The festive shopping season is now well and truly underway, but while consumers are busy shopping and spending time with their families, delivery companies and retailers are working hard to meet customer demand.
As well as delivery companies and retailers making sure shipments are dispatched in time for the big day, it’s also up to them to ensure that the parcels arrive in a good condition. To help with this, FedEx has put together some useful packing tips, which are ideal for Christmas.
1. Prep your item – use bubble wrap to “square off” any odd angles to make them less fragile. If your item is shallow or hollow inside, such as bowl or a vase, fill the space with packing peanuts, bubble wrap or crumpled paper.
2. Choose the best box – use a sturdy box that’s a few inches larger than your gift on all sides, doing this will allow for plenty of cushioning.
3. Fragile Gift? – when you’ve got a an item to ship that is very fragile, use two boxes. Cushion your item with at least three inches of packing peanuts or other cushioning material in a box.
4. Pack in the address – With the wintry conditions this time of the year couriers are out in all weathers transporting your shipments, even if this is a short distance to and from their vehicle in rain, sleet or snow, you need to ensure that your packaging /labelling can withstand the weather. Sometimes weather can streak or remove shipping labels and paperwork can get lost from pouches. For that reason, we recommend that you always put an extra shipping label, business card or letterhead with the shipper and recipient’s address information inside your box.
5. Seal it tight- keeping all that rain, sleet and snow out of your box is easy, all you have to do is seal all the flaps and seams with proper packing tape. Do not use duct tape or masking tape.
6. Keep your wrappings inside the box – don’t wrap your shipping box in anything as these items can get caught in the sorting machines.
7. Label it right – one of the best ways to ensure your package gets to its destination on time is with proper labelling. When using a shipping label, airbill, or airway bill, fill it out completely and accurately. When using pouch, make sure the peel-off strip has been removed and the flap is firmly sealed.