Lower Shipping Costs with These Packaging Strategies
Shipping is only getting more difficult for businesses. Carriers raise their rates every year and Amazon continuously raises the bar for faster shipping times. Consumers now expect cheap shipping rates at insanely fast speeds. Many businesses struggle to keep up. The great news is: there’s a way to make your customers happy without breaking the bank. If you’re wondering how to reduce shipping costs, follow these strategies.
Analyze Shipping Volume and Frequency
The first step to reduce shipping costs is to analyze your shipping volume and frequency. By understanding how often you ship and in what quantities, you can consolidate shipments to reduce the number of deliveries and take advantage of bulk shipping discounts.
Tracking shipping frequency also allows businesses to uncover inefficiencies, such as underutilized truck space or unnecessarily frequent shipments to the same locations. Overall, a data-driven approach to shipping helps businesses cut costs while maintaining reliable delivery schedules.
Create Right-Size Packaging Solutions
Right-size packaging refers to designing and using packaging that fits a product as closely as possible while still providing adequate protection. This approach reduces excess material, minimizes wasted space, and enhances sustainability by using fewer resources.
Overall, right-size packaging lowers costs because you’ll be using less material. Additionally, carriers often charge based on package size and weight; minimizing your dimensions can lower costs directly related to transporting products.
Opt for an eVMI Solution
Too often, businesses run out of packaging materials. This might be due to a missed order, incorrect inventory, or unprojected sales. As a result, businesses are forced to order rush packaging materials that are typically more expensive. An electronic vendor-managed inventory (eVMI) solution can help avoid these issues.
Our web-based eVMI system replenishes your packaging materials automatically. You no longer have to worry about emergency orders, delayed deliveries, or damaged and outdated stock. The packaging inventory system adjusts for variances in demand, recognizing usage swings and demand needs immediately. Just scan the packaging materials as you use them and we’ll replenish as necessary. Relying on this system can help you avoid costly rush orders or expensive stock packaging should you run out of materials.
Take Advantage of Contract Packaging Services
Packaging products in house can be labor-intensive. It requires skilled workers, specialized equipment, and sometimes temporary staff. If you outsource your packaging, you can eliminate these costs.
Contract packaging companies often have highly optimized processes in place, which reduces the time it takes to package products, saving you money. And, for businesses with fluctuating packaging needs, contract packagers can scale operations up or down, which alleviates excess costs during slower periods. If you have high-volume, consistent needs, seasonal spikes, or complex packaging, contract packaging will likely be right for you.
Jamestown Container Can Show You How to Reduce Shipping Costs
Still wondering about how to reduce shipping costs? Partner with the experts at Jamestown Container. Since 1965, we’ve helped businesses like yours get the perfect packaging solutions for their needs.
We offer just about everything your business requires for its packaging, and have professional affiliations that allow us to serve customers around the globe. Additionally, we maintain industry certifications — including an ISO 9001 accreditation — to hold us to the highest standards in manufacturing excellence.
In addition to boxes, pop displays, and other packaging necessities, we also offer contract packaging and eVMI services for our customers. With our contract packaging services, you can rely on us to assemble packaging, pack products, and coordinate freight. But, if you’d rather package in-house, our eVMI services are right for you. Just scan your packaging as you use it and we’ll have a real-time look at your inventory requirements. We’ll automatically replenish it for you, reducing the risk of over- and under-stocking.
Lastly, everything we do at Jamestown Container is centered around sustainability. All our locations are provided with the ultimate in lightweight, recycled linerboard from the Greenpac Mill. This state-of-the-art facility has one of the lowest amounts of paper mill landfill waste in the country. Using its products allows us to achieve maximum performance and strength without sacrificing sustainability.
Get More from Jamestown Container
With decades of experience under our belt, we can help you get the perfect packaging for your needs. Contact our team to get started.