When a customer receives a damaged parcel, the first instinct is often to blame the courier. But the truth is, a significant number of delivery complaints stem from something much closer to home, the packaging itself. No matter how carefully a courier handles a shipment, a poorly packed parcel is always vulnerable. The good news is that with a few simple adjustments, you can dramatically reduce the risk of damage, returns and disappointed customers.
Here are five essential packaging tips every business should follow before handing over a parcel for delivery.
1. Choose the Right Box Size
It might seem like a minor detail, but box size matters more than most people realise. Using a box that is too large leaves excess space for your product to shift and collide with the walls during transit. Using one that is too small puts unnecessary pressure on the item and risks the box bursting at the seams. As a general rule, choose a box that fits your product snugly, with enough room to add a layer of protective padding on all sides, typically around 5 to 7 centimetres. Avoid reusing old or weakened boxes that have lost their structural integrity, as they are far more likely to collapse under the pressure of stacking and handling.
2. Use the Right Void Fill
Once your product is in the box, the empty space around it needs to be filled and not with whatever happens to be lying around. Void fill materials such as bubble wrap, foam inserts, packing peanuts or crumpled kraft paper are specifically designed to cushion your product and absorb impact during transit. The goal is to ensure that when you shake the box gently, nothing moves. If you can hear or feel the product shifting, add more fill. For fragile or high-value items, double-boxing, placing a smaller packed box inside a larger outer box with padding in between, provides an additional layer of protection.
3. Secure Fragile Items Correctly
Fragile items such as glassware, electronics, ceramics and jewellery require special attention. Wrapping each individual item separately in bubble wrap or foam ensures that even if items are packed together, they won’t damage one another. Pay particular attention to corners and edges, which are the most vulnerable points on most products. For electronics, anti-static packaging is recommended to prevent damage from static electricity during handling. Always mark fragile parcels clearly on the outside of the box, while this doesn’t guarantee gentle handling, it does serve as an important reminder at every stage of the delivery process.
4. Seal Your Parcel Properly
Even the most carefully packed box can fail if it isn’t sealed correctly. Standard tape is rarely sufficient for courier shipments. Use strong packing tape, ideally at least 48mm wide, and apply it in an H-pattern across the top and bottom seams of the box. This reinforces the most structurally vulnerable points and prevents the box from opening under pressure. Avoid using string, twine or thin tape, as these can catch on machinery and cause delays or damage. Make sure all original box seams are fully covered and that there are no gaps where the tape could peel away during a long journey.
5. Label Clearly and Correctly
A parcel that is correctly packed but incorrectly labelled can still end up in the wrong hands or not delivered at all. Ensure that the recipient’s name, full address and contact number are printed clearly and attached securely to the outside of the box. Handwritten labels are prone to smudging, especially in humid or wet conditions, so printed labels are always the safer choice. Place the label on the largest flat surface of the parcel and cover it with a strip of clear tape to protect it from moisture. If you are reusing a box, remove or completely cover any old labels to avoid confusion during sorting and routing.
Good packaging is not an afterthought, it is an investment in your customer’s experience. Every parcel that leaves your hands in poor condition is a risk to your reputation, your revenue, and your relationship with your customers. By taking a few extra minutes to pack correctly, seal securely and label clearly, you significantly increase the chances of your product arriving in perfect condition.
At Royal Express, we handle every parcel with care, but we always say that the journey starts with you. Pack it right, and we’ll do the rest.
