If your business ships goods to customers or retailers, choosing the right packaging and shipping supplies is an utmost priority. Faulty packaging and shipping supplies can damage your product, reputation, and therefore, profitability. Part of this is choosing the right tape for the job.  

How complicated can tape be, really? Well, as it turns out, there are a lot of factors to consider when choosing a tape for your packaging and shipping needs. In this article, we take a look.  

The risk of choosing the wrong tape. 

Did you know, 7-11% of packages shipped in the United States arrive damaged or broken? Not only does this result in costly refunds or replacements for businesses, but damaged customer relationships as well. Especially in the B2C world, shoppers are less likely to return to a brand that has sent them a damaged package in the past. 

Tape can make all the difference in preventing this. While other packaging supplies are certainly crucial, without the proper adhesive to seal it all together, even the best packaging efforts are useless.  

How do you pick the right tape? 

The right tape is all going to depend on what kind of packages you’re shipping. The perfect solution for one may not work for another. Some package considerations to keep in mind are: 

• The weight of your boxes/packages – heavier weights may need stronger adhesives and more durable material.  
• Box/package material – not all materials will take to the same tape as well; recycled cartons, for example, may require specific tape. 
• Your packages’ storage conditions – temperature, moisture, and movement and handling frequency might make an impact on the tape used.  
• The shipping distance and process – any packages travelling further and that  may pass through more checkpoints, and therefore more hands, need more damage-resistant tape.  

With your packaging requirements laid out, you can look into finding the right kind of tape to support it. Some variants to consider are: 

• Adhesive – several types of adhesives are used in packaging tape, some of which are more suitable for some materials than others.  
• Backing material – is it vinyl, cloth, or something else? 
• Core size – the diameter of the roll.  
• Elongation – or how long the tape can stretch without breaking. 
• Tensile strength – which is a measurement of how much force is required to break the tape. 
• Thickness and width of tape on each roll.  

Take cost optimization into consideration. 

With any sort of ongoing supplies purchase, it’s critical that your spend is optimized. Otherwise, this could reflect in a build up of significant wasted money over months and years. The funds may seem small when comparing individual rolls of tape, but over time, it can take a big bite from your budget.  

Some thinks to keep in mind are: 

• The length of the tape on each roll – a cheaper roll may not be cheaper when it’s less tape overall.  
• Don’t cheap out on low quality tape – this often leads to the need for double layering to match the strength of higher quality tape, costing you more in the long run.  
• Look for bulk purchasing deals where possible – this usually reduces the price per roll.  

In conclusion… 

There are a lot of different types of packaging tapes out there; from acrylic, to hot melt, to water activated, and more. However, none of these are a ‘one size fits all’ solution when it comes to your shipped goods. Knowing your specific needs will lead to choosing the best product, and likely save you money and improve customer relationships in the long run.