Got a business that sells goods?
If you just started (or needing to change packaging suppliers), you are probably asking yourself where to buy packaging.
In this guide, we go through your main options. And why you should consider Custom Pack Studio for the job!
Packaging from the high street
If you are selling something as a one-off, you might first look at your high street options.
Quick to get, it helps you move your products fast.
However, it does lack that personal touch which helps your business gain repeat customers. But for a one-off sale, it is a great option.
DIY stores
DIY shops often stock cardboard boxes, storage boxes, packing tape, and bubble wrap.
These are mostly aimed at house moves and home storage.
But if you are selling something bulky (or moving home!) on an online marketplace, the basic protective wrapping can do the trick.
Stationery shops
Stationery retailers are useful for one-off postal packaging, whether you are sending a gift or sold something personal to you.
Jiffy bags, bubble wrap envelopes, small cardboard boxes, and basic packing tape are usually in stock.
This works for occasional dispatch rather than regular business use, and for anyone who wants packaging materials online with click-and-collect turnaround.
Hobbycraft and craft retailers
Hobbycraft stocks a range of products leaning toward gift and craft packaging. From plain kraft bags, tissue paper, small carton sizes, ribbon closures, and decorative wrapping.
If you have just started selling handmade products at markets or running a small gifting business and want to see how your audience responds to your product, it can be a great way to start.
The Post Office
For small businesses posting occasional parcels, the Post Office carries standard postal packaging in small quantities.
Padded bags, postal tubes, and basic cardboard mailers for first class and second class sending.
Online packaging suppliers
For regular business use, online packaging suppliers offer far better value than the high street and a much wider range of products.
These packaging supplies can often be customised to suit your product.
Not only can this help you gain repeat customers by creating unboxing experiences and differentiating your brand, but a box that fits your product perfectly will protect your items during transit.
Cardboard boxes, corrugated packaging and packing materials
Specialist packaging suppliers stock cardboard boxes across a wide range of sizes.
From quality cardboard boxes in corrugated cardboard for shipping and transit, single wall and double wall options for different load requirements, and large cardboard boxes for furniture and bulky items.
Corrugated cardboard boxes help cushion contents, stack well, and are cost-effective when bought in volume.
Most online packaging suppliers let you buy packaging in quantity, with significant savings per unit compared with retail prices.
If you’re dispatching goods regularly, buying in volume makes sense, and the best suppliers offer a delivery service that restocks you without delay.
Bubble wrap, void fill and protective packaging materials
Protective packaging can also be bought online.
Alongside standard bubble wrap and bubble wrap rolls, some packaging suppliers stock packing peanuts, paper void fill, stretch wrap, pallet wrap, foam packaging, and a full range of products designed to protect specific items in transit.
Void fill is the packing material that fills the empty space inside a carton or shipping box to prevent movement.
However, some of this protective packaging can often be difficult to dispose of in an environmentally friendly way. This means it can be a bad look for your brand if your customers are sustainability-minded.
Good quality, custom packaging ships your products securely without overpacking.
Custom packaging for product businesses
Generic packing supplies do the transit job well enough, but for product businesses, that’s only half the equation.
Every unbranded box that lands on a doorstep is a missed opportunity to reinforce why the customer should come back.
Online shopping customers form their impression of a brand from the moment the package arrives.
An e-commerce business shipping in plain cardboard with no printed identity is getting orders delivered, but not building the kind of recognition that turns a first purchase into a second.
Custom packaging for product businesses means printed cartons designed to your specification, branded mailer boxes with your logo and colour scheme, subscription boxes with a considered interior layout, and bespoke sizes that fit your product properly.
Buyers who receive a well-packaged order come back at higher rates than those who don’t.
Custom Pack Studio’s packaging solutions cover this need directly.
We offer packaging for product businesses that want fully customisable, bespoke cartons and mailer boxes, from kraft and corrugated options to premium board finishes.
Our custom packaging for small businesses starts from a single unit, with no minimum order to meet before you trial a design. Plus, with our free sample package, you can see exactly how it will print before running your run.
If your current packaging is doing the job but not doing anything for your brand, a bespoke printed option is worth looking at.
A carton designed to your product’s dimensions, with your brand colours and logo applied, looks professional and intentional from the moment it arrives.
Packaging solutions: what to look for in a packaging supplier
Packaging suppliers vary significantly in what they stock, how quickly they ship, and what support they offer.
The five areas below are worth checking before committing to a supplier.
Quality and material specification
Quality cardboard boxes vary in board weight, flute specification, and construction. Cheap boxes collapse under load and lose their shape when stacked.
For quality packaging that holds up in transit, ask suppliers about board grade and corrugated specification before placing your order.
For custom packaging, the board and print specification affects how the finished box looks, feels, and holds up through the supply chain.
It’s worth checking both before committing to a print run.
Delivery and turnaround
Most UK packaging suppliers can deliver across the UK in fast turnaround times.
But for custom pack solutions, make sure to trust a supplier like Custom Pack Studio with a proven track record of excellent service.
Check coverage and minimum thresholds before committing to a supplier.
The best delivery service is one that fits your reorder cycle rather than forcing you to hold large amounts of stock.
Eco-friendly materials and environmental impact
The packaging industry is moving quickly toward recyclable, biodegradable, and sustainably sourced materials.
For businesses that want their packaging to have a lower environmental impact, look for suppliers using FSC-certified board, biodegradable packaging options, and materials that can be recycled through standard kerbside collection.
Custom Pack Studio uses eco-friendly packaging that’s 100% recyclable and certified to FSC and PEFC standards.
Sustainable packaging that reduces the environmental impact of your supply chain is available at any order size.
Range and flexibility
A good packaging supplier offers a range of products across different sizes, formats, and specifications.
A single account means one delivery schedule to track and one reorder cycle rather than several.
For custom packaging, flexibility means the ability to order short runs, specify exact sizes, and get design support without needing to supply a finished print-ready file.
Our design consultation service is available to businesses that want bespoke packaging but don’t have a designer in-house.
Free sample packaging
It can be scary sending your design off to print for the first time, not sure what it will actually look like on paper.
That’s exactly why we allow our customers to request a free printed sample of your own design, or order a sample pack of our materials and finishes.
This helps you feel confident in your design decisions before your first run!
Contact Custom Pack Studio today
If this is exactly the kind of service you’ve been looking for, or you have been thinking of ways to take your brand to the next level, we’re the team for you!
Our packaging facility is based in Irvine, Scotland, allowing for fast UK turnaround times. Backed by bespoke packaging specialist Kennedy Smith, you’re in safe hands from brief to delivery.
With no minimum order quantity, Custom Pack Studio allows you to be completely flexible with your order quantity. When you are ready to grow, we will be here with you.
Contact our friendly team today to get the bespoke packaging of your dreams. Call us today on 01294 314919 to find out more.
