A setup that worked well for a smaller range can become less efficient once products vary more in size, shape and handling increased requirements. More pre made boxes may be added, more void fill used and more warehouse space can become tied up in packaging stock. The issue is not that the process has failed, the business has moved on.

Why does product range growth create packaging complexity?

As product ranges grow, packaging requirements become harder to standardise. A business may introduce products that are wider, flatter, taller, heavier or more fragile than the items it originally shipped. Each difference can create a new packaging requirement when products need to be packed and dispatched at scale.

The natural response is often to add more box sizes. This can help in some cases, but it also brings more stock to order, store and replenish. Packing teams may still need to choose the closest fit, which adds time and variation into the process.

Is holding more box sizes the right answer?

More box sizes can look like greater flexibility, but they can also create more administration. A wider range of pre made boxes takes up space, increases stock management and creates more decisions during packing.

From a commercial point of view, packaging complexity carries cost. It affects storage, labour time, material use and workflow. If teams regularly use extra void fill or select a larger box than needed, the business may be carrying avoidable cost.

How does Right Size packaging support varied product ranges?

Right Size packaging changes the focus from choosing the nearest box to producing packaging that fits the product more closely. This can be useful for large businesses with varied products, mixed order profiles or ranges that change through the year.

By producing boxes closer to the dimensions of each item, Right Size packaging can reduce unnecessary empty space and support a more repeatable process. It also makes the operation less dependent on holding every possible box size in stock.

How does fanfold enable on demand box production?

Fanfold corrugated board is a continuous folded material that can be fed into Right Size box making machinery. Instead of relying only on stored pre made boxes, businesses can use fanfold to produce made to fit boxes on demand.

For growing operations, one stock of fanfold corrugated board can support a wider range of box outputs, reducing the pressure of managing multiple pre made formats. It also fits well with automation, where packaging needs to be produced efficiently as requirements change.

How can packaging stay aligned with growth?

Growing product ranges are positive, but they can expose packaging processes designed for a simpler operation. More variation does not have to mean more complexity, but it does require a packaging approach that can adapt.

Ribble Packaging works with many organisations to review how product variation affects packaging performance and where Right Size packaging and fanfold corrugated board can support a more flexible approach. If your product range has grown and your packaging process is becoming harder to manage, speak to Ribble today.

The post Why Growing Product Ranges Demand a Different Approach to Packaging appeared first on Ribble Packaging.

What is fanfold corrugated board?

Fanfold corrugated board is a continuous sheet of corrugated material folded into layers for storage and fed into packaging machinery as needed. It is used to create boxes to the required dimensions at the point of packing, rather than pulling from a large stock of pre-made formats.

This makes it well suited to custom size box production, particularly in operations where product ranges vary and packaging needs to stay flexible.

How does fanfold simplify packaging stock?

One of the main operational benefits of fanfold is simpler packaging inventory management. Rather than storing high volumes of pre-formed packaging, businesses can hold fanfold as a more flexible corrugated format that supports a wider range of output.

That means less warehouse space dedicated to packaging stock, less time spent managing replenishment, and a more controlled approach to packaging supply.

How does fanfold work with Right Size packaging?

Fanfold is a natural fit for Right Size packaging because it allows packaging to be produced closer to the dimensions of the product. This helps reduce unnecessary empty space and can lower the amount of void fill needed during packing.

It also supports a more repeatable process. Instead of making regular decisions about which packaging format is the closest fit, teams can work within a more structured system that is designed to produce the required box size as part of the workflow.

What workflow benefits does fanfold bring?

The value of fanfold is not just in the material itself, but in the way it supports a simpler packing operation.

Using fanfold with box-making equipment can help reduce manual handling around packaging selection and improve the flow from packing to dispatch. For larger operations, that can make day to day processes easier to manage and easier to standardise.

This can support:

• Simpler packaging processes
• More repeatable packing methods
• Easier integration with automation
• Better control over packaging output

Can better-fitting packaging improve product protection?

Fanfold should not be viewed as a direct solution on its own. However, when it is used within a Right Size packaging setup, it can help create packaging that fits the product more closely.

That closer fit may help reduce movement in transit and improve protection products. In that sense, it can support a packaging process that is better aligned to product handling requirements.

Why does fanfold suit growing operations?

As operations grow, packaging needs often become more varied. Fanfold supports that change by giving businesses a more flexible format that works well with automation and can adapt more easily as requirements shift.

For businesses looking at custom size box production, fanfold offers a practical way to simplify packaging without making stockholding and workflow more complicated.

Ribble Packaging works with businesses to help them understand where fanfold and Right Size packaging can improve operational performance. If you are reviewing your current packaging setup, Ribble can help you explore the right approach.

The post How Fanfold Simplifies Custom Size Box Production appeared first on Ribble Packaging.

But the size, fit and structure of that package continue to influence almost every stage of shipping. From how products are stored in the warehouse, to how efficiently pallets are loaded, to how parcels move through transport networks, packaging has a bigger role in shipping performance than many businesses realise.

What happens at the packing stage?

Every shipping journey starts in the packing area. If a box is larger than it needs to be, it usually requires extra void fill, additional checking, or manual adjustments to make sure the product is secure.

None of these steps are particularly unusual, and on their own they may only add a few seconds. Across hundreds or thousands of orders, however, those extra handling steps can begin to influence fulfilment performance.

Right Size packaging helps remove some of that variation by producing packaging that fits the product more closely, creating a more repeatable packing process.

What changes once products move into storage?

Once packed, products move into storage or directly towards dispatch. At this stage, the physical size of the package starts to influence how efficiently warehouse space is being used.

Oversized packaging can leave unnecessary gaps on shelves, pallets, or in staging areas. While those gaps may not look significant at first, they can reduce storage density over time and make space planning more difficult.

Packaging that fits the product more closely often creates a more uniform footprint, which can make storage and movement through the warehouse easier to manage.

Why does pallet loading matter?

Pallet building is one of the areas where packaging decisions become more visible. Boxes that are inconsistent in size or contain unnecessary empty space can create awkward stacking patterns, overhang, or unused pallet capacity. This may lead to additional pallets being used where fewer could have achieved the same result.

Packaging that is sized more closely to the product can improve pallet consistency, helping teams make better use of both floor space and outbound loads.

What happens once products enter the transport network?

Once a shipment leaves the warehouse, every centimetre of space begins to matter. Carriers often work around volume as well as weight, which means the physical footprint of each parcel can influence how efficiently vehicles are loaded. Larger parcels with unnecessary empty space can reduce vehicle utilisation and limit how much product moves in a single shipment.

Right Size packaging helps create parcels that use space more efficiently, which can support better load planning across the wider shipping network.

Why does product fit matter during transport?

Shipping environments involve movement, handling, scanning, sorting, loading, and unloading. Products may be transferred several times before reaching their final destination. When packaging leaves unnecessary internal space, products can move more during transit, even when void fill is used.

Packaging that fits the product more closely can help improve stability during transport and reduce the need for excessive filler, creating a cleaner and more controlled shipping process.

What do customers notice when a parcel arrives?

The final stage of shipping is often the most visible. Customers may never see your warehouse, but they do see the package that arrives. A box that feels oversized, overfilled, or poorly matched to the product can shape how the delivery is perceived. On the other hand, packaging that feels considered, secure, and proportionate often creates a better end experience.

Looking at shipping as a complete process

Shipping does not begin when a vehicle leaves the warehouse. In many ways, it begins the moment a product is packed. The decisions made at that stage continue to influence storage, handling, transport, product protection, and customer experience all the way through the supply chain.

Ribble Packaging works with large organisations to review how packaging supports shipping performance and where Right Size solutions can create practical improvements from warehouse to doorstep.

The post From Warehouse to Doorstep: The Role of Right Size Packaging appeared first on Ribble Packaging.

Right Size packaging is not just about reducing materials. It influences handling time, space utilisation and process control across the operation.

What is Right Size packaging and how does it change daily packing?

Right Size packaging uses fanfold corrugated board and automated cutting systems to produce made to fit boxes on demand.

Large organisations often rely on a fixed range of box sizes, which means time spent selecting, adjusting and filling packaging that is not an exact match. These small decisions are repeated with every order and introduce variation into the packing process.

By reducing the number of packaging formats held in stock and creating boxes that fit each product more precisely, the process becomes more controlled. Packers follow a defined method rather than modifying each order individually, which reduces decision-making at the point of packing and stabilises handling time across the shift.

The impact of that stability extends beyond the packing area.

How Right Size supports fulfilment performance

When a box does not quite fit the product, additional void fill is required, or the first box selected must be changed, the packing process takes longer than planned. During busy periods, these additional handling steps accumulate and influence overall output.

By aligning packaging more closely to product dimensions, the number of corrective actions is reduced. Throughput becomes steadier because handling time is more consistent from order to order. In contract-driven environments, this has a direct effect on labour cost per unit and dispatch reliability.

Rather than relying on experience to compensate for packaging limitations, the system itself supports predictable performance.

How Right Size improves warehouse space and stock control

Warehouse space is a fixed operational cost, and packaging decisions determine how efficiently that cost is used. Storing a wide range of box sizes occupies racking, increases inventory counts and adds administrative oversight.

Right Size systems allow operations to simplify their packaging formats. Fewer formats mean less space dedicated to packaging stock and a clearer replenishment process. This not only frees up racking but also reduces working capital tied up in non-core inventory.

For operations managers, the benefit is not simply space saving. It is greater control over how resources are allocated.

How packaging structure supports cross-team alignment

Packaging standards influence procurement planning, warehouse storage and fulfilment scheduling. A more structured packaging approach simplifies those interactions. With fewer formats and clearer parameters, teams across procurement, warehouse management and fulfilment operate within the same framework. Training becomes easier because the process is defined, and reliance on individual workarounds is reduced.

Bringing packaging back in line with operational performance

Ribble Packaging works with large organisations to review how packaging influences day to day operational performance and to introduce Right Size solutions where they provide measurable improvement. If you would like to explore how packaging could better support your operations team, speak to Ribble today.

The post What Right Size Packaging Means for Your Operations Team appeared first on Ribble Packaging.

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.

The post 5 Signs Your Business Is Using the Wrong Size Packaging appeared first on Ribble Packaging.

Right Size packaging is proving to be one of the most effective ways to future proof logistics operations. Not only does it reduce waste, but it also prepares businesses for the commercial demands of the years ahead.

How Right Size Packaging Strengthens Long Term Logistics

When businesses talk about future proofing, they usually mean staying flexible, efficient and ready to adapt. Packaging plays a significant part in that.

With new product ranges comes more variation for fulfilment teams to manage. Standard box sizes struggle to keep up with this change, creating waste and inefficiencies that become harder to absorb over time.

Carrier pricing models are evolving too, with greater emphasis on volume. This makes wasted space far more expensive than it once was. At the same time, procurement teams want clearer data, more transparent packaging decisions and reliable processes that suppliers can evidence.

Right Size packaging supports all of this. It provides the flexibility to handle changing order profiles, it reduces unnecessary volume in the network, and it creates a more controlled packaging workflow.

The Commercial Gains You See Straight Away

Right Size packaging delivers immediate efficiency benefits. Using only the space needed for each product means lower package volume, which often reduces shipping costs. Smaller boxes take up less warehouse space, which helps teams store more product and manage inventory more easily.

By removing unnecessary space around an item, products are held more securely in transit. This leads to fewer damages and fewer returns, which saves time and protects margin. The unboxing experience also improves. Customers receive something that feels considered and well prepared, which reflects positively on the business and supports repeat orders.

These are practical improvements that help operations run more smoothly, and they also contribute to a more competitive cost base.

The Hidden Costs of Wasted Space

Many businesses still rely on oversized packaging because it feels simpler. However, this approach carries a number of hidden costs.

Boxes that are too large for their contents take up more room on pallets and trailers, limiting how many items can be shipped at once. Carriers often charge based on package volume, so wasted space translates directly into higher transport costs.

Oversized boxes also tend to need more filler material to keep products secure, which adds handling time and creates unnecessary waste at the destination. Customers notice this. While it may not stop them from ordering again, it does add friction to the experience and can influence how they perceive your operation.

Across thousands of orders, these small inefficiencies create a noticeable financial impact.

How to Move from “Good Enough” to Future Ready

Right Size packaging is straightforward to introduce, with many businesses starting by using fanfold corrugated board to produce made to fit boxes on demand. This allows them to replace multiple box sizes with a flexible, controlled system that adapts to changing requirements.

A sensible first step is to pilot Right Size packaging on a selected range of products. This helps teams understand the process, measure the impact on storage, shipping and damages, and build a clear case for wider rollout. Once in place, Right Size becomes part of a more reliable, scalable logistics setup.

A Strategic Step Towards Smarter Logistics

Right Size packaging is a long term solution that helps control costs. Businesses that invest in this now will be better placed to handle the demands of the years ahead.

If you want to stop shipping air and move towards a more future ready approach, speak to Ribble Packaging today.

The post Stop Shipping Air: Why Right Size Is the Future of Logistics appeared first on Ribble Packaging.

Smarter packaging, such as Ribble Right Size packaging, can transform the way businesses manage this seasonal rush.

Struggling with varying product sizes?

Christmas can bring one of the most diverse product mixes of the year, requiring businesses to switch rapidly between varying sizes to keep up with the demand. Traditional box inventories and manual packing processes simply aren’t designed for this level of variability.

It often leads to products being shipped out in boxes that are completely the wrong size, either requiring excess void fillers to plug the gaps or slower, manual packing speeds while teams try to make products fit.

During peak times, these inefficiencies quickly add up, creating bottlenecks that ripple across the entire operation.

Right Size packaging can streamline fulfilment

Right Size packaging offers a smarter alternative. By creating a perfectly sized box for every order, packaging becomes faster, cleaner and more predictable—exactly what businesses need during these busy periods.

Key benefits include:

• Up to 30% reduction in packing time through simplified, repeatable processes
• Lower material usage, as boxes no longer require unnecessary void fill
• Reduced warehouse space, with no need to stock dozens of different box SKUs
• Faster training for seasonal staff, thanks to automated, intuitive workflows

Instead of working around packaging constraints, teams can focus on getting orders out the door efficiently and accurately.

How automation can help with labour bottlenecks

Recruiting and training temporary staff during peak season is becoming increasingly challenging. Labour shortages, rising wages and the pressure to hit fulfilment targets make manual packing an operational risk.

Automated technologies remove this dependency by:

• Eliminating repetitive manual box-building
• Creating consistent, high-quality packs without human error
• Increasing throughput even when labour is limited
• Providing scalability: simply run the system faster during peak periods

Automation ensures fulfilment centres keep moving, even when staffing is stretched to the limit.

Protect your products

Poorly fitting packaging is one of the biggest drivers of product damage during transit, especially during the Christmas rush when carriers are under extreme pressure. Every return represents a loss: wasted shipping fees, restocking time, potential replacements, and a disappointed customer.

Using Right Size packaging significantly reduces the risk of items arriving damaged as products are held securely, with minimal movement. This results in fewer damaged items, fewer returns and a smoother delivery experience.

Prepare for post Christmas returns

Let’s not forget about the post Christmas return frenzy, as January sees a spike in reverse logistics activity. With a more agile system in place, businesses move seamlessly from Christmas chaos into New Year recovery.

The Christmas rush doesn’t have to be stressful. By implementing smarter, automated systems, businesses can improve speed, cut costs, enhance product protection and deliver a better customer experience.

If you want to see how Right Size packaging can support your fulfilment operation during the busiest periods of the year, speak to Ribble today.

The post Smarter Packaging for the Holiday Rush appeared first on Ribble Packaging.

So how does packaging help you win business?

The link between packaging and business growth

For many large UK businesses, packaging has become part of a bigger conversation around efficiency, cost and corporate responsibility. As supply chains tighten and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) expectations rise, packaging choices are no longer purely an operational decision. They influence how your business performs, how it’s viewed by customers and whether you’re seen as a credible long-term partner.

Procurement teams and buyers are increasingly assessing suppliers on their packaging practices, from waste reduction to recyclability. Businesses that can demonstrate measurable improvements in packaging are often more competitive when tendering for new contracts.

Right Size packaging supports these goals, reducing excess materials and helping businesses align with their ESG targets in a practical way. It is a small change with measurable commercial benefits, contributing to lower costs, stronger relationships and a clearer reputation for responsible operations.

Why oversized packaging still costs more than it saves

Many large businesses still use boxes that are bigger than necessary. It might feel easier to keep one or two standard sizes, but that approach comes with costs.

Oversized boxes take up more warehouse space and add unnecessary weight and volume during transport. Carriers often charge based on parcel size, not weight, meaning you could be paying more for air. Larger boxes also need extra filler to stop products from moving, which adds another layer of material handling and waste.

These costs don’t always appear immediately, but can significantly affect your overall packaging budget. Even if your system works “well enough”, there are measurable savings in rethinking it.

The benefits of Right Size packaging solutions

Key benefits include:

• Reduced shipping and storage costs
• Less material waste and better pallet optimisation
• Lower return rates due to improved product protection
• A cleaner, more professional unboxing experience for the end customer

It also reduces the need for plastic fillers or bubble wrap, supporting EPR compliance and simplifying disposal for customers. These improvements have an operational and reputational benefit, which is why more large UK businesses are introducing Right Size packaging across their distribution networks.

Winning and retaining business

Packaging might not always be the first area you review when considering growth strategies, but its impact is clear. It affects costs, operational efficiency and the way your brand is perceived.

If you’re reviewing packaging across your organisation and would like more information, Ribble Packaging can help you take the next step.

The post Packaging is Helping Brands Win More Customers appeared first on Ribble Packaging.

Why oversized packaging is quietly expensive

Oversized boxes create costs at every touchpoint. They increase dimensional shipping charges, use more corrugated board than necessary, reduce pallet and racking density, and often mean extra handling. Those “small” inefficiencies compound into meaningful spend for large-volume shippers.

Cut shipping costs by removing wasted space

Carriers bill by volume as well as weight. A box that’s even one size too big can push a parcel into a higher band and multiply costs across thousands of shipments. Right Size packaging reduces that wasted air, lets you fit more units per van or pallet and lowers transport costs per item.

Use less material and reclaim storage space

On-demand, product-fit boxes reduce corrugated use and remove the need to stock dozens of standard sizes. Fewer box sizes, less void fillers and smaller dimensions free up pallet and shelf space so you can store more finished goods in the same footprint and slow the growth of warehousing costs.

Protect products better and cut returns

When products sit tightly in a box, they’re far less likely to shift, even without bulky plastic fillers. Better fitting boxes reduce transit damage, lower return rates and protect brand reputation.

Meet sustainability goals with smarter materials

Right Size packaging pairs naturally with recyclable fanfold corrugated board to reduce waste and reliance on single‑use plastics. Smaller boxes mean fewer lorry trips and less packaging waste overall, helping sustainability targets without compromising performance.

Automation: how on-demand boxes fit into busy packing lines

Making Right Size packaging viable at scale depends on automation. Integrated box-making systems produce single-piece boxes on demand at the pack station, removing box overstock, cutting changeover complexity and delivering consistent, repeatable packaging quality. They’re designed to slot into existing conveyor and packing workflows and scale with throughput.

Real benefits you can measure

• Lower per-parcel transport charges through reduced dimensional weight billing
• Reduced corrugated spend and less void fill in use
• Improved storage density and fewer delivery trips
• Fewer product damages and lower return handling costs

See what Right Size packaging could do for you

If you’re reviewing packaging and want to cut costs, looking to improve warehouse efficiency or aiming to hit sustainability targets, Ribble Packaging can help. Request a free Right Size savings estimate and find out how smaller, smarter boxes can transform your operation.

The post Right Size Packaging for Large Businesses That Cuts Costs, Waste and Space appeared first on Ribble Packaging.

At Ribble Packaging we work with large businesses to help simplify, automate and improve the efficiency of their packaging operations. Based on what we’ve seen across sectors like furniture, retail, print and manufacturing, here are four strategies that deliver measurable cost savings.

1. Optimise packaging inventory to reduce warehouse space

Excess packaging stock takes up valuable warehouse space and ties up cash in materials you may not use. If you’re relying on one-size-fits-all boxes or pre-made packaging held in bulk, that space pressure adds up quickly.

A better approach is to produce packaging on demand. Using fanfold corrugated board and Right Size machinery, it’s possible to make the right size box exactly when you need it. This removes the need to store dozens of box sizes and cuts down the space needed for packaging inventory. For larger operations, it also opens up the opportunity to reallocate that space to higher-margin activity.

2. Reduce labour costs while gaining productivity

Manual packaging processes are time-consuming and inconsistent. Switching to an automated packaging line reduces the labour intensity while increasing the number of units you can process per hour.

On-demand packaging systems support full automation, including measuring, box creation, forming, sealing, labelling and palletising. This reduces the likelihood of human error and creates a consistent workflow that scales up as volumes increase.

3. Lower shipping costs with Right Size packaging

Oversized packaging doesn’t just waste materials, but it can also increase your shipping costs. Most carriers charge based on dimensional weight, which means empty space in a box often costs as much to send as the product itself.

By switching to Right Size packaging, you reduce the size and weight of each parcel. This improves truck and pallet utilisation, lowers your average cost per shipment and reduces the carbon footprint associated with your outbound logistics.

4. Minimise return costs by preventing transit damage

Returns are expensive and inconvenient for everyone involved. Processing them takes time and damaged goods often can’t be resold. If your current packaging isn’t well matched to the size and fragility of your product, it increases the risk of damage in transit.

With custom fit packaging made on demand, products are held more securely, meaning fewer breakages, fewer complaints and a more consistent customer experience. It also reduces the need for plastic void fillers or bubble wrap, helping you meet sustainability goals under the new EPR update while making disposal easier for the end user.

Talk to Ribble about cost-effective packaging

For large businesses under pressure to reduce costs, packaging is an area worth rethinking. Ribble Packaging work closely with businesses across the UK to help implement smarter packaging solutions using 100% recycled and recyclable materials. Our goal is simple: help you reduce waste, lower costs and make packaging one less thing to worry about.

If you’re looking at ways to improve your packaging operation, we’re here to help. Contact our team to discuss your setup or learn more about Right Size packaging via our website.

The post Strategies to Achieve Cost Efficiencies Across Your Packaging Process appeared first on Ribble Packaging.