How to Package and Ship Clothes

When you've been eagerly anticipating the delivery of a dress you bought online, receiving it posted in a tatty taped-up Sainsbury's bag is disappointing to say the least. Whether you are a small business just starting up on Etsy, a brick and mortar shop dipping your toe in the eCommerce puddle or you're just downsizing your wardrobe and selling on eBay; cutting corners when it comes to packaging and posting clothing dampens your customer's view of your service, and can be the reason why they don't become a repeat customer.

Your clothing packaging doesn't have to be a custom-made unboxing extravaganza (although this is a great eCommerce marketing strategy) but putting a little time and effort into shipping clothes can go a long way - pun intended.

No matter if you sell vintage clothing, second-hand garments, or bespoke handmade outfits, sending them professionally is essential.. We've put together a few tips on how to ship clothes so you can iron out the creases and put your best shoe forward.

Prepare your clothes for shipping

Selling clothes online like a professional means you must learn how to send clothes like a professional! Present them nicely and neatly so your customer is impressed, this could be the difference between a one-time buyer and a returning customer.

When it comes to folding your items the golden rule is - NO rolling. Rolling causes wrinkling, creasing, and general messiness. You won't have to be a born folder like Marie Kondo, but you will need to learn how to fold like the retailers do. So for clothes with arms, like jumpers, cardigans or t shirts here are three easy steps:

1. Fold sleeves behind the back
2. Fold the edges in length-wise
3. Neatly fold in half

Dresses should be folded the same way, just add a second fold at the end for the lengthier skirt half of any dresses!

For trousers, shorts or skirts:

1. Fold in half with the zip on the inside of the fold
2. Smooth out any creases
3. Fold in half to finish

Once you've folded the clothes properly you can wrap them in tissue paper or another decorative material before putting them in their packaging! Adding little details like this or even adding small sweets or a thank you note sets you apart from other online clothing businesses.

Customers that see this kind of effort are more likely to leave positive customer feedback and share your brand via word-of-mouth - doing your marketing for you! It's definitely worth going the extra mile with your product appearance when preparing to ship clothes.

Pick a packaging material

If you are sending clothes by courier you need to ensure you have packed them properly. Let's look at some of the options you have for packaging your clothes so they are ready to be posted. You can keep costs low if you purchase online, in bulk.

Plastic mailing bags

These polythene or plastic mailing bags are a favourite for many brands who post clothes regularly.

Padded shipping envelopes (Jiffy bags)

Another easily sourced shipping favourite often used for posting clothes.

Cardboard boxes

The trusty cardboard box is another popular packaging material when thinking about how to mail clothes.

Thinking sustainably when considering how to ship clothes and picking a packaging material is important in our current eco-conscious climate, so make sure you explore all possible (even sustainable ones).

Get your parcels ready for sending

Often businesses or individuals opt for handwritten addresses on parcels when starting out. Although this might seem like an easy solution, you're actually losing time AND money by doing it this way. By using a parcel shipping service like Interparcel, not only is it the cheapest way to send clothes but we can provide you with pre-printed address labels so you don't have to worry if your handwriting is legible! We use only the very best and most reliable uk couriers and it costs less than you would expect!

• Make sure you print out address labels and stick onto the outer packaging before placing the clothes inside

This is especially important if you're using mailing bags over bulky items as you want to ensure your label is flat and stuck on well.

• Make sure when securing your parcel that you use strong parcel tape!

Less is not more in this instance. Make sure you use enough tape to keep your clothing secure inside your packaging of choice. Knowing how to post clothes cheaply definitely means making sure the content of your parcel stays firmly inside!

• Make sure you wrap clothes that have zips or fragile parts in cushioning material

You don't want your customers receiving a pair of jeans with a faulty zip, so wrap it in protective materials like bubble-wrap or tissue paper before sending! Shipping clothes in tissue paper can even be a packaging quirk and add more to your branded packaging experience.

Choose the cheapest way to send clothes

The last step you should take to optimise your customers experience is by offering a range of shipping options that fit your customer's every need. At Interparcel we offer a full spectrum of services from Next day Right through to Economy services with everything in between at discounted prices. We know that your customers demand excellence at an affordable price, because that's what we demand too. So let Interparcel save you time and money when posting clothes.

If you're a regular online seller then consider using our excellent, free to use Interparcel Shipping Manager to import all of your orders into one easy to use dashboard. We have shipping integration solutions for all of the top shopping cart platforms, so whether you use eBay , Etsy , Shopify or one of the eCommerce carts we have a Shipping solution for you. Our shipping manager allows you to import your clothes orders at the click of a button for rapid despatch at cost-effective prices.

Behind the scenes we have sophisticated systems constantly monitoring your parcels journey and updating our unique tracking pages. We offer as standard, a full tracking service that can be shared with your customers. Don't want to keep checking? add our text alerts during checkout and you or your customer can get a text message when their parcel is out for delivery or delivered, keeping you in the loop.

Learning how to package clothes for shipping has never been so easy!

Start sending!

We know that making the sale is just the first step in your customers journey, perfecting the whole user experience, right through to delivery is how you keep that customer. Sending clothes is a major region of eCommerce revenue and taking steps to make sure you stand out amongst the competition and provide a stunning service your customers will appreciate is a must.

We hope this guide has given you more insight into how to package & send your clothing products. Don't let us catch you rolling up another dress and sending it inside a shopping bag ever again!