The Damaged, broken, or non-functional condition of the product, causes a more distressing situation for the seller than the consumer.
Are you tired of hearing the complaints of products getting damaged while shipping? Are the shipping damage to products affecting your business?
The damage, fault, or tampering of products in shipping must be affecting you with the loss of associated costs (shipping, etc.).
Impacting the future sales because of the negative written reviews on various platforms by customers against the received damaged product.
Did you know, according to Statista, that 20% of the packages are returned due to the damage and fault?
Damage due to shipping is the major concern of harm to the product when it travels from the warehouse to the customers’ location.
It is a serious threat as it includes many losses to the seller company such as product cost (due to damage), packaging costs, shipping costs, other expenses of labelling etc., moreover it affects the sales as well.
What are the impacts of shipping damage to D2C brands?
- Replacement of the damaged product involves the costs of two products instead i.e., loss of 2 items for 1 purchase (inventory loss).
- Shipping and packaging cost 1st shipment (that got damaged) and 2nd round for its replacement.
- Time and effort loss for warehouse labor as 1st they have to unbox and check the returned damaged product, if it can be fixed or not and resend to the customer or put back to the stock, 2nd if the product cannot be fixed then it is disposed of or 3rd the repeat of the whole shipment process.
- Impact on customers for a lifetime is the major reason to lose the selling rate on the product. As the negative reviews added by customers influence the potential customers.
Therefore reducing the shipping damage can save you the shipping as well as any additional costs associated with the process. With the right strategy about packaging and shipping, you can save up to 60% of the shipping costs.
Ways to reduce product damage
Here are some of the ways that can help you to reduce the product damage caused by shipping.
1. Choose the correct packaging size
The wrong size of the packaging carton compared to the size of the product can be a big reason for the product to get damaged in freight. Therefore, the seller and their packaging partners should take care of the packaging carton to be the exact size of the product to ensure there will be no damage to the shipment.
Also, the size of the packages should be created in such a way that they should comfortably stack in the pallet (single stack). Product packaging is the smallest cost carrier in the supply chain but it can save you thousands of dollars when done correctly.
2. Use Protective Packaging
The products should be packed with intense care using good quality packaging material that shall not spoil in between the shipping. The packaging material can be tested and assessed to avoid any chance of spoilage.
Some kind of cushioning can be done to all the packaging, not all products need cushioning but it will also not harm to do enough to all the products to reduce the damage.
Materials such as airbags, bubble wrap, instapak packaging foam, etc. can be used to pack the products this will help to reduce the damage to the product.
3. Use of Insulated Shipping Containers
Insulated shipping containers with thermal protection can be used to pack the food items or temperature-sensitive products in their best condition and to deliver them fresh to the customer.
These containers will help the product to survive in extreme hot and cold conditions and the damage can be controlled in an easy way.
4. Use of correct Labelling
After products are ready with the packaging they should be labeled carefully.
Making your labels clear for the handling details for some products such as for fragile items or a product that can spill will need extra cautiousness when shipping. This will definitely reduce the rate of product damage while shipping.
As the packages are not only handled by the worker’s team in a warehouse but with the pick-up boys and delivery workers as well as they should know how the package needs to be handled.
5. Proper Stacking of goods on the pallet
The packages should be stacked very carefully in a uniform and stable manner. Whether the products are stacked manually or by machine, they should be done right and rigid so that no package should hang out of the edge. It may cause an increase in the chances of damage.
Additional considerations to control the product damage are:
- Confirming the customers for their availability to receive the package can help to reduce the product damage from shipping again and again and save the shipping costs as well.
- The feedback of your customers regarding the product and its packaging can help a lot to improve. Ask your customers for their feedback, it will create a good brand impression.
- Unboxing videos can also help to reduce the negative impact because of devastating packaging.
Final Thoughts:
Product damaged through shipping is an unfortunate result but it can be controlled by following the above discussed techniques. The destruction can be managed at any time you want.
Hope this blog helps you reduce the damage of products in shipping and freight and mark an improvement in your business scale.