Packaging Supplies UK: A Starter Checklist for Online Sellers

Packaging supplies for an online business come down to a short list: a box or bag to hold the order, tape to close it, a label to send it and cushioning to protect it. A tape gun then makes the closing faster.

Pack Solution is a UK packaging supplier with a warehouse in Manchester, and every item in this checklist is something it stocks. The sections follow the order a parcel is packed, with sizes taken from the product pages. There is also a short section for anyone who needs moving packing supplies rather than a seller's stock.

Quick Picks: Packaging Supplies to Start With

Most new sellers begin with three things. Choose single wall cardboard boxes for rigid goods, grey mailing bags for soft goods and brown packing tape to close the boxes.

Best for everyday e-commerce orders

Single Wall Cardboard Boxes

Lightweight corrugated boxes, supplied flat, in sizes from small cubes to large moving boxes.

• 16 sizes, 5 x 5 x 5" to 24 x 18 x 18"
• 450 x 350 x 160mm Royal Mail Small Parcel maximum box
• Minimum 5 per size

From £0.35 ex VAT (£0.42 inc VAT)

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Best for clothing and soft goods

Grey Mailing Bags

Opaque grey polythene postal bags with a self-seal strip, so no tape is needed.

• 16 sizes, 4 x 6" to 34 x 42"
• Packs of 100, 50 or 25
• 9 x 12" takes an A4 document flat

From £2.90 ex VAT (£3.48 inc VAT)

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Best for sealing brown cartons

Brown Packing Tape

Buff coloured polypropylene tape that matches brown boxes, in five rolls to choose from.

• Packs of 6 rolls
• 48mm x 66m up to 48mm x 150m, plus 72mm x 66m
• Two low noise options

From £4.50 ex VAT (£5.40 inc VAT)

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Key Facts

• Single Wall Cardboard Boxes come in 16 sizes, from 5 x 5 x 5" to 24 x 18 x 18", with a minimum of 5 per size.
• Grey Mailing Bags come in 16 sizes, from 4 x 6" to 34 x 42", in packs of 100, 50 or 25.
• Brown Packing Tape is sold in packs of 6 rolls, in 48mm and 72mm widths.
• Thermal Labels on Rolls include the 4 x 6" courier label, with 500 labels per roll.
• Small Bubble Wrap has 10mm bubbles on 100m rolls, in 300mm or 500mm widths.
• Pistol Grip Tape Gun Dispensers are made for 50mm and 75mm tape.

What Packaging Supplies Does an Online Seller Need?

An online seller needs six things: boxes or mailing bags, tape, shipping labels, cushioning and a dispenser for the tape. Everything else is an extra that you add as the order mix grows. Because the six come from one range, UK packaging supplies can arrive in a single parcel instead of from several places.

Which of these you buy first depends on what you sell. A shop posting clothes may never need a box, while one selling glassware will use boxes and bubble wrap every day. The table matches each job to the product that does it.

Boxes: Choosing Sizes for Your Orders

Pick the box by measuring the item, allowing for wrapping, and choosing the next internal size up. Single wall corrugated board is a light, strong choice for everyday orders, storage and light moving.

Sizes are internal, length x width x height. The smaller cubes from 5 x 5 x 5" to 7 x 5 x 5" suit candles, mugs and gifts. The 12 x 9 x 4" to 12 x 9 x 9" boxes take A4 items lying flat on the 305 x 229mm base. The 17.7 x 13.7 x 6" box is made to the Royal Mail Small Parcel maximum size. Boxes arrive flat packed, which saves space until you need them.

If you are comparing cardboard box suppliers, check the range of sizes, the minimum quantity and the delivery terms. Here the minimum is 5 boxes per size, and boxes are sold individually, so a new seller can try several sizes before committing to bulk. The boxes collection lists every size, and our cardboard boxes buying guide goes into strength and sizing.

Mailing Bags for Soft Goods

Mailing bags suit anything that is soft and does not break, such as clothing, books and documents. They add very little weight, which helps keep postage costs down, and they are the lightest parcel packaging for soft goods.

The grey bags are opaque polythene with a self-seal strip, so nobody can see what is inside and you need no tape. A 9 x 12" bag takes an A4 document flat, and sizes from 10 x 14" to 14 x 21" suit paperbacks and folded clothes. From 20 x 26" the bags work as large mailing bags for bedding and cushions. Smaller sizes come in packs of 100 and the biggest, 34 x 42", in packs of 25.

They work as postal packaging for a clothing shop, and the outer is water resistant against rain in transit. The full size range is covered in our guide to parcel bags and postal bags.

Tape, Tape Guns and Thermal Labels

Seal boxes with 48mm tape on a tape gun, and print courier labels on 4 x 6" thermal rolls. These three items decide how fast your packing bench runs.

Brown tape matches brown cartons for a neat finish. The standard 48mm x 66m roll suits most boxes, while the 48mm x 132m and BigTape 48mm x 150m rolls mean fewer roll changes. BigTape and Vibac 835 Buff are low noise, which helps in a shared packing area, and the 72mm Proloc roll covers more of the seam on heavy cartons. Most of the tapes are 48mm wide, so a 50mm tape gun fits them. The PG75B takes 75mm tape, and the Pacplus HPG50B and Big Tape 2in1 Core are the heavy duty guns for all-day use.

Best for sealing boxes faster

Pistol Grip Tape Gun

A one-handed pistol grip dispenser with a built-in cutting blade, in four models.

• Three models for 50mm tape, PG75B for 75mm
• Pacplus HPG50B and Big Tape 2in1 Core are heavy duty
• Sold individually

From £5.00 ex VAT (£6.00 inc VAT)

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The 4 x 6" thermal label is the standard courier size, and sellers on eBay, Etsy and Vinted use the same one. Direct thermal labels print with heat, so you need no ink, toner or ribbon. Before ordering, check that your printer is a direct thermal model that takes standard rolls. The label range also has 2 x 1", 3 x 2", 4 x 4" and 4 x 8" sizes for barcodes, shelves and packing slips.

Best for courier shipping labels

Thermal Labels on Rolls

Self-adhesive direct thermal labels that print with heat, with no ink, toner or ribbon.

• Five sizes, from 2 x 1" to 4 x 8"
• 4 x 6" roll holds 500 labels
• Needs a direct thermal printer

From £3.50 ex VAT (£4.20 inc VAT)

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Protective Packaging for Fragile Items

Wrap anything breakable and fill the space around it, so it cannot move or rub against the box. Bubble wrap does the wrapping, and the width you buy should match the item.

Small bubble wrap has 10mm bubbles that wrap closely round small and awkward shapes. The 300mm width suits jewellery and phone accessories and 500mm is the everyday width for glassware and ceramics. Every roll is 100m long and sold on its own.

Best for wrapping fragile items

Small Bubble Wrap

10mm bubbles that cushion smaller and delicate items against knocks and scratches.

• 100m rolls
• Widths 300mm and 500mm
• Sold per roll

From £9.00 ex VAT (£10.80 inc VAT)

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When the gaps are large, add loose fill or paper around the wrapped item. Any packaging material that stops the item moving will do, as long as nothing shifts when you shake the closed box. The protective packaging collection has the other options, and how to pack a box for shipping shows the whole sequence from wrap to seal.

Moving Packing Supplies for a House Move

For a house move you need strong boxes in a few sizes, bubble wrap for the breakables and a lot of tape. The same single wall boxes that suit online orders work for light moving.

The 24 x 18 x 18" box is the large size for bulky, light items and storage. Smaller boxes such as 12 x 12 x 12" suit homeware and heavier things, which stay manageable to lift. Wrap glass, ceramics and ornaments in 500mm bubble wrap. Seal each box with brown tape and a tape gun, which also makes the job quicker.

Large box sizes, including the single wall 24 x 18 x 18", are delivered on 2-day delivery only, so order them a few days before you need them. Orders placed by 2pm Monday to Friday are dispatched the same working day.

How Much Packaging Stock Should You Buy?

Buy enough to cover your busiest fortnight, and track how many of each item a typical order uses. Volume pricing means the price per pack falls as the quantity rises, so a larger order of fast movers costs less per item.

Work from the numbers on the page. A pack of six 48mm x 66m tape rolls holds 396m of tape, and a pack of six 48mm x 132m rolls holds 792m. A 4 x 6" label roll covers 500 parcels. Boxes have a minimum of 5 per size, and bags come in packs of 100, 50 or 25. Count your orders per week against those pack sizes and you will see how long each purchase lasts.

Our guide to packaging cost per order and stock planning shows how to put a cost on each parcel. For a wider look at what a warehouse keeps on the shelf, read common shipping materials to keep on hand.

If you compare packaging materials from different sellers, compare the unit that is sold: a pack of 100 bags and a pack of 25 are not priced for the same quantity. When you assess a packaging company, look at dispatch times and returns terms as well as list prices. We dispatch the same working day for orders placed by 2pm Monday to Friday, Royal Mail Tracked 48 is free with no minimum, and unused items can be returned within 30 days of delivery, as set out in the refund policy.

Packaging Supplies Checklist

• Boxes in the two or three sizes your orders use most.
• Mailing bags in the sizes that fit your soft goods.
• Brown packing tape in 48mm, with a spare pack.
• A tape gun that matches the width of your tape.
• Thermal labels in 4 x 6" and a direct thermal printer that takes them.
• Bubble wrap in the width that matches your most fragile item.
• Loose fill or paper for any gaps inside the box.
• A note of the pack sizes and minimum orders, so reorders are quick.

Wrap-Up: Building Your Packaging Stock

Start with boxes or mailing bags, tape and labels, add bubble wrap for fragile goods, then widen the range as orders grow.

The tapes collection holds the tape and the dispensers together. Order by 2pm on a weekday and the parcel leaves Manchester the same day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What packaging supplies do I need to start selling online?

You need boxes or mailing bags, tape, shipping labels and cushioning. That means Single Wall Cardboard Boxes in 16 sizes, Grey Mailing Bags from 4 x 6" to 34 x 42", Brown Packing Tape in packs of 6 rolls, and Thermal Labels on Rolls, with a tape gun to speed up sealing.

Where can I buy packaging supplies in the UK?

We supply packaging to UK businesses and households from our warehouse in Manchester. Orders placed by 2pm Monday to Friday are dispatched the same working day, and Royal Mail Tracked 48 delivery is free on every order with no minimum.

What are the best packing materials for fragile items?

Wrap the item in bubble wrap, then fill the gaps so it cannot move. Small Bubble Wrap has 10mm bubbles on 100m rolls, in 300mm or 500mm widths. Choose the width that wraps your item in one or two turns, and seal the box with tape.

What do I need for moving packing supplies?

For a house move you need boxes in a few sizes, bubble wrap and tape. Single wall boxes run up to 24 x 18 x 18" for bulky light items, and 500mm bubble wrap suits glass and homeware. Seal each box with brown tape and a tape gun.

What size shipping label should I buy?

For Royal Mail, Evri, DPD and Parcelforce, the standard courier label is 4 x 6" (100 x 150mm), and a roll holds 500 labels. The 4 x 8" size adds a packing-slip area. Check that your printer is a direct thermal model that takes standard rolls.

Can I return packaging I do not use?

Unused items can be returned within 30 days of delivery for a refund. Contact sales@packsolution.co.uk first with your order number. Change-of-mind returns are posted at your own cost, but if an item arrives damaged, faulty or incorrect, tell us within 3 working days and we cover return postage.

Shop for This Job

• Cardboard Boxes
• Mailing & Polythene Bags
• Packing Tapes
• Labels
• Protective Packaging

Related Guides

• How To Pack A Box For Shipping: Step-By-Step Guide To Packing In Boxes
• Cardboard Boxes Buying Guide: Types, Sizes And Where To Buy
• Parcel Bags and Postal Bags: Sizes, Colours and Large Mailing Bags
• Packaging Cost per Order & Stock Planning Guide
• Common Shipping Materials Every Business Should Have Hand On
• Choosing The Best Packaging Supplier In The Uk Why It Matters For Your Business

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