The holiday shipping season has a way of arriving earlier than expected. As order volumes increase, carriers get busier, transit times can become less predictable, and popular shipping and packaging supplies may be harder to keep in stock.
And holiday shipping challenges aren’t limited to large retailers.
Whether you’re shipping customer orders, specialty foods, corporate gifts, samples, temperature-sensitive products, or packages to family and friends, a little preparation can make a big difference.
Planning ahead can help you choose the right packaging, protect what’s inside, avoid last-minute supply shortages, and give your shipments a better chance of arriving safely.
Here are a few things to consider before the holiday shipping rush begins.
1. Know What You’re Shipping
Good holiday shipping starts with the product itself. Before choosing a box or cooler, consider what you’re sending and what it needs to stay protected in transit.
Ask yourself:
- Is the product fragile?
- Is it perishable?
- Does it need to stay cold or within a certain temperature range?
- Could heat or freezing temperatures affect it?
- How much empty space will be inside the package?
- How long will the shipment likely be in transit?
Food, chocolates, baked goods, skincare products, supplements, pharmaceuticals, samples, and other specialty products can all have different packaging requirements.
Choosing packaging based on the product—not simply the size of the item—can help prevent damage, temperature exposure, and unnecessary shipping costs.
2. Choose the Right Packaging
The right packaging should provide enough protection for the product without adding unnecessary size, weight, or expense to every shipment.
For standard products, that may mean choosing an appropriately sized corrugated shipping box with the right cushioning or protective materials.
For temperature-sensitive shipments, additional protection may be necessary. Insulated shipping coolers, ice bricks, cold packs, and other temperature-control packaging can help protect products while they’re moving through the shipping network.
The goal isn’t simply to keep something cold when it leaves your hands. Your packaging needs to provide appropriate protection throughout the expected journey.
3. Consider How Far the Package Is Going
A shipment traveling across town has very different packaging needs than one traveling across the country.
Before shipping, consider the destination, shipping method, expected transit time, and potential conditions along the route.
If you’re shipping temperature-sensitive products, this becomes especially important. A packaging system designed for a short transit period may not provide adequate protection if the shipment takes several days to arrive.
Matching your packaging and cooling materials to the expected transit time can help you avoid both underpacking and unnecessary packaging costs.
4. Plan for Longer Holiday Transit Times
During normal shipping periods, you may have a good idea of how long a package typically takes to reach its destination.
Holiday shipping can change that.
Higher package volumes, severe winter weather, transportation disruptions, and busy distribution centers can all contribute to longer or less predictable transit times.
When selecting your packaging, don’t plan only for the ideal delivery schedule. Consider what could happen if a shipment spends additional time in transit.
This is particularly important when shipping food, pharmaceuticals, supplements, skincare, and other products that can be affected by temperature changes.
A little extra planning can be far less expensive than replacing a damaged or unusable shipment.
5. Stock Up on Packaging Before the Rush
Running out of the right box, insulated cooler, or cold pack is inconvenient during a normal week. During peak holiday shipping season, it can bring your shipping process to a halt.
Review your packaging inventory before demand increases.
Consider:
- Which box or cooler sizes you use most often
- How many shipments you expect to send
- Whether your volume typically increases during the holidays
- Upcoming sales or promotions that could increase orders
- How many ice bricks or cold packs you’ll need
- How quickly you can replenish supplies if inventory runs low
If you ship regularly, look at previous shipping volume to help estimate what you’ll need this year.
Ordering early gives you more time to make adjustments instead of scrambling for alternatives when the holiday rush is already underway.
6. Don’t Overlook Temperature-Sensitive Holiday Shipments
Cold weather doesn’t automatically mean temperature-sensitive shipping becomes easier.
A package may move through heated warehouses, trucks, loading docks, distribution facilities, outdoor environments, and different climates before reaching its destination.
Depending on the product, both excessive heat and freezing temperatures can cause problems.
That’s why temperature-sensitive shipping should be based on the needs of the product, expected transit time, destination, and packaging system rather than the outdoor temperature at the point of origin.
The right combination of insulated packaging and cooling materials can help maintain more consistent conditions throughout transit.
7. Test Before You Ship
If you’re shipping a new product, using a new package size, changing cooling materials, or preparing for a significant increase in volume, don’t wait until your busiest shipping week to find out whether your packaging works.
Test your packaging ahead of time.
Look at how the product fits, how much protective material is needed, where cold packs or ice bricks should be placed, and how well the package holds up during the expected shipping period.
For businesses shipping temperature-sensitive or high-value products, packaging testing can be especially valuable. Finding a problem during testing is much easier—and usually much less expensive—than discovering it after products have already been shipped to customers.
8. Prepare for More Than Packaging
For businesses, holiday shipping preparation may involve much more than stocking boxes.
Increased sales can put pressure on inventory storage, order processing, picking and packing, and fulfillment. Even when you have enough packaging on hand, you still need the capacity to get orders out the door accurately and on time.
If your business is growing or preparing for a significant increase in shipping volume, this may be a good time to evaluate your entire post-production process.
EmmPac provides packaging, 3PL warehousing, and fulfillment solutions to help manufacturers, distributors, and e-commerce brands manage their products from packaging through shipment.
Your Holiday Shipping Checklist
Before peak shipping season arrives, make sure you can answer these questions:
- What are you shipping?
- Does it require temperature protection?
- Which box or cooler sizes do you need?
- How much packaging will you use?
- Do you have enough ice bricks or cold packs?
- How long will your shipments be in transit?
- Have you accounted for possible holiday delays?
- Have you tested your packaging?
- Do you have enough inventory to handle increased volume?
- If you’re a business, do you have the warehousing and fulfillment capacity you need?
The earlier you can answer these questions, the easier it is to prepare for a busy shipping season.
Get Ready Before Holiday Shipping Peaks
Holiday shipping doesn’t have to mean last-minute packaging decisions.
Whether you need a few insulated coolers for specialty holiday shipments or you’re preparing your business for increased order volume, EmmPac can help you find packaging solutions that fit what you’re shipping and how you’re shipping it.
For businesses looking at the bigger picture, EmmPac also offers a Free Value Analysis to review your packaging, shipping, and fulfillment process and identify opportunities to reduce damage, lower costs, and improve efficiency.
Don’t wait until holiday shipping is in full swing. Stock up, plan ahead, and make sure your packaging is ready for the season.