How to spec retail packaging for a drinkware program

Packaging is where most first-time importers lose money quietly. It is also the easiest place to fix a problem before production starts.

Decide the sales channel first

A product sold on a marketplace needs a box that photographs well and stacks neatly in a warehouse. A product sold to a promotional distributor may need only a poly bag and a carton. A gift-set product needs an insert that stops the pieces moving. Packaging chosen before the channel is decided almost always gets replaced on the second order.

The four layers

• Primary: poly bag, shrink wrap or bare cup.
• Retail box: printed colour box or gift box with an insert to hold the cup, straw and lid.
• Inner carton: how boxes group inside the shipper.
• Export carton: the unit your forwarder counts, marked with your shipping marks and barcode.

Damage is a packaging problem

Coated tumblers damage most in two ways: lids chipping against each other, and cartons crushing at the bottom layer when stacked. Ask for a drop test on the packed carton and confirm the carton compression strength before the container is loaded. If your carton is stacked six high in a container, say so — it changes the board grade.

What to write into the order

Box dimensions in mm, board grade, print method, insert type, barcode number and position, shipping mark content, and the number of pieces per export carton. Put all of it in the order confirmation, not in a chat message. When a shipment arrives with the barcode in the wrong corner, this document is what settles the argument.