More often than not, the two terms are interchanged and unfortunately, that is not the case, as these two shipping terms are not synonymous. When it comes to purchasing items from ecommerce websites, you often see additional costs for the likes of “packing and packaging” or “post or postage”. Often these two are paired together because they are part of the process of getting a delivery dispatched, however, that does not mean that they are one and the same. Let us break it down for you.
What is Packaging?
Packaging is the terms used in commerce terms for wrapping product SKU in branding to make it distinguishable when covered in its special material. At this stage, packaging can include a picture of the contents with graphics used to represent the product in its real-time use. The term branding or wrapping is also utilised for packaging as it will almost always feature the brand name, the product name and more, which is used as a means of a display element in the retail and shipping industry whilst also acting as a protective component. Whilst packaging and packing are both essentially a means of covering a product or products with a protective element, the stage at which it is done and why play a big role in its distinction.
What is Packing?
Packing is usually the term used during dispatching of an items or several items when bundled together. For instance, let us take a product that has been packaged with colourful branding wrapping or covering. This can be in a clear plastic film coat or in the instance of it being an electronic item, such as a laptop, this box will be put into an shipping box or crate with proper cushioning material so that the external packaging of the laptop will not be dented or damaged during transport. The crate or shipping boxes will be the “packing element” of packing and packaging” whereas the laptop box which it comes in is the “packaging” itself.
How does Packing and Packaging affect the Supply Chain
Whilst packaging is the first course of action to get a product ready for the retail world or for shipping purposes, it is often important to protect this layer of covering by including the packaged items in another covering for shipping purposed alone. For instance, if you were to take individual boxes of personal computers which needed to be loaded into a container for shipment, these personal computers will be packaged individually in their own boxes and thereafter, stacked together and then wrapped with protective cushioned and secured to a pallet that will then be wheeled into the container for shipping.