Winter-weather enthusiasts purchase their sporting equipment through a variety of channels including specialty stores, chain stores and online.
Since 2012, online sales of winter sporting equipment has averaged approximately 20% of total sales in the U.S, making ecommerce a vibrant $180 million category.
If you are engaged in the online sale and the shipping of snowboards and ski equipment, you know that they require careful attention to make sure they arrive to customers in ready-to-use shape.
Read on to learn some best packing practices for ski and snowboard shipments.
Packaging Tips When Shipping Skis & Snowboards
Finding the Right Carton
Skis and snowboards are a real packaging challenge because of their shapes. Getting the right carton is critical from the perspective of both safety and aesthetics. Neither fits into a standard carton size, so some investigating is required. A carton that is 14” x 4” x 68” is typically used to ship snowboards. Skis, because of their length, generally require telescopic cartons. These are cartons that come with 2 adjustable segments. One common configuration is 10” x 6” x 57”- 108”. Both variations of cartons are available individually and in bulk quantities from a variety of vendors.
Product Protection
In addition to using the proper carton to ship your skis or snowboard, you need proper product protection. Bubble wrap is generally recommended because of its robust protection characteristics and its scratch protection. You can mold it to make sure that all the edges, including the nose and tail, are covered. These are the impact points if the package is dropped, so this step is crucial. Place the wrapped snowboard or ski inside of the box. Fill the remaining voids of the box with bubble wrap or air pillows.
How to Effectively Seal the Carton
You clearly want to use a carton sealant that will not open upon rough handling and will keep your merchandise secure. According to UPS, it’s best to use reinforced water activated tape, "60lb grade tape that is at least three inches wide (72mm) with nylon reinforcements)” (Source).
Reinforced water-activated tape contains fiberglass, and it provides extraordinary strength to the tape that protects your shipped products. Water-activated packaging tape is tamper-evident and forms a complete bond with the carton itself, allowing for maximum strength and security. Your equipment will arrive to your customers intact and in optimal condition.
How to Ship Your eCommerce Equipment
Shipping e-commerce products is always a big consideration for companies. Shipping becomes even more critical given the significant shipping cost of transporting skis and snowboards. The main factors that most businesses consider when determining which shipping method to use is the cost of shipping, carrier reliability, delivery time and service-area offerings.
Companies traditionally look to either FedEx, UPS, USPS or DHL to service their accounts. There are a variety of online tools to help you determine the best price on shipping such as ShipGooder.com and Shippingsidekick.com. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you work closely with your shipping company to create a business relationship and obtain the best deal you can.
Better Packages | Shipping Skis and Snowboards
The importance of using a strong and secure tape when shipping unwieldy packages cannot be over-emphasized for it can make the difference between equipment arriving intact or not. Better Packages offers a full line of gummed tape dispensers, along with the Central® brand water-activated tape through its parent company, Intertape Polymer Group (IPG). Water-activated tape (also known as gummed tape, gum tape, Kraft paper tape, reinforced paper tape) is designed to create a superior seal on your corrugated cartons while providing advantages other carton sealing methods do not.
Central brand water-activated carton sealing tape is offered in a wide range of paper and reinforced gummed paper tape styles, roll lengths and widths to best fit your carton sealing needs.
Is your packaging and delivery process exceeding your customers' expectations? Get in touch below to learn more about finding a solution for your business!