Best sources for parcel boxes and packaging materials

[Business News]

I've started a bit of eBay retailing as I'm now semi-retired having run my own company (non retail) for 18 years. This has me selling around 30 items a week for 15 established SKU's and I'm adding new lines as I go. Sticking with them if they sell, dropping them if they don't. I'm probably going to max things out at 100 sales a week to stay under the VAT threshold. I've reached the stage after 3 months of driving the margin forward and want to tie down good source points for packaging, boxes and materials. I need to tie down a good supply source for low cost large letter and small parcel boxes and bubble wrap and package tape and A6 document wallets. At the moment I'm making do with Amazon and eBay sellers but would prefer to go direct to a supplier(s) or wholesaler(s).

So, can anyone recommend their go to supplier for single skin card boxes. The lightest item I ship is 35g and the heaviest item is 2kg so the boxes don't need to be substantial. I currently buy in units of 100 boxes but see that could ramp up to order of up to 500 units as the sales progress.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Mr D]

Best?
Or cheapest?
Or a suitable size?

Not always one supplier meeting requirements.

Have a look at Zeus. Have a look at odl. Have a look at eBay branded packaging if you have a featured account on eBay sometime - the 10 pounds a month voucher helps keep costs down.
Have a look at Kite.
Have a look at Rajapack.

I tend to keep about 15 sizes of box in stock, multiple suppliers as none has everything I need. Several of the big companies will deliver even for orders of a hundred quid or so.

Bubble wrap can be good deals buying by the carton or by the kilometre.
Depending on the goods you could also look at packing peanuts - big bags are handy to have bulk amount but if you go down that route buy a scoop and use a smaller bag to work from.

 

[Business News]

Best is always good quality at a competitive price with some kind of customer service if there is an issue. I avoid dealing with companies that just have a webform to contact. So a real address, real phone number and real people at the end of an email or phone call. Customer service is more important than shaving a few pence of a pack price.

I'll try to standardise on three pack sizes, one for the large letter and two for the small parcels with the larger box capable to accommodate multiple items in one order up to the 2kg Royal Mail ceiling weight.

Thanks for the reply I'll have a look into those two suppliers.

 

[Deleted member 59730]

If you can order in reasonable quantities you can get boxes to your own spec. We used Smurfit for years with zero problems https://www.smurfitkappa.com/

Compared to the people selling stock boxes in small quantities the prices are amazing.