but having the right tape can be a game-changer for home tasks.  It really goes without saying that the most important of all shipping supplies is the right tape.  I think that duct tape happens to be the most useful of all kinds of tapes.  I didn't know that one of the biggest shipping supplies we use all the time got its roots in war. Duct tape was created back in World War II and it was used for a seal.  Apparently, ammo cans had issues with leaking and they used duct tape to seal them in order to ship ammo safely.  After the war soldiers ended up taking this amazing tape back home and started using it for all sorts of fixes.  It eventually found itself in use for ductwork and homebuilding.  That is where the brand became a legend and everything was history from that point on.  Duct tape is a must in our home. 

This tape is so versatile.  No, joke I am a huge fan of it, if you cannot already tell.  I have used duct tape to put a paintbrush on an extendable pole to paint the exterior of my house after our paintbrush adaptable pole broke.  Instead of driving an hour to pick up one at the shop duct tape gave me a temporary fix to finishing a job.  It cost a few cents to make the contraption and saved hours and probably forty bucks to buy a replacement pole and holder.  This is why I love quick fixes because that day I would have not been able to finish the job if I had to leave to buy a new item.  That would have essentially turned that job into an emergency situation with my wife! 

So keep some good stuff on hand and make sure you get the quality brands.  The Dollar Store Duct tape is not the same quality. 

The different Types of mailers

If you’re running an ecommerce business that does directly ship to customers, then you must know a little bit about how important it is for the products to be safe and protected. But sometimes, a mailer isn’t always necessary, but other times it’s a better alternative to boxes, since it can be cheaper not only to buy, but also to ship too. They come in a lot of different kinds with different benefits as well. Whether you need extra padding, resistant to water, or just branded mailers, there are a ton of different options, and some good ones for you to check out. 

Corrugated Mailers 

They’re literally compact versions of cardboard boxes. Even though you may need some padding or void fill, these usually are smaller, so the shipping costs are less, and they’re thick, lightweight, and sturdy, guaranteeing to offer a lot of protection for those items that are small and fragile and come in a lot of different options too. 

Bubble Mailers 

These are essentially a lightweight and durable solution that’s economical and padded, and are good for books, DVDs, stationery, and other smaller items that aren’t really needed to be shipped by a cardboard box but do require the protection from any damages and such too. The also do have a self-sealing strip that takes out the need for tape, and usually are either whit or a brown kraft option, although you can order these custom to fit the product that you have. 

Poly Mailers 

These are tear-proof, long, clear, expansion, returnable, or colored mailers that are all made from polyethylene, and are great for those weather-resistant options, so you don’t have to worry about the elements getting it. It also is tamper and tear-resistant, which is good because it will be a durable type of mailer so that nothing gets messed up when shipping. These are good for important documents, books, and other materials made of paper, since they offer padding and features that are weather-resistant too and are also self-sealing since they are attached immediately. 

Chipboard and Flat Mailers 

They are strong and durable mailers that are incredibly lightweight and are great for shipping documents, magazines, photos, legal documents, certificates, and the like. They are good because they prevent these items from being folded, bent, or hurt in any sort of way, and usually are a brown kraft, white, or a black color. They also are self-sealing, tab-lock, and also may be gusseted too in order to offer bulkier, larger shipments as well. 

Rigid Mailers 

These are made of kraft and are similar to the chipboard ones, and are again, good for documents, artwork, and other stuff, and since this also prevents creases, bends, and folds, you don’t have to worry about it being damaged as well, saving you money on the costs of this, and also come with the self-sealing flap to help make it easy to open. 

Glamor 

Finally, you have amour mailers, and these are usually a lot prettier to help stand out from others. They can be also lined with a bubble liner inside of there and come in a variety of jaw-dropping colors. They are also self-sealing, so you don’t need tape. The purpose of these is shipping small, luxury products that need nice packaging in order to stand out. They also are good if you’re in a competitive brand and need something to stand out from them. There you have it, some of the most common mailers. As you can see there are a lot of options, and many different ways for you to choose and customize the different items. 

Packaging Tips For Selling Online

Whether you an independent vendor, an online marketplace or selling from your e-commerce store, it is necessary to choose how to package your products the right way. This step is crucial regardless of the size of your business.

The shopping experience of an online customer is not limited to browsing the online store and placing an order. The first physical contact between your brand and the customer happens when your product arrives at their doorstep. This experience is entirely different from that involved in in-store shopping.

In this article, we will discuss some actionable tips to help you with the packaging of your product the right way.

Product security

The very first requirement is to make sure that your product arrives at the customer’s doorstep in one piece. Poor packaging choices can result in the product arriving misshapen or in damaged condition. Good thing is that remedying these choices is not quite hard.

Adding protective materials such as bubble wrap or packaging tissue can add an extra layer of security to the product packaging, allowing brands and companies to keep the product safe from potential damage. Packaging foam is another material that can keep the product in place. Another advantage of packaging foam is that it is lightweight.

Choosing the right cardboard box

The exterior of the product is just as important as the interior. The option that you can consider in this regard is the use of cardboard boxes, which are hard, lightweight, and recyclable. Cardboard boxes are perfect for e-commerce shipping.

While choosing the box size, take into consideration the dimensions of the product and materials that you will have to use for cushioning. Choosing a too-small box can lead to over-stuffing while choosing a too-large box can result in the need to fill too many packaging materials. Such a box will expose the vulnerable product to damage.

A rule of thumb is that if you need extra tape to secure the box, it is smaller than what you need. On the other hand, if the product is easily tilting inside the box, it is too big.

Adding personal touches to your packaging

Trying to be a minimalist, while designing your product packaging, results in it becoming unattractive for your customers. The most necessary thing to consider here is the first impression. Your product at the doorstep may be the very first point of contact between you and your customer. You will want to make it count. It is the opportunity that allows you to show your customers that you are a trustable service.

For this purpose, you can consider using branded tape to make the outer packaging a bit more attractive. You can also use branded materials inside the package to improve the unboxing experience.

Choosing transit and shipping

Accidents during shipping are not the fault of the seller. Unfortunately, your customers may decide to turn away from your brand if anything bad happens to the product during shipping. That is why it is necessary to choose a professional transit and shipping company. You can contact different companies to get quotes.

Does your home have enough office supplies to work at home?

Changes are happening constantly and working in 2021 from home has not been the best experience.  It has meant long hours at home with kids in the background.  All the Zoom calls and now I feel like I am never away from work.  That is why since I am always at work I Need to have all the work accessories at home.  Yes, it is 2021 and the COVID-19 pandemic is still going on.  What a joke right.  99.7%+ of people end up just fine and those stats are better than almost any virus or flu that is out there. But the reality is that that was not the biggest change for my family.  Our change came from the locational change of moving from an apartment to a home for the first time.  My wife and I found a home in the nicest neighborhood in our city and found out that since it needed lots of work that we could actually afford it.  We knew that we would have to do tons of work to this home and that it would take hundreds of hours of work on our part to make it liveable.  But what we discovered was that there are many items that people would consider to be packaging supplies that they actually need on their list and in their home otherwise you end up having issues working well.

I realized right off the bat that I needed tape.  Lots of tape and all the kinds to get my work schedule and papers together. The ability to have tape on hand is even more important for living in a home than versus an apartment.  It went way beyond just work though and to keep our home together we used tape all the time.  That is because there are too many needs for different types of tape that can instantly happen.  These tapes are lifesavers and really time savers.  When it is also illegal to leave your home for non-emergency items it is also important to have lots of these items on hand.  Don't get caught without it.

We all know the most important one and that is Duct Tape. World War II gave us this and it was made to waterproof ammo cans.  What people found was that it had a multitude of other uses and was amazing at sealing almost anything up.  Around the house, we have used it in emergencies to fix leaks and to hold items together to keep thousands of dollars of things from crashing down.  It is also a great way to seal up boxes and basically patch almost anything.  I have taped paintbrushes to poles in order to get to high places because we had broken our extendable paintbrush pole.  We used it for everything and it was worth it. 

Having boxes around the house has also been a lifesaver.  You never know when you will need to store items.  Or even keep items from damaging others and cutting up boxes and using them as flooring covers or simply padding has been a huge help in our home.  We stored the majority of our garage items in boxes and created a whole system for the organization.  Using not just cheap boxes but going to an online packaging supplies store to get top-notch boxes was a good call.