Every year, the same thing happens in the run-up to Christmas.
Order volumes climb, packing benches get busier and packaging that was perfectly manageable in September suddenly becomes a problem.
Maybe it is a box size that disappears faster than expected. Maybe the team starts reaching for a larger box because the usual one has run out. Perhaps tape use shoots up, or the amount of void fill being used starts creeping higher because people are packing quickly and using whatever is closest.
None of this sounds especially dramatic on its own, but during peak season it adds up quickly.
That is why late summer and early autumn are a sensible time to look at packaging stock, before Black Friday and Christmas orders start dictating the pace.
Look back before you order forward
Last year is probably the best place to start.
Have a look at the busiest few weeks and see what actually happened. Which box sizes moved fastest? What did you reorder unexpectedly? Were there any products that became awkward to pack once volumes increased?
The people on the packing bench will often remember more than the spreadsheet does.
You may find that one particular box kept running out, staff were substituting another size, or a popular product took far longer to pack than it should have. Those are the things worth fixing now, while there is still time to change them.
If the business has grown since last Christmas, adjust for that too. The same applies if you have added new products, started selling through another marketplace or are expecting to run more promotions this year.
TEC Packaging stocks a wide range of single wall boxes and double wall boxes, so if there are core sizes you know you rely on heavily, it is worth planning those early.
Be realistic about what you need to hold
There is a tendency before Christmas to think, “we had better order plenty of everything”.
That can create another problem.
Packaging takes up space, and some of it takes up a surprising amount of space. Bubble wrap, void fill and larger quantities of flat-packed cartons can fill a storeroom very quickly.
A better approach is to focus on the products you really depend on.
For one business that may be two box sizes, tape and paper void fill. For another it could be mailing bags and labels. If those items ran out, would dispatch slow down or stop? If the answer is yes, they deserve more attention than something you only use occasionally.
You do not need an elaborate stock model. A rough view of normal weekly usage, expected peak volumes and how quickly you can replenish is often enough to expose where the risk is.
Peak season is unforgiving of awkward packaging
This is usually where the little issues become expensive.
If one product always needs too much void fill, you will use a lot more of it once orders increase. If staff are cutting boxes down by hand, that extra minute gets repeated all day. If one carton needs three strips of tape because nobody quite trusts it, tape consumption rises without anyone really noticing why.
It is worth standing at the packing bench and watching a few common orders go out.
You will usually spot something.
Perhaps the box is too big. Perhaps there are too many packaging options and staff are making different choices for the same order. Maybe the protective material is doing more work than it should because the outer packaging is wrong.
Some of these are tiny changes, but peak season has a habit of magnifying them.
We covered this in more detail in our blog on how packaging impacts ecommerce fulfilment speed.
Do not forget the boring stuff
Boxes get all the attention, but tape, labels, void fill and other consumables are often the things that catch people out.
Tape is a good example. If you used far more than expected last Christmas, it is worth working out why. It may be the tape itself, the carton, or simply that different members of the team are packing the same order in different ways.
Void fill is another one. A handful too much in every parcel barely registers at the time, but across hundreds of orders it becomes a meaningful amount of material and cost.
TEC stocks paper void fill alongside other protective packaging options.
If waste is something you are looking at before peak season, our article on practical ways businesses can reduce packaging waste is worth a read too.
If you want bespoke packaging for Christmas, now matters
This is the one area where we would not recommend leaving things until later in the autumn.
A bespoke project can involve sizing, material choices, artwork, sampling, amendments, print and production. Some projects are straightforward. Others take a few rounds to get right.
If you are considering bespoke boxes, branded packaging, inserts, printed tape or a Christmas-specific packaging solution for 2026, speak to us now.
We cannot guarantee that a new bespoke packaging project started at this stage will be completed in time for Christmas. Lead times vary depending on the specification, quantity, print requirements and production availability.
What we can do is look at the requirement with you and work out what is realistic.
Sometimes that will still be a fully bespoke solution. Sometimes a stock box with branded tape, labels or another simpler addition makes more sense for this Christmas, with a larger project developed properly afterwards.
There is no point forcing a bespoke project through just to hit a seasonal deadline if the end result is not right.
You can read more about what is involved in our guide to bespoke packaging solutions, benefits, costs and when to use them, or visit our bespoke packaging page.
Sort the obvious problems before November
You do not need to redesign your entire packaging setup before Christmas.
Most businesses already know where the friction is.
It might be the box everyone complains about. The packaging that always runs out first. The product that takes too long to pack. The void fill that gets used by the armful.
Deal with those things first.
For businesses across Plymouth, Devon, Cornwall and the wider South West, TEC Packaing can help with packaging stock, product selection and bespoke requirements ahead of peak season.
The earlier you look at it, the more options you have.