KL Rubber Case Study
How Custom Poly Mailers Helped Reduce E-Commerce Packaging Costs
A Canadian e-commerce fulfillment operation simplified packaging for soft, non-fragile products by replacing multi-component box packing with a custom poly mailer program.
The Opportunity: Look Beyond the Unit Price
For high-volume e-commerce operations, the true cost of packaging extends beyond the price of a box or mailer.
Packaging weight and dimensions, packing materials, labour, storage requirements and inventory availability all contribute to the total cost of fulfilling and shipping each order.
For this Canadian e-commerce customer, the goal was not simply to find a cheaper shipping package. The opportunity was to simplify the entire packaging process for products that did not require a corrugated shipping box.
The Challenge: Too Much Packaging for the Product
A high-volume e-commerce retailer was shipping soft, non-fragile products in corrugated boxes. Although the boxes provided adequate protection, many orders used more packaging than the products required.
Across a large volume of orders, those additional materials and packing steps increased fulfillment costs. The retailer also had to manage multiple packaging supplies at each station, while bulky corrugated cartons occupied considerable warehouse space.
The retailer wanted to:
- Reduce packaging material
- Minimize unnecessary parcel weight and volume
- Simplify and accelerate the packing process
- Reduce packaging storage requirements
- Maintain secure product protection during shipping
- Improve packaging inventory availability and reliability
The Solution: A Custom Poly Mailer Program
KL Rubber supplied a custom poly mailer solution for qualifying products. The mailers provided a lightweight, flexible shipping format with a strong permanent self-seal closure.
Less Packaging Material Per Order
Instead of using a corrugated box, packing tape and void fill, suitable products could be packaged with a single poly mailer and shipping label. This reduced material requirements and simplified the process.
Lower Packaging Weight
Poly mailers are considerably lighter than corrugated shipping boxes. For soft products that do not require rigid protection, the switch reduced unnecessary packaging weight added to each parcel.
Less Unnecessary Parcel Volume
Flexible mailers conform more closely to the contents, eliminating much of the unused space associated with rigid boxes and reducing the need for void-fill material.
Faster Packing
Products could be inserted into the mailer, sealed and labelled without assembling a box, adding void fill or applying packing tape. The streamlined workflow helped teams process qualifying orders more efficiently.
Secure, Tamper-Evident Closure
The permanent self-adhesive closure created a secure, tamper-evident package without additional tape. Durable polyethylene construction also helped protect suitable contents from moisture, dirt and routine parcel handling.
Reduced Storage Requirements
Poly mailers are stored flat and require substantially less warehouse space than an equivalent quantity of corrugated cartons. Consolidating multiple components into one format also simplified packaging inventory.
The Result: Lower Packaging and Fulfillment Costs
By considering the entire packaging process rather than only the unit price, the retailer achieved meaningful operational efficiencies while maintaining secure and reliable shipping for suitable products.
Key operational improvements
- Fewer packaging materials
- Lower parcel weight and volume
- No tape or void fill for qualifying orders
- Faster packing
- Reduced storage requirements
- Improved inventory availability
Important application note: Poly mailers are best suited to products that do not require rigid protection. Product characteristics, shipping conditions, mailer size, film specifications and closure requirements should all be reviewed before making a packaging change.
Custom Poly Mailer FAQs
What products are suitable for poly mailers?
Poly mailers are commonly used for soft, non-fragile products such as apparel, textiles and other items that do not require rigid protection. The product, distribution environment and protection requirements should be assessed before selecting a mailer.
How can poly mailers reduce fulfillment costs?
For suitable orders, poly mailers can reduce the number of packaging components, parcel weight, unused volume, packing steps and storage space. Actual savings vary by product, parcel profile, shipping method and order volume.
Can KL Rubber supply custom sizes and specifications?
KL Rubber supports commercial poly mailer programs based on customer requirements. Contact the team to discuss dimensions, film specifications, closure, order quantity, printing and inventory needs.
Do poly mailers provide tamper evidence?
A properly applied permanent self-seal closure typically shows visible evidence when opened. The exact security performance depends on the selected mailer construction and closure specification.
Looking to Reduce Your E-Commerce Packaging Costs?
Talk to KL Rubber about custom poly mailers, packaging specifications, volume requirements and inventory programs for your e-commerce or distribution operation.