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USPS Priority Mail Boxes while trying to build a brand.

NateKruse

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I am in the very early stages of starting a business that will rely extensively on shipping. (INSIDERS only progress thread here: https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/co...-home-sharp-knife-subscription-service.82113/).

In order to keep costs low, especially as I start out, I am thinking of using the free USPS Priority Mail boxes with a custom made cardboard insert to hold my items.

Has anyone had any success building a brand or subscription company using these free boxes? Would customers actually care that the products they ordered were delivered in a USPS box instead of a custom printed box?

Custom boxes may help somewhat by keeping the boxes as small as possible and thus reduce shipping costs, but from my research they will cost about $1-2 per box depending on quantity.
And they will have a 4-6 week lead time.

Any thoughts?
 
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Bearcorp

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Go for it. If the service and the buying experience are first class, customers wont mind what box it gets delivered in.
 

Bearcorp

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Go for it. If the service and the buying experience are first class, customers wont mind what box it gets delivered in.
I only had a brief look over your progress thread, great stuff! Look forward to following your journey.
 

NadiaZ

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I am in the very early stages of starting a business that will rely extensively on shipping. (INSIDERS only progress thread here: https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/co...-home-sharp-knife-subscription-service.82113/).

In order to keep costs low, especially as I start out, I am thinking of using the free USPS Priority Mail boxes with a custom made cardboard insert to hold my items.

Has anyone had any success building a brand or subscription company using these free boxes? Would customers actually care that the products they ordered were delivered in a USPS box instead of a custom printed box?

Custom boxes may help somewhat by keeping the boxes as small as possible and thus reduce shipping costs, but from my research they will cost about $1-2 per box depending on quantity.
And they will have a 4-6 week lead time.

Any thoughts?

Maybe get like a stamp or sticker and put it on the box. I know that whenever I get a box or my friend's do, my friends will be like "who is that from? oh it's from X store" and it's cool to see the logo on it.

I know birchbox, the makeup subscription company does this and the box has birchbox on it so you know it's from there.
 
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D

Deleted20833

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I've have companies delivering their stuff in plain packages all the time and I could care less

A branded box is a nice touch that I forget about
after 2 minutes
 

MJ DeMarco

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Don't think it would make much different to start - a customer won't see the box until after they're customers.

But eventually, you'll want to upgrade to your own boxes for brand enhancement, assuming the margins can handle it.
 

NateKruse

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Go for it. If the service and the buying experience are first class, customers wont mind what box it gets delivered in.

I only had a brief look over your progress thread, great stuff! Look forward to following your journey.

Maybe get like a stamp or sticker and put it on the box. I know that whenever I get a box or my friend's do, my friends will be like "who is that from? oh it's from X store" and it's cool to see the logo on it.

I know birchbox, the makeup subscription company does this and the box has birchbox on it so you know it's from there.

Don't think it would make much different to start - a customer won't see the box until after they're customers.

But eventually, you'll want to upgrade to your own boxes for brand enhancement, assuming the margins can handle it.

Thank you all for the responses! I think that the USPS Priority Mail 1092 Box will fit my needs. I ordered 10 of them to sample it.

@NadiaZ The stamp is a great idea! Way more bang for the buck than stickers or something. I just ordered a stamp from VistaPrint with my company logo on it. I resisted the action-faking urge to get CEO business cards while I was there. :p
 
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minivanman

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Hopefully it's a big enough stamp to make people l@@k at it yet simple enough to EASILY read if there are words on it.
 

NadiaZ

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Nice! Stamp is always good idea. If you could even get a different colored cardboard box so it stands out a little, that'd be great. No idea how $$ that would be.

Thank you all for the responses! I think that the USPS Priority Mail 1092 Box will fit my needs. I ordered 10 of them to sample it.

@NadiaZ The stamp is a great idea! Way more bang for the buck than stickers or something. I just ordered a stamp from VistaPrint with my company logo on it. I resisted the action-faking urge to get CEO business cards while I was there. :p
 

NateKruse

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Nice! Stamp is always good idea. If you could even get a different colored cardboard box so it stands out a little, that'd be great. No idea how $$ that would be.
The USPS boxes are free when used for Priority Mail. I ordered the stamp with blue ink, so it should stick out pretty well from the mostly white boxes. I think this will work pretty well, especially when just starting out.

On a side note, the USPS business liaison I spoke with said that if you do $500,000 of USPS Priority Mail shipping annually, they make free co-branded Priority Mail boxes for you. That would be nice!
 
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Late Bloomer

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Isn't there a standard form that goes on top of the box (in some kind of clear sleeve), with the from and to information? Could you print that with all the required standard form space for USPS use, while adding your own big colorful logo to the top of it? Seems like your local postmaster might be able to help you brainstorm ways to customize this, so that you'll be a happy customer!
 

NateKruse

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Isn't there a standard form that goes on top of the box (in some kind of clear sleeve), with the from and to information? Could you print that with all the required standard form space for USPS use, while adding your own big colorful logo to the top of it? Seems like your local postmaster might be able to help you brainstorm ways to customize this, so that you'll be a happy customer!
That’s a good idea!

I have a thermal label printer, though, so color is not an option there. I may be able to print it on the label in black though.

The logo only has two colors in the normal version, blue and silver. I requested the logo designer to make sure it was still recognizable in just one color. I went with blue ink for the stamp.

I definitely should have a discussion with the Postmaster to make sure my packaging materials and the logo stamp are okay.

Maybe another reader might use the colored logo on the shipping label idea, though!
 
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