Too many box sizes waste space and force a decision each order; too few means overpacking and DIM freight. Aim for 3–4 core sizes covering ~85% of orders.
Suggested standing sizes (reference)
| Size | Typical use | Keep on hand |
|---|---|---|
| Small | Small parts, accessories | 2–3 bundles |
| Small–medium | Books, small electronics | 2–3 bundles |
| Medium | General merchandise | 3–4 bundles |
| Medium–large | Apparel, homewares | 2–3 bundles |
| Large / XL | Bulk, heavy goods | 1–2 bundles |
Set actual dimensions from 30 days of your own usage — do not copy these blindly.
Poly mailers
- For soft, crush-resistant goods: apparel, textiles, soft accessories;
- Lighter, cheaper and freight-saving vs boxes — use a mailer when you can;
- At 50+ mailer orders/day, pre-fold and stack them by size at the start.
Turn box choice into a lookup
Write one fixed rule, e.g. 1–2 items = small, 3–6 = medium, soft = mailer. A cheap box resizer trims tall boxes to remove void.
Track 30 days of box usage and place the most common size at waist-to-chest height, centre of view; keep specialty sizes in central storage, not the station.
Equipment prices are indicative Australian retail bands in AUD for 2026. They vary by brand, retailer, promotion and over time, and exclude GST, freight and installation; the invoice at purchase prevails. “Seconds saved” are ranges from published warehouse-operations material — estimates, not guarantees. Time your own process with a stopwatch first. See Sources & method.
Pair sizes with sealing patterns in tape guns & sealers; see where boxes sit in station layout.