Choosing the correct shipping supplies for your ecommerce shipments affects everything from shipping costs to whether or not items will arrive safely at the customer’s doorstep (and whether your business will foot the bill for replacement items!)
If a customer receives a broken item, they may never shop from your brand again. In sum, poor packaging strategies will cost online sellers in more ways than one.
But not every item needs to be delivered in a cardboard box. While many people equate boxes with online shopping, many deliveries don’t require them. Poly mailers offer an excellent packaging alternative because they are smaller, lighter, and often provide built-in cushioning to protect items–at a lower cost per unit than cardboard packaging.
We’re going to explain shipping with poly mailers as an ecommerce brand, when to use a poly mailer instead of a box, and how partnering with a 3PL helps you to lower shipping costs across the board.
What are poly mailers?
Poly mailers are lightweight, strong, and flexible mailing envelopes used for shipping products. They contain a self-sealing foldover lip that eliminates the need to tape the mailer shut, with the shipping label placed on the outside.
These mailers are very popular among ecommerce businesses because they’re lightweight, available in a variety of sizes and shapes, and offer decent protection for the contents. Some designs are cushioned with bubble wrap to eliminate the need for any additional dunnage. As they take up relatively little space on a delivery truck, poly mailers are a more cost-effective option than boxes.
While plastic material like polyethylene is commonly used for poly mailers, there are a growing number of eco-friendly mailers available in a bid to reduce waste from packaging materials. This includes biodegradable poly mailers made from materials such as corn starch and sugarcane, which can either be composted commercially or by consumers at home. Custom poly mailers also offer brands the ability to create more engaging delivery experiences, compared to generic cardboard boxes.
Here are a few reasons why you should consider using a poly mailer rather than a box for ecommerce deliveries:
Types of poly mailers
Standard poly mailers
Polyethylene mailers are the commonly used mailer bags for shipping lightweight items such as clothing or accessories. They typically feature a self-sealing adhesive strip for easy closure.
Bubble mailers
These poly mailer bags have a layer of bubble wrap or padding on the inside of the envelope to provide an extra layer of protection for delicate or fragile items.
Resealable poly mailers
Reusable poly bags have an additional adhesive seal so a customer can reuse the mailer or poly bag again after opening it. This is useful for return-ready packaging to send a product back to the warehouse.
Expansion poly mailers
An expansion poly mailer is a thick envelope designed to accommodate different-sized items through expandable side gussets. This design makes them ideal for shipping items that don’t fit into standard flat mailers.
The benefits of using poly mailers for shipping ecommerce orders
Lower shipping costs
While corrugated boxes are strong and resistant to damage, their bulkiness pushes up dimensional weight, resulting in more expensive shipping rates.
Dimensional weight is a pricing strategy employed by shipping companies where packages are charged for shipping based on volumetric weight. This means carriers will charge a premium for lightweight cargo that takes up a lot of space on a delivery truck. Many shipping carriers also charge additional fees for heavyweight shipping, so keeping packages compact and light is in the best interests of any ecommerce business.
Poly mailers are less expensive per shipment than boxes, thanks to their light weight and compact size, assisting in lowering dimensional weight and allowing you to save money on shipping expenses.
Easy to store
Because poly mailers are constructed of either plastic products or lightweight materials, they are easier to store in a warehouse than boxes or packing peanuts. Thousands of mailer bags can be folded and stored within a space that can only hold a handful of containers. When it comes to delivery, poly mailers can also fit inside a mailbox, which decreases the likelihood of porch piracy compared to a box left on the doorstep.
More options for custom branding
Custom packaging helps your shipments to stand out and create a more memorable post-purchase experience when they arrive on your customer’s doorstep. However, custom-printed boxes have a high cost per unit, and may not be accessible for all ecommerce businesses. Poly mailers, however, cost less and can incorporate your brand colors and logo to build stronger brand recognition.
What products are suitable for shipping with poly mailers?
Although boxes are frequently a necessity in ecommerce shipping, they may be not necessary for certain items. Shoes, for example, are frequently housed in sturdy cardboard boxes, so sending them inside another cardboard box makes little sense.
Soft, non-fragile items that can be easily folded, such as apparel and linens are great for mailer bags, since they are not sensitive to being crushed or damaged in the absence of a box. Poly mailers with bubble padding are a good alternative for smaller fragile items, so long as package contents are wrapped well.
When to avoid shipping with poly mailers
Mailer bags are versatile and suitable for a wide range of products. However, there are some situations when a poly mailer won’t suffice for shipping customer orders:
When the order contents are fragile
Products that are easily broken or damaged should be shipped using more protective packaging to avoid unhappy customers (and the cost of replacement items). The same goes for high-quality products that have a high replacement value. In these cases, poly mailers simply aren’t worth the risk.
When there are multiple items in an order
Poly mailers aren’t the ideal option when shipping many products at once, unless they’re soft items such as clothes. This can stretch the mailer bag and is more likely to result in tearing the envelope. Sturdier packaging, such as a box with air cushioning, is a better option.
The product does not fit properly in the poly mailer
While it seems simple to slide an item into whichever poly mailer you have on hand, improperly packed poly mailers can cause difficulties during the sortation process for shipping carriers. Scanning devices may misunderstand flat patches or gaps, resulting in damages, additional handling charges, delays, or even the dreaded ‘Return to Sender’.
For items that do not fit well in a poly mailer, cushioned mailers, rigid mailers, or corrugated cardboard boxes may be a better alternative.
Why you should work with ShippingTree to lower your shipping costs
Poly mailers are a great strategy to help lower the cost of shipping per order. But they’re no silver bullet no their own. Lowering the cost of shipping overall for your ecommerce business requires a multi-faceted strategy–starting with where you fulfill your orders, the shipping carriers you work with, and whether you’re partnering with a 3PL who can pass on competitive shipping rates.
So, why partner with ShippingTree to manage your shipping strategy?
Reduced shipping costs
You can’t provide expedited shipping at scale without charging customers more or reducing your shipping costs. With ShippingTree, you can leverage wholesale carrier rates and strategic fulfillment locations to cut your shipping costs at the source.
Two-day delivery
Our fulfillment teams team brings together tech enablement with years of industry expertise. We help you streamline operational logistics and reach Amazon-level delivery speeds.
All-in-one fulfillment
Freight companies and Amazon FBA can only help you out so much. Our all-in-one fulfillment offering helps you manage the entirety of your supply chain and logistics operations.
