Summer is officially here! Swapping the boots for flip-flops has been a welcome change for us Brits and is a great excuse to de-clutter the wardrobe and buy some new summer clothes.
If you've got some pre-loved clothing to sell on an online marketplace or you run a fashion eCommerce business, you'll want to know how to send your clothes by courier. Cutting corners regarding packaging and shipping clothing could cost you a repeat customer, so don't be clothes-minded to some advice.
We've ironed out the creases and put together some essential tips on professionally packaging and shipping your second-hand garments, bespoke outfits, and vintage clothing.
How to prepare your clothes for shipping
When selling clothes online, you need to learn how to send the items correctly to avoid potential damage. To do this, you'll want your item to be as flat as possible. Not only does it look more professional, but neatly folded clothes could also save you money in postage because they use up less space, meaning you can fit them into a smaller box or packet.
For garments with arms, like t-shirts, jumpers and long-sleeve tops, we advise:
1. Lay your garment out flat
2. Fold sleeves behind the back
3. Fold the edges lengthwise
4. Neatly fold the garment in half
Dresses follow the same principle. Just add a second fold for the lengthier skirt half.
For trousers, shorts and skirts:
1. Lay your garment out flat
2. Fold one leg over the other with the zip inside of the fold
3. Smooth out any creases
4. Fold the lengthier half to finish
We advise you to place tissue paper between the folds for an extra touch. If the item has a zip or extra embellishment, it's also worth adding additional protection, like bubble wrap, around these areas.
Next, wrap the whole article in tissue paper or an alternative decorative material and finish with a thank you note. If buyers see you have made an effort in your packaging, they are more likely to purchase from your store again and leave you a positive review. Encouraging feedback is critical, whether you're an online store or an individual eBay seller because it signals to buyers that you're a reliable seller.
Choose the best packaging material
All our courier companies accept clothing through their services, opening up many options. The size of your item determines the type of packaging you will use for shipment but the main thing to remember is that everything you send through our services must be boxed/packaged appropriately. Here are some popular packaging materials for clothing:
Polythene Mailing Bags
Designed for courier transport, polythene or plastic mailing bags are ideal for sending light clothing and other soft items. They take up very little space meaning you can book with a cheap delivery service.
For example, we offer APC MailPack and CourierPack Next Day services, suitable for small packages up to 1kg. The driver will bring a recyclable plastic APC bag with them upon collection. Prices start from £5.85 exc VAT.
Padded Envelope Mailers
Padded envelopes or jiffy bags are popular for posting light clothing like t-shirts or tops. The inside padding offers extra protection to items and jiffy bags are available in various sizes. However, they are not easily recyclable and unsuitable for larger orders.
For example, you could send a formal shirt in a padded mailer roughly 33cm x 48cm x 6cm weighing 0.5kg from £2.25 exc VAT.
Cardboard Box
The sturdiest of all packaging materials, double-walled cardboard boxes are great for sending heavy or multiple pieces of clothing and offer a lot of protection when used with extra internal packaging materials like bubble wrap, shredded paper and packing peanuts. Ensure the clothes inside are wrapped in something waterproof and evenly padded to avoid them sliding around.
However, boxes are heavier than envelopes or mailing bags so they will cost a bit more to send, but if they are in good condition, they can easily be reused or repurposed for future orders.
Heavier clothes like leather jackets and shoes will require a standard delivery service. For instance, you could send a pair of men's hiking boots in a cardboard box sized 37.5cm x 27.5cm x 12.5cm weighing roughly 2kg from £3.55 exc VAT.
If you regularly send one particular product, our Smart Boxing feature can help pack your items into as few boxes as possible. You can define your regular shipping box sizes in your Interparcel Account.
Whatever material you choose, you must use strong packing tape to keep your clothing inside your packaging of choice. It's also important to print out your address label and attach it to the outer packaging so the driver can easily see where the destination address.
Choose a low-cost courier service
We offer affordable parcel delivery services to save you time and money when posting clothes. Whether you require an Economy Service or a Next Day Timed Delivery, we have it all!
Sending clothes domestically
Sending a parcel within the UK via courier can cost as little as £1.75 VAT, so no wonder many customers are choosing to book their parcel deliveries with us.
APC, Evri and DHL are just some of the popular couriers we work with who offer low-cost UK Collection and Drop Off Economy, Next Day and Timed services. Simply type in your parcel details and destination postcode and we will generate a list of suitable courier services to suit your parcel-sending needs.
Some UK services, such as Yodel Direct and Evri ParcelShop, do not require a printer, so it's even easier to sell and ship your pre-loved clothing online.
Sending clothes internationally
We've teamed with big names in international delivery like FedEx, Landmark Global and Parcelforce to offer you the best choice of Collection and Drop Off services to destinations in Europe and Worldwide.
Sending a parcel internationally requires a bit more paperwork but we've made the process as easy as possible and incorporated the Customs Form in the booking process.
For example, we have a 'Find Your HS Code' tool which helps you quickly find the appropriate code for your item. Shoes, Clothes and Accessories have different HS Codes, e.g. a dress is 61044200
We advise you to be as descriptive as possible when filling in a Customs form as it avoids any potential delays further down the line.
Integrate your online store with our Shipping Manager
If you regularly sell clothes across multiple online marketplaces like eBay or Etsy, you can integrate your store with our Shipping Manager to streamline your parcel deliveries. Instead of logging into multiple platforms and manually booking shipments, you can pull them all into one place and book in just a few clicks!
We also accept your order data in a CSV file. Our system allows you to upload 10,000 orders in less time than manually booking one. You can use our ready-made template or your own by mapping your chosen fields. We also offer a Developer API that allows you to connect to Interparcel from your website and application.
Ship with Interparcel
Whether you send 1 parcel or 100 parcels a month, our advanced Shipping Manager simplifies parcel delivery and offers a variety of benefits such as:
- Free account set up
- Parcel Presets to shortcut package detail input
- Access to a range of eCommerce integrations through our Shipping Manager
- Full use of our 'Send Again' and 'Return Parcel' actions to streamline sending
- Branded Tracking for a seamless company experience
- Unlimited no-cost label printing options
When you're ready to send your clothes, get an instant quote using our free parcel delivery quote tool, and you're all set in a few clicks. If you have any questions about your order, don't hesitate to contact our friendly support team.
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