eCommerce is evolving rapidly, and so is the way products are packaged, sorted, and shipped. One of the biggest shifts in packaging design is the move toward squared-off cartons and right-sized packaging with no voids. This trend leads to faster delivery times and the best shipping prices for manufacturers’ eCommerce shipments.
In this article, we will look at how these packaging trends help manufacturers. They can get better shipping rates, ensure faster delivery, and improve eCommerce packaging for automation and sustainability.
Why Square eCommerce Packaging is the Future
The usual way to package eCommerce items uses poly mailers or large boxes. These often have too much empty space or packing materials which leads to crushing. This has been the norm for years. However, it causes higher shipping costs, wasted materials, and poor use of transportation space.
Square packaging solves these problems by:
- Optimizing shipment density – Squared-off packaging maximizes space utilization in trucks and warehouses.
- Reducing packaging waste – Rightsizing ensures that the box is just large enough for the product. This minimizes the need for fillers.
- Improving automation efficiency – Fulfillment centers and shipping station robots handle rigid, square packages more easily than flexible mailers or irregularly shaped items.
Shipping station robots can grab and process square and rectangular packages more easily than poly mailers or abnormally shaped packages. This leads to faster delivery of your eCommerce packages.
Robots and the Role of Automation in Square Packaging
eCommerce fulfillment is becoming increasingly automated, with robots playing a key role in logistics operations. Industry experts say robots handle square or rectangular packages much more efficiently than flexible mailers. “Automation, by its very nature, prefers rectangular prisms,” said Ron Sasine, an advisor at Kearney’s Product Excellence and Renewal Lab.
By using rigid square packaging, manufacturers can ensure seamless automation, reducing manual labor and faster delivery of customer orders.
Get the Best Shipping Prices With Square Packaging
Shipping costs are determined by two key factors: weight and dimensional weight pricing. Carriers like FedEx and UPS charge based on the size of a package, not just its weight. This means that large, air-filled packages result in higher shipping costs. “FedEx and UPS penalize you if you have a lot of air in your package… If you ship less air, you’re wasting less money and you’re wasting less material,” said Greg Walls, Vice President of Revenue at Paccurate.
By transitioning to square, eCommerce packaging, manufacturers can:
- Minimize dimensional weight charges – Smaller packages occupy less space, leading to cost savings.
- Fit more products per shipment – More efficient stacking allows companies to transport more goods at once.
- Reduce reliance on fillers – Eliminating unnecessary void fill lowers both material costs and environmental impact.
For companies looking to secure the best shipping prices, right-sizing packaging is the way to go.
Faster Delivery With Optimized eCommerce Packaging
With consumers expecting faster delivery times, businesses must streamline logistics wherever possible. Square packaging helps speed up fulfillment and transit in several ways:
- Efficient logistic processing – Square boxes move smoothly through conveyor belts and robotic systems.
- Faster last-mile delivery – Right-sized packages are easier to handle and fit neatly in delivery vehicles, reducing delays.
- Better in-store fulfillment – More retailers are fulfilling eCommerce orders directly from store inventory. Squared packaging simplifies this process.
Retailers like Walmart, Kroger, and Whole Foods are already leveraging optimized e-commerce packaging to improve delivery speed. “That is going to be what eventually permits large retailers to put products in people’s hands in the shortest amount of time,” said Sasine.
By adopting square, no-air eCommerce packaging, manufacturers can also ensure faster delivery while cutting costs.
The Sustainability Benefits of No-Air Packaging
Sustainability is a growing concern for both businesses and consumers. According to a recent US EPA report cited in Packaging Dive, 40% of households lack access to recycling services for packaging materials that are equivalent in quality to trash disposal services.
Many companies are now focusing on reducing packaging waste and optimizing shipping efficiency to lower their carbon footprint.
How No-Air Packaging Supports Sustainability:
- Less packaging material used – Reducing void space minimizes the need for excess cardboard and plastic fillers.
- More products per truckload – Denser shipments reduce the number of trucks needed, lowering fuel consumption.
- Lower carbon emissions – Smaller, lighter packages mean fewer greenhouse gas emissions from transportation.
Amazon, for example, has made significant efforts in lighter weight and packaging reduction to improve sustainability. Manufacturers that follow this trend can both cut costs and meet consumer demand for eco-friendly solutions.
How Frontier ERP Helps Businesses Adapt to Right-Sized Packaging
Transitioning to square, no-air packaging requires precise inventory and logistics management. Frontier ERP can help businesses seamlessly integrate this packaging strategy into their operations.
- Automated packaging workflows – Helps choose the most cost-effective and space-efficient packaging for each order.
- Inventory management – Ensures packaging materials are stocked efficiently.
- Automated processes and barcode tracking – Lead to faster delivery of customer orders.
- Shipping cost analysis – Provides real-time insights into how packaging choices affect shipping costs.
- Seamless integration with logistics companies – Ensures smooth collaboration with logistics, shipping, and carriers.
Our logistics partner, Varsity Logistics, provides can help with your shipping needs. Their ShipSoft-Parcel software helps companies manage carrier selection, optimize costs, and more for high-volume, eCommerce shipping. By integrating Varsity with Frontier ERP, manufacturers can maximize the benefits of square packaging while improving overall logistics efficiency.
Conclusion
Square, no-air e-commerce packaging is revolutionizing the shipping industry. By right-sizing packaging, businesses get the best shipping prices and faster delivery, leading to a better customer experience.
Manufacturers that embrace this shift will save money and enhance their sustainability efforts. With Frontier ERP, adapting to these packaging innovations becomes even easier, helping businesses optimize costs and logistics.
Now is the time to rethink your packaging strategy—because in eCommerce, the future is square!
