Flower packaging
A comprehensive guide to shipping plants and flowers
If your business ships flowers or plants, choosing the right flower boxes and packaging can be the difference between happy or disappointed customers.
Flower boxes, typically manufactured from corrugated cardboard, are specially designed to protect, preserve, and present flowers from harvest to customer delivery. Flower packaging often includes unique features such as ventilation holes, internal cradles and tear strips. eCommerce flower boxes can also feature striking print and colours for an enhanced unboxing experience.
But what should you consider when sourcing and/or designing your flower boxes?
In this guide, we’ll explore:
- The common types of flower packaging.
- Product-specific considerations.
- How to optimise your customer’s experience.
- Ways to ensure a sustainable solution
- And much more
Contents
Introduction
An overview of the flower industry
As of 2022, the UK’s overall flowers and fresh plant market was valued at £2.2 billion.
However, the way consumers purchase fresh flowers and plants is changing. With the continued rise of eCommerce, online sales are expected to grow from less than 10% to 30% of total purchases by 2027.
Gifts are the key driver in 40-70% of purchases, typically for occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day also see high sales volumes.
However, people are increasingly buying flowers for themselves, with subscription models gaining popularity. Companies like Bloom & Wild and Freddies Flowers now offer regular subscriptions.
With this in mind, effective flower packaging must tick many boxes. It must be quick to pack, provide protection during shipping, be sustainable, and enhance the unboxing experience. Printing, presentation of products upon opening, personalisation, and being memorable is also vital.
What type of packaging do businesses use for flowers and plants?
Cardboard boxes are typically used for transporting cut, fresh, and dried flowers, potted plants, and larger arrangements.
The flexibility of corrugated packaging means that flower boxes can be manufactured in almost any size, shape, and style to package different types and sizes of plants. This versatility ensures that plants fit snugly without excessive movement inside the box, reducing the risk of damage.
You can also customise cardboard flower boxes with handles, labels, and printed branding, making them suitable for retail display directly from the shipping box.
Overall, cardboard boxes balance affordability, durability, and protective capabilities, making them a practical choice for safely transporting plants from growers or florists to customers or retail locations.
Considerations for shipping flowers
What to look for when sourcing flower boxes
Even with the advantages provided by cardboard flower boxes, there are several factors that you must consider when sourcing them.
Considerations when sourcing flower boxes include:
- Whether horizontal or vertical format provides the optimum protection.
- The required material strength of your packs.
- Whether you need internal cradles and inserts.
- Adequate securing of flowers within the outer pack.
- Whether your boxes require moisture resistance.
- The addition of ventilation holes.
- Whether you should use letterbox or Royal Mail PIP sizes.
- Whether to include features such as tear strips for easy opening.
- How you can leverage print for an improved unboxing experience.
- Should you include suitable recycling instructions?
- Whether your boxes are easy to assemble and pack.
- How else can you make your flower boxes more sustainable?
General protection
Protecting your flowers and plants in transit
Your packaging’s primary function is to protect your flowers and plants during the delivery cycle. If it fails to do this, all your other efforts (unboxing, printing, personalisation, etc.) will be in vain.
Horizontal or vertical
Depending on the type of plant or flowers you are shipping, you must choose between vertical or horizontal packs. Vertical boxes are the best option for live, potted plants, as they help keep any soil within the pot. Whilst they are also suitable for certain bouquets (again, those transported with a pot or liquid), you can also choose to cut flowers in horizontal or “lay flat” boxes.
Material strength
Providing the correct grade of material is selected, cardboard is sturdy, maintains its shape and integrity, and can prevent crushing or deformation of the plants inside. The temptation is often to use a lightweight material (as the flowers themselves often weigh very little). However, an experienced packaging designer can consider several factors before advising on the optimum material type.
Internal cradles and inserts
Besides the outer box, cardboard is suitable for creating internal inserts and cradles. These prevent the flowers from moving during transit, helping to protect them from mishandling. They also ensure that the flowers are presented in the same manner upon opening as they were when being packed. While foams can also be used, they are more difficult to recycle for end consumers.
Securing your flowers
Ensuring that flowers are secure within their packaging is essential to prevent damage during transit. Using bands or cable ties to keep bouquets together and in place can also significantly enhance the stability and protection of the flowers.
Product specific considerations
Factors specifically affecting plants and flowers
Besides the general protection provided by your flower boxes, shipping this type of product presents a number of specific challenges.
Moisture resistance
While it is important to protect your shipments from the elements, flowers and plants themselves contain moisture and may also have water on their surfaces when being packed. This moisture can affect the structure of your packaging from the inside, potentially weakening it and leading to damage. This can be circumvented by applying specialist coatings (such as Liquiguard) to prevent moisture from penetrating the cardboard material.
Ventilation holes
It can also be wise to include ventilation holes within your flower boxes. These allow for a degree of airflow, helping to keep your flowers fresher during transit. Adequate ventilation can also help alleviate any excess moisture or condensation issues within the pack.
Fast delivery (postal service)
Whilst not specific to your packaging, it is vital that you work with a courier or transport provider that can provide quick delivery. Fresh flowers sitting in a warehouse or delivery vehicle will soon lose their appeal. Supplying flowers in this condition also means your business is likely to start losing its appeal to your customers.
Customer experience
Creating a memorable experience to foster loyalty
Flowers and plants are often given as gifts, meaning your packaging has to add value and be part of the experience. When purchasing for themselves, individuals see flowers as a luxury item – effectively a treat – and the packaging should reflect this.
Letterbox size packs
The convenience of a letterbox-sized delivery ensures that recipients do not need to be at home to accept the package, eliminating the hassle of missed deliveries and the need to arrange redelivery or pick up from a collection point. It also prevents customers or recipients of the flowers from coming home to find a box left on their doorstep (potentially getting wet or dirty) or presenting an opportunity for thieves.
Tear strip for easy opening
Tear strips can prevent the frustration felt by customers who struggle to open your packaging. This process is not only frustrating but also creates the potential for the contents to be damaged. Perforated strips allow your customers to quickly and effortlessly get to their flowers.
Printing
Whilst simple printing to the outside of the box can provide basic branding, handling instructions and recycling symbols, many businesses will add a bold, colourful print to the inside of their flower packaging. This internal print creates an element of surprise (again adding to the experience) and makes your flower boxes and brand more memorable.
Unboxing experience
All of these factors work together to provide your customers with an enjoyable unboxing experience. However, other steps, such as personalisation, notes, vouchers for discounts on repeat purchases, and other little touches, can also add up.
Price vs. costs
Ensuring your flower boxes are cost-effective
Although unit price is obviously important when sourcing your flower boxes, it is vital to consider the hidden costs of any packaging you use. Neglecting this can actually increase your long-term costs.
Royal Mail PIP guidelines
If you send your flowers or plants via post, you must be aware of Royal Mail’s Pricing in Proportion (PIP) guidelines. These determine the cost of sending mail based on its size and weight. Most couriers and transport providers have similar pricing structures. Ensuring your flower boxes fall within the different bandings can significantly reduce your cost over the longer term.
Easy packing/assembly
Another hidden cost is packing times. Flower boxes that are slow or difficult to assemble, have many processes (e.g., adding inserts, tape, labels, etc.), or are difficult to handle can all reduce the productivity of your staff. This can mean fewer orders being processed and dispatched in a set time or higher labour costs to cope with demand.
Storage (flat pack)
Storage space has associated costs that many businesses can overlook when sourcing packaging. Keeping a large warehouse stocked with different sizes of ready-assembled boxes can be surprisingly costly. It is much more effective to have flatpack boxes (providing they are easy to assemble) or for your packaging supplier to deliver on a just-in-time basis.
Sustainability
Environmentally friendly flower boxes
A majority of consumers are now favouring and, in many cases, demanding more sustainable packaging. As a result, not only is it wise to eliminate single-use plastics and hard-to-recycle materials wherever possible, but there are a number of other factors you should consider.
FSC
Opting for FSC-certified boxes ensures that the cardboard used in manufacturing your flower boxes is from sustainably and responsibly managed forests. Besides the obvious environmental benefits, using the FSC logo on any applicable packaging can enhance your brand’s reputation and provide significant marketing advantages.
Recycling instructions
It is a good idea to make recycling your packaging as straightforward as possible for your customers. While material choice is vital, another easy but often overlooked way to improve recycling rates is to incorporate clear and concise recycling instructions directly on your packaging. This will guide your customers on how to dispose of their boxes properly and demonstrate your commitment to environmental sustainability and the circular economy.
Brown/kraft material
Although both white and brown (kraft) cardboard can be recycled and contain equal amounts of recycled material, many consumers perceive brown packaging boxes to be more environmentally friendly. Your business can leverage this perception to position your brand as organic, eco-friendly, and sustainable while still including striking and attractive print (white and green inks work particularly well on brown material).
Summary
Sourcing flower boxes
Shipping flowers and plants requires careful consideration of materials, packaging methods, and shipping partners. Creating a memorable pack that adds value but is also sustainable is also of great importance for most consumers. By using the right flower boxes and focusing on the unboxing experience, you can ensure your floral arrangements and other plants arrive safely and create a lasting impression on your customers.
At GWP, we have over 30 years of experience providing corrugated packaging that protects the most delicate products. We also have extensive experience designing and manufacturing eCommerce packaging for businesses of all sizes operating in a diverse range of markets. We manufacture your packaging at our UK manufacturing facility and are happy to provide expert advice on the best solution for your specific requirements.
So, if you need assistance designing or sourcing flower boxes or packaging, please get in touch.
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About the author
David is Sales Director for GWP Packaging, having originally joined the company (then Great Western Packaging) back in 1990.
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