Delivery

Shipping, lead times and delivery

Production times, transit expectations and what we need to know about your delivery address.

Corrugated Shipping Boxes produced by The Retail Packaging

Lead times

Most formats complete production in 3 to 5 business days after artwork approval. Hand-assembled rigid boxes and specialty finishes sit at the longer end. Transit is additional and depends on destination and consignment size.

For a first order, allow four to six weeks from enquiry to delivery. Specification, artwork and proofing account for most of that, not production.

How orders arrive

Folding cartons, corrugated, mailers, bags and sleeves ship flat and knocked down, which keeps freight cost low. Rigid boxes ship pre-assembled and take more freight volume. Labels ship on cores or in sheets. Cups nest in sleeves inside cartons.

Larger orders ship palletised. Tell us if your address cannot receive a pallet.

Receiving requirements

Confirm dock access, forklift availability, pallet height limits and delivery windows before dispatch. A consignment that cannot be unloaded incurs redelivery charges.

Third-party fulfilment centres almost always have specific labelling, pallet height and booking rules. Send those to us with your order rather than after despatch.

Freight and returns

Freight is quoted separately from the packaging and depends on weight, volume and destination. We can split a single production run across several delivery points.

Because every order is manufactured to your specification, custom packaging is not returnable once produced to an approved proof. If an order arrives damaged or does not match the approved specification, contact us immediately and we will resolve it.

Delivery

Tell us where it has to land

Destination, dock access and any fulfilment-centre rules change the freight quote more than the packaging does. Send them with your enquiry.

No obligation

Request a quote

Send us the product details and quantity. We reply with a specification and a written price, usually within one business day.

The more detail you give, the more accurate the quote.

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    Answers

    Questions about lead times and delivery

    How long will my order take?

    Production is 3 to 5 business days after artwork approval, plus transit. A first order typically takes four to six weeks end to end including specification and proofing.

    Do you ship to all US states?

    Yes, all fifty. Alaska and Hawaii take longer and cost more in freight, and we quote those routes individually.

    How is freight calculated?

    On weight or volume, whichever is greater, plus destination. Flat-packed formats cost less to ship than pre-assembled ones.

    Can you deliver to a fulfilment centre?

    Yes, and it is common. Send us the receiving requirements — most 3PLs have specific labelling, pallet height and booking rules.

    Can delivery be split across addresses?

    Yes. Tell us the split at quoting so freight is costed correctly rather than adjusted afterwards.

    Can I stage delivery over time?

    Yes. Production runs once at the volume price and stock is released in agreed instalments. Agree this at quoting since storage terms form part of it.

    What if my order arrives damaged?

    Contact us immediately with photographs of the damage and the packaging it arrived in. We will resolve it with the carrier and arrange replacement where appropriate.

    Can I return custom packaging?

    Custom packaging manufactured to an approved proof is not returnable, since it cannot be resold. Orders that do not match the approved specification are a different matter and we will put those right.

    Do you offer expedited production?

    Sometimes, depending on format and current capacity. Tell us the deadline at enquiry and we will say honestly whether it is achievable.

    Will you tell me if the date is at risk?

    Yes, as soon as we know. The date on your quote is the date we work to, and if something threatens it you hear from us first.

    Next step

    Tell us what you are packing

    Send the product dimensions and the quantity you need. We come back with a specification, a lead time and a written price.