Oversized boxes are becoming an increasingly common source of customer complaints. Whether it’s excessive filler or simply boxes that feel far bigger than the product inside, packaging is now far more important to customers than it used to be.

Some businesses are still relying on box sizes that were designed years ago and have not reviewed their packaging because it has always “worked well enough”. Here are five common signs that your packaging isn’t performing as well as it could.

Sign 1: Your freight costs keep creeping up

If your transport costs continue to rise, even when volumes remain steady, packaging may be part of the reason. Most carriers charge based on parcel volume as well as weight. Oversized boxes push shipments into higher pricing brackets, even if the product inside is relatively small.

Meaning you could be paying to ship empty space, and across hundreds of orders, small inefficiencies in box sizes can quickly translate into significant additional costs.

Sign 2: You are spending more on void fill than you realise

Void fill is often treated as a necessary part of packing. Bubble wrap, paper, foam, or air pillows all serve a purpose, but heavy reliance on them usually points to poor box fit.

Beyond the cost of the materials themselves, void fill adds labour time, increases handling and creates more waste for the end customer to deal with.

Sign 3: Product damage and returns feel “normal”

Returns and transit damage are often accepted as part of doing business. But when damage becomes frequent rather than occasional, packaging is usually a contributing factor.

Oversized boxes allow products to move during transit, even with filler in place. This increases the likelihood of knocks. Each return carries a cost: shipping, handling, restocking and in some cases, replacement.

Sign 4: Packaging stock is taking over your warehouse

Many businesses store a wide range of box sizes to accommodate different products. While this seems sensible, it often leads to large amounts of warehouse space being taken up by packaging stock.

Dozens of boxes mean more racking, more inventory to manage, and more cash tied up in cardboard. It also reduces flexibility, as teams have to work around what is available rather than what is most suitable for each order.

Sign 5: Customers mention packaging more than you would expect

You’ve started to get customer feedback about packaging. Comments about oversized boxes or unnecessary materials both signal the same thing: the packaging does not match the product.

In competitive markets, these small details influence how your business is perceived. For B2B operations, packaging can also come under scrutiny during tender processes, where sustainability forms part of the evaluation.

What these signs usually point to

Individually, each of these issues can be addressed in isolation. But when several appear together, the underlying problem is usually the same. The packaging system no longer fits the business.

More businesses are turning to Right Size packaging to create packaging that fits each item closely and solves the 5 problems mentioned.

If you recognise two or more of these signs in your operation, it is worth taking a closer look at your packaging approach. Small improvements in box fit often lead to measurable gains in cost control, efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Ribble Packaging works with large businesses across retail, furniture, manufacturing, kitchens and bathrooms, and print to review packaging performance and introduce Right Size solutions where they make sense.

If you want to understand whether your business is using the wrong size packaging, speak to Ribble today.