Bulk boxes are the biggest single packaging cost for most online sellers and warehouses, so buying them well makes a real difference. The saving comes from buying more of fewer sizes, choosing the right board for the job, and storing boxes so none are wasted. Pack Solution sells single wall, double wall, crash lock, die cut and large letter boxes, with volume pricing on each.
In This Guide
- Quick Picks: Boxes Worth Buying in Bulk
- Choosing Which Bulk Boxes to Stock
- Single Wall or Double Wall for Bulk Orders
- Working Out How Many Boxes You Need
- Crash Lock and Die Cut Boxes for Faster Packing
- Storing Bulk Cardboard Boxes
- Pallet Delivery and Large Box Orders
- Tape and the Real Cost per Box
- Mixing Box Styles in One Order
- Bulk Box Buying Checklist
- Ordering Your Bulk Boxes
- Frequently Asked Questions
Quick Picks: Boxes Worth Buying in Bulk
These three ranges cover most bulk box orders. Many businesses keep a few sizes of each.
Best for light and medium parcels
Single Wall Cardboard Boxes
Lightweight corrugated boxes supplied flat, sold per box with a minimum of 5 per size.
- Sizes from 5 x 5 x 5" to 24 x 18 x 18"
- 450 x 350 x 160mm Royal Mail Small Parcel max box
- Extra strong 390 x 295 x 185mm size
From £0.35 ex VAT (£0.42 inc VAT)
Choose sizeView product
Best for heavy, fragile or high value goods
Double Wall Cardboard Boxes
Two layers of fluting make these boxes stiffer than single wall, and they stack better in storage.
- Sizes from 9 x 6 x 6" to 24 x 24 x 24"
- Minimum 5 boxes for most sizes
- Minimum 90 for the 24 x 24 x 24" size
From £0.59 ex VAT (£0.71 inc VAT)
Choose sizeView product
Best for fast packing at high volume
Crash Lock Boxes
The base locks into place as you open the box, so only the top needs closing.
- Sizes from CL-A (100 x 100 x 70mm) to CL-K (426 x 300 x 300mm)
- No tape on the base
- Sold per box, minimum 5
From £0.59 ex VAT (£0.71 inc VAT)
Choose sizeView product- Single Wall Cardboard Boxes run from 5 x 5 x 5" to 24 x 18 x 18", with a minimum of 5 per size.
- Double Wall Cardboard Boxes have two layers of fluting and run up to 24 x 24 x 24".
- Crash Lock Boxes form their own base, so only the top needs tape.
- Royal Mail PIP Large Letter Boxes are 20mm deep and come in packs of 50.
- Pallet orders of 100 or more boxes placed before 1pm can get next-day pallet delivery to the UK mainland.
Choosing Which Bulk Boxes to Stock
Stock the fewest sizes that fit your products with a little room for protection. Two to four sizes cover most online shops.
Wholesale boxes only save money if you use them, so start by measuring your products.
Start with your ten best-selling products. Measure each one with its usual wrapping, then match it to a box with 10 to 20mm of space on each side for void fill. You will usually find that three or four boxes cover almost everything, and those are the sizes to buy in volume.
With fewer sizes, each one reaches a better volume price, and staff pick the right box faster from a shorter shelf. Buying boxes in bulk across twelve sizes, by contrast, leaves you with small quantities of each and a cupboard full of boxes you rarely use.
Box size also affects postage. Single Wall Cardboard Boxes include a 450 x 350 x 160mm size that matches the Royal Mail Small Parcel maximum, which is a useful standard size for many sellers.
Single Wall or Double Wall for Bulk Orders
Single wall suits light and medium items, while double wall is for heavy, fragile or high value goods.
| Box | Board | Size range | Minimum order | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single Wall Cardboard Boxes | Single wall corrugated | 5 x 5 x 5" to 24 x 18 x 18" | 5 per size | Clothing, books, boxed accessories, everyday orders |
| Double Wall Cardboard Boxes | Double wall corrugated, two layers of fluting | 9 x 6 x 6" to 24 x 24 x 24" | 5 for most sizes, 90 for 24 x 24 x 24" | Heavy, fragile or high value goods, moving, stacking |
| Crash Lock Boxes | Cardboard with automatic base | CL-A 100 x 100 x 70mm to CL-K 426 x 300 x 300mm | 5 per size | Fast packing of similar-sized products |
| Die Cut Boxes Brown 070502 | Brown cardboard, fold together | One model | Pack of 50 | Small postal orders |
| Royal Mail PIP Large Letter Boxes | Die cut cardboard, 20mm deep | Mini to C4 | Pack of 50 | Flat items posted at Large Letter rate |
Double Wall Cardboard Boxes also stack better in storage and on pallets, which matters if boxes sit in a warehouse before dispatch. If you are unsure which board you need, the guide to single wall vs double wall boxes compares them in detail.
Good to know: Sizes are internal, length x width x height. Measure your product with its wrapping and compare it with the internal size, not the outside of the box.
Working Out How Many Boxes You Need
Use last month's order count for each box size, then add a margin for busy weeks.
- Count how many orders went out in each box size last month.
- Add 10 to 20 percent for damaged boxes, repacks and busy days.
- Multiply by the number of months you want to cover, usually one or two.
- Check the total against the space you have to store flat boxes.
- Round up to the next quantity break on the product page if it lowers the price per box.
The same method works whether you buy packaging boxes wholesale for a warehouse or packaging boxes bulk for a small shop; only the numbers change.
As a worked method: if you sent 300 orders last month in one size, a two-month buy with a 15 percent margin is 690 boxes. Treat that as a starting point, then adjust after a few months once you see how quickly each size moves.
Seasonal sellers should plan ahead of peaks. Bulk shipping boxes ordered in October arrive before the November and December rush, when everyone else is reordering at once.
Crash Lock and Die Cut Boxes for Faster Packing
Crash lock and die cut boxes save time on every order because the base needs no tape.
Crash Lock Boxes arrive flat, and the base folds and locks as you open the box out. Only the top needs closing. For a business packing hundreds of similar products a day, the time saved on forming boxes adds up quickly.
Die Cut Boxes Brown 070502 fold together by hand without tape and come in packs of 50. They suit small products such as accessories and gifts. Buying die cut boxes wholesale in several packs lowers the price per pack.
Best for small postal orders
Die Cut Boxes Brown 070502
Fold-together brown postal boxes that assemble without tape, supplied flat in packs of 50.
- Model 070502
- Pack of 50 boxes
- No tape needed to assemble
£20.00 ex VAT (£24.00 inc VAT)
Buy nowView productFor flat items, Royal Mail PIP Large Letter Boxes are no deeper than 20mm, so a parcel can go at the Large Letter rate instead of the Small Parcel rate. These are among the most popular postal boxes wholesale buyers order, because the postage saving repeats on every parcel.
Best for posting at Large Letter rate
Royal Mail PIP Large Letter Boxes
Die cut boxes no deeper than 20mm, sized for Royal Mail Large Letter post.
- Mini, C6, DL, C5 and C4 sizes
- 20mm deep
- Packs of 50
From £5.00 ex VAT (£6.00 inc VAT)
Choose sizeView productStoring Bulk Cardboard Boxes
Store flat boxes indoors, dry and off the floor, and use the oldest stock first.
Corrugated board absorbs moisture. A stack left on a cold concrete floor or near an open loading door can soften at the bottom, and soft boxes lose strength and crush in transit. A pallet or low shelf under the stack solves most of the problem.
- Keep flat boxes away from radiators and direct sun, which can warp the board.
- Stack by size, with the size label facing out.
- Put new deliveries behind existing stock so older boxes are used first.
- Assemble boxes only when you need them; flat boxes take a fraction of the space.
Bulk moving boxes for a one-off house move need the same care. Store them flat until moving week and build them room by room.
Pallet Delivery and Large Box Orders
Large orders can travel on a pallet, and the biggest box sizes have their own delivery rule.
Pallet orders of 100 or more boxes placed before 1pm can get next-day pallet delivery to the UK mainland. Make sure someone can receive a pallet and that you have space to unload it.
The largest sizes go on 2-day delivery only. They are the single wall 24 x 18 x 18" box and the double wall 14 x 14 x 14", 18 x 18 x 18", 23 x 12 x 15", 24 x 18 x 12" and 24 x 18 x 18" boxes. If you buy bulk moving boxes in these sizes, order a couple of days earlier. The shipping policy lists every delivery option.
Smaller orders ship as parcels. Orders placed by 2pm Monday to Friday are dispatched the same working day, and Royal Mail Tracked 48 is free with no minimum.
Tape and the Real Cost per Box
The real cost of a box includes the tape that seals it, the void fill inside it and the postage band it lands in.
A box that is a little too big uses more void fill and can push a parcel into a dearer band, so a lower price per box does not always mean a lower cost per order. When you compare cardboard boxes wholesale prices, add the tape and void fill for one packed order and compare that figure instead.
Tape is the easy part to buy in volume. Brown Packing Tape matches brown cartons, and the 48mm x 132m and 150m rolls need changing less often on a busy bench.
Best for sealing cartons in volume
Brown Packing Tape
Buff polypropylene tape in packs of 6 rolls, including long 132m and 150m rolls for busy benches.
- 48mm or 72mm widths
- Rolls from 66m to 150m
- Low noise options
From £4.50 ex VAT (£5.40 inc VAT)
Choose sizeView productFor a wider view of what to keep in stock beyond boxes, read the wholesale packaging supplies guide. If you are weighing up where to buy, the guide to packaging suppliers, manufacturers and wholesalers explains when a stockist makes more sense than a box maker.
Mixing Box Styles in One Order
One delivery can carry several box styles, so you rarely need separate orders for postal and shipping boxes.
Many sellers keep a postal box for small items and a carton for larger ones. Postage boxes wholesale buyers order most often are the PIP large letter and die cut styles, because they suit the small, light parcels that make up most online orders. Wholesale boxes for shipping heavier goods are usually single or double wall cartons in two or three sizes.
Mailing boxes wholesale orders follow the same rule as cartons: buy more of fewer sizes. If you also sell larger items, add one double wall size for them rather than a range of big boxes you seldom use. Corrugated boxes bulk orders for moving or storage are better kept separate from your dispatch stock, so a house move or a stock count does not use up the boxes you need for customer orders.
Before you order, check whether any of the sizes you plan to stock fall into the large-box delivery rule above. If they do, place that part of the order a couple of days earlier.
Bulk Box Buying Checklist
- Measure your best sellers with their wrapping.
- Choose two to four core box sizes.
- Use single wall for light items and double wall for heavy or fragile ones.
- Work out monthly use from last month's orders plus a margin.
- Check storage space before you place a large order.
- Use pallet delivery for orders of 100 or more boxes.
- Allow 2 days for the largest box sizes.
- Order tape in the same delivery.
Ordering Your Bulk Boxes
Pick your core sizes, work out a one or two month quantity, and buy those in volume so each box costs less. Every size mentioned here is in the cardboard boxes collection, and tape for sealing them is in the packing tapes range. For help picking dimensions, the shipping boxes guide walks through sizing for online orders.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum order for bulk boxes?
Single Wall Cardboard Boxes and Crash Lock Boxes have a minimum of 5 per size. Double Wall Cardboard Boxes have a minimum of 5 for most sizes and 90 for the 24 x 24 x 24 inch size. Die cut boxes and Royal Mail PIP Large Letter Boxes are sold in packs of 50.
How do I buy boxes in bulk at a lower price?
Buy more of the same size. Volume pricing on each product page lowers the price per box as the quantity rises, so concentrating your orders on two to four sizes saves more than spreading them across many. Prices are shown ex VAT, with VAT added at checkout.
Can bulk cardboard boxes be delivered on a pallet?
Yes. Pallet orders of 100 or more boxes placed before 1pm can get next-day pallet delivery to the UK mainland. The largest box sizes, such as single wall 24 x 18 x 18 inch and several large double wall sizes, go on 2-day delivery only.
Should I buy single wall or double wall wholesale shipping boxes?
Use single wall for light and medium items such as clothing, books and boxed accessories. Use double wall for heavy, fragile or high value goods, and for boxes that will be stacked in storage or on a pallet. Many businesses keep one or two sizes of each.
Where should I store bulk moving boxes?
Keep flat boxes indoors, somewhere dry, off the floor and away from direct heat. Damp softens corrugated board and weakens the glued joints. A pallet or low shelf under the stack keeps moisture from a concrete floor away from the bottom boxes.
Are die cut boxes wholesale cheaper than standard cartons for small orders?
Die cut boxes save time and tape because they fold together without taping the base. For small products they often fit better than a standard carton, which can reduce void fill. The 070502 brown die cut box is sold in packs of 50.
