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Packaging manufacturers face a unique challenge: how do you sell products online when your customers order in quantities of 5,000, not five? When every order requires custom specifications? When pricing changes dramatically based on volume?
Traditional ecommerce platforms are built for retail. They're designed for selling t-shirts and coffee mugs, not corrugated boxes by the pallet or custom-printed pouches with specific mil thicknesses and zipper closures.
Yet increasingly, packaging buyers, whether they're startups launching their first product or established brands managing multiple SKUs, expect the same seamless online experience they get everywhere else. They want instant pricing, easy reordering, and the ability to place orders at 11 PM when inspiration strikes.
The good news? Shopify has evolved far beyond its retail roots. Today, dozens of packaging manufacturers are using Shopify to handle everything from bulk ordering and volume pricing to custom product configurations and sample requests, all while integrating seamlessly with their ERP systems.
In this post, we'll show you exactly how they're doing it.
Before we dive into solutions, let's acknowledge what makes packaging ecommerce uniquely challenging:
A single corrugated box might have:
Try representing that in a traditional product catalog without overwhelming your buyers.
In packaging, pricing isn't just "10% off for buying two." It's dramatic:
A buyer ordering 1,000 units vs. 5,000 units isn't just getting a discount, they're making a fundamentally different purchasing decision. They need to see these tiers clearly.
Packaging manufacturers typically have different pricing for different customers based on:
The problem? A new startup ordering 1,000 custom mailer boxes shouldn't see the same price as an ecommerce brand ordering 500,000 units annually under a negotiated contract.
Nobody orders 10,000 custom printed boxes without seeing a sample first. Your platform needs to:
You're simultaneously serving:
Small businesses: Ordering 500-2,000 units, need instant online checkout, want to pay with a credit card, expect immediate confirmation.
Enterprise buyers: Ordering 50,000+ units, require custom quotes, need net payment terms, want purchase order workflows, expect a dedicated account manager.
One platform, two entirely different experiences.
Many orders can't be handled with a simple "Add to Cart" button. You need to capture:
Orders must flow seamlessly into your ERP and production systems. Manual re-entry isn't just tedious, it's a recipe for errors, delays, and unhappy customers.
The bottom line: Standard ecommerce platforms can't handle this complexity out of the box. But with the right setup, Shopify can.
Let's walk through the specific features and strategies that make Shopify work for packaging manufacturers.
Shopify natively supports up to 100 variants per product with 3 options. For many packaging products, that's enough:
But what if you need more complexity?
Product configurator apps like Kickflip, Infinite Options, or Bold Product Options let you create unlimited custom options with:
Example in action:
A corrugated box manufacturer uses a configurator where buyers:
The configurator calculates pricing instantly: base material cost + printing setup fee + per-unit printing cost + finishing options.
For products that don't need that level of customization, you can keep it simple with standard variants that buyers understand immediately.
This is where Shopify really shines for packaging manufacturers. There are several approaches:
For Shopify Plus customers:
Native B2B features include built-in quantity price breaks. Create a product with tiered pricing:
Shopify automatically displays: "Buy 5,000 and save $1,650"
For standard Shopify plans:
Apps like Bold Quantity Breaks or Wholesale Pricing Discount provide visual tier displays showing exactly how much buyers save at each level. The psychology is powerful, buyers often increase their order quantity when they see they're just 200 units away from the next pricing tier.
For dynamic pricing:
Use Shopify Functions (or Scripts on older Plus plans) to calculate discounts based on quantity:
if quantity >= 10,000 → apply 40% discount
elsif quantity >= 5,000 → apply 30% discount
elsif quantity >= 1,000 → apply 20% discount
The "request quote" threshold:
Smart packaging manufacturers set an upper threshold, typically 10,000-25,000 units, where the "Add to Cart" button changes to "Request Quote." This automatically creates a draft order for your sales team to review and customize pricing based on specifications, material costs, and relationship factors.
Sample requests are the top of your sales funnel. Make them frictionless:
Strategy A: Dedicated sample products
Create sample SKUs priced at $0-$25 (covering shipping). Limit quantity to 1-5 samples per customer. When someone orders a sample:
Strategy B: Custom sample request forms
Use Shopify Flow (or n8n) to automate:
Strategy C: Free samples with purchase
"Add a free sample pack to preview materials at no cost" , Offer samples when customers are already placing a bulk order. This removes a barrier for hesitant buyers.
Here's how to serve both small businesses and enterprise buyers on the same platform:
Small Business/B2C Customers see:
Enterprise/B2B Customers see:
How to implement this:
Use customer tags or metafield ("wholesale", "enterprise", "retail") combined with:
The experience is seamless, customers only see what's relevant to them.
For custom printing orders, you need robust file handling:
File upload solutions:
Apps like Easify Custom Product Options already allow customers to upload the artwork or file and at the same time let them preview or edit how it would be printed.
Specification capture:
Proof approval workflow:
This workflow eliminates the back-and-forth of email approvals and keeps everything documented in one place.
Most packaging manufacturers connect Shopify to their ERP system via:
Common ERPs:
Typical data flow:
The integration eliminates double data entry and ensures your production team has all the details they need.
Bulk packaging orders require specialized shipping. Apps like LTL Freight Quotes by Eniture Technology provide:
For manufacturers with multiple warehouses, routing logic determines which location fulfills each order based on:
Already running your packaging business on Shopify? Here is a realistic phased approach for optimization:
Launch with your 20-50 best-selling products:
Goal: Get functional online ordering working
Add bulk ordering capabilities:
Goal: Handle bulk orders properly
Enable custom products:
Goal: Handle custom products and automate workflows
Connect to backend systems:
Goal: Full system integration and scalability
Continuously improve:
Goal: Maximize conversion and efficiency
We've seen packaging manufacturers make these mistakes. Don't repeat them:
1. Overcomplicating product setup
Don't try to represent every possible configuration as variants. Use configurators for truly custom options, keep standard products simple.
2. Hiding pricing
Don't make customers log in or request quotes for basic pricing. Show tier pricing publicly for standard products. Only require login for customer-specific contract pricing.
3. Ignoring mobile users
Test extensively on mobile. Many packaging buyers research on mobile even if they order on desktop. Simplify mobile configurators.
4. No sample strategy
Don't make samples as hard to order as bulk quantities. Make sample requests frictionless with clear follow-up process.
5. Poor ERP integration planning
Don't build an elaborate storefront before considering integration. Plan integration from day one. Choose apps that integrate well with your ERP.
6. Inadequate shipping configuration
Don't use standard Shopify shipping for freight orders. Implement LTL freight quoting for bulk orders from the start.
7. Weak follow-up on quotes
Don't just generate quotes without tracking or following up. Set up automated workflows for quote reminders and sales team alerts.
8. Treating all customers the same
Don't use a one-size-fits-all approach. Segment customers and offer appropriate experiences for each segment (small buyers vs. enterprise).
Shopify isn't just for selling sneakers and coffee mugs anymore. It's become a legitimate B2B platform that packaging manufacturers are using to modernize their sales channels, reduce operational costs, and deliver the seamless experience today's buyers expect.
The packaging manufacturers finding the most success share these traits:
Whether you're manufacturing corrugated boxes, flexible packaging, labels, or protective materials, Shopify provides a flexible, scalable platform that can handle your bulk orders, complex configurations, and custom specifications, all while integrating with your existing systems.
The question isn't whether packaging manufacturers can succeed on Shopify. Many already are.
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