How to Ship Apparel Properly

Shipping apparel requires careful planning to minimize costs while ensuring products arrive in excellent condition. Proper packaging, choosing the right courier, and understanding shipping logistics are key to efficient shipping.

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How to Package Clothes for Shipping

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Let’s start with the basics.

Everyone in the clothing business knows that there is a right way of packing clothes. And if you want to be more efficient, this is something you’ll have to learn.

• Folding vs. Rolling: Fold clothing to maintain its presentation. Rolling may save space but can leave wrinkles, especially for items like shirts and pants.
• Single vs. Multiple Items: For single items, consider poly mailers (lightweight, waterproof). For multiple items, use boxes that fit snugly to minimize shipping costs. 

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• Cushioning: Generally, clothing doesn't require extra cushioning. For delicate fabrics, use tissue paper.

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Weigh Before Shipping

• Accurately weigh your packages using a reliable scale.
• Check packaging integrity to ensure items won’t be damaged during transit.

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Shipping Information

There are several key pieces of information you need to learn and keep track of when shipping goods to customers. 

• Location: Costs vary depending on domestic or international destinations.
• Weight & Speed: Heavier and faster delivery options incur higher fees.
• Tracking: Ensure the ability to track shipments for customer and business protection.

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Who Pays for Shipping?

Regardless of how you ship your items and what packaging you use to do it, someone will have to shoulder the cost.

It would have to be you or the customer.

• Customer: You can pass the shipping cost to the customer via flat rates or based on actual costs.
• You: Offering free shipping boosts sales but could require price adjustments to cover shipping fees.
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Who Can Ship Your Clothing Products?

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• For lightweight shipments, consider USPS services like Ground Advantage for affordability.
• For larger shipments or faster delivery, FedEx and UPS may be more suitable.

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Clothing Company Packaging Solutions

• Shipping Boxes: Ideal for bulkier apparel orders.
• Labels & Hang Tags: Personalize shipments with branded labels or essential care instructions., be aware of how shipping logistics work, and make your packaging as light as possible

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Recap

To ship apparel properly, you need to understand how to pack and store clothing correctly. You need to be aware of how shipping logistics work. And you want to make your packaging as light as you possibly can.

To pay for shipping, you'll have to decide whether it’s you or your customers who’d have to shoulder the costs. You can make customers pay for the entire shipping or have a flat fee. Or you can offer free shipping and just raise the prices of your products to cover the fees.

There are different shipping solutions that you can use to deliver products. Poly mailers are ideal if you’re just going to ship a shirt or a couple of socks. But for larger quantities, it’s best to use boxes. 

Would you like more information about packaging clothes? We have a blog post called What Is Clothing Packaging that covers it extensively. You should give that one a read.

If you’d like to make custom packaging for your clothing store, PackM can print them for you. Just upload your design or make one using our free-to-use Design Tool.