TL;DR – Key Takeaways:
- eCommerce packaging is growing fast, with a projected $98.5B market by 2025.
- Customers now expect speed, customization, low MOQ, and live previews.
- With DesignNBuy’s web to pack solutions, print service providers can easily launch and scale packaging printing services online.
In 2025, the global eCommerce packaging market is expected to reach a whopping $98.5 billion, growing at a rapid 15.2% CAGR (Smithers). That growth isn’t just driven by mega-brands. It’s fueled by millions of small and mid-sized businesses going digital, each needing packaging that protects their product and represents their brand.
But here’s the catch: these businesses don’t just want a box. They want a custom-designed experience, delivered fast, at low volumes, and with complete creative control.
So, ask yourself “Can your print business meet that demand?”
For many print service providers, the answer is “not yet.” Traditional order flows are too manual. Design approvals take forever. And online customization? It’s often clunky or missing altogether. That’s where the gap and opportunity lie.
By offering selling custom packaging online through a modern web to print storefront, you’re not just expanding your services, but you’re stepping into a fast-growing space with built-in demand, higher margins, and recurring business. And with the right tools, making the switch is far easier than you think.
Let’s explore why ecommerce packaging is no longer optional and how you can offer it without overhauling your entire business.
Table of Contents
What is eCommerce packaging?
eCommerce packaging refers to boxes, mailers, inserts, labels, sleeves, and other packaging materials specifically designed to ship products sold through online stores. But it’s not just packaging, it’s part of the product experience itself.
Unlike traditional retail packaging, which is primarily focused on aesthetics and shelf appeal, ecommerce packaging is built for a different environment. It must survive multiple touchpoints from warehouse to delivery van to customer doorstep and still deliver a polished, on-brand experience.
Here’s how eCommerce packaging stands apart:
- It’s designed for direct-to-consumer shipping. That means it needs to be tougher and be able to withstand jostling, temperature shifts, and sometimes careless handling by third-party carriers.
- It’s built to be customized in the short run. Online sellers often operate on-demand, launching limited editions or niche products. They need the flexibility to order small batches with personalized branding.
- It supports rapid turnaround and fast scaling. With ecommerce, product launches happen more quickly. Packaging needs to go from design to production in days, not weeks.
- It delivers a brand moment. Unlike retail packaging, which fights for attention on a shelf, ecommerce packaging creates a 1:1 customer experience, what we now call the “unboxing moment.” That includes everything from the logo on the box to the thank-you card inside.
- It’s often designed digitally by the end customer. Through tools like a web to-pack design editor, businesses let customers personalize their packaging online before checkout adding logos, colors, text, or artwork in real time.
Types of eCommerce Packaging You Can Offer
One of the biggest advantages of adopting modern web to pack solutions is the flexibility it gives you to diversify your packaging catalog with a single platform. Whether you’re working with small Etsy sellers or large D2C brands, offering a range of customizable options puts you ahead of the curve.
Here are some of the most in-demand eCommerce packaging products you can start selling online:
Corrugated Shipping Boxes
The workhorse of eCommerce packaging. These are sturdy, durable, and can be custom printed both inside and out to elevate the unboxing experience. Perfect for everything from electronics to apparel.
Mailer Boxes
Sleek, compact, and ideal for subscription-based businesses. They offer just the right mix of branding and protection, think cosmetics, snacks, or curated kits.
Paper Mailers & Envelopes
Lightweight, cost-effective, and great for items like books, documents, or soft goods. Many brands prefer these as eco freindly alternatives to plastic mailers.
Pillow Boxes
A stylish, minimal option for small accessories, jewelry, or promotional items. These are often used by boutique brands and gift shops for a premium look without the bulk.
Custom Labels & Tapes
Sometimes, it’s the little details that make a big impression. Branded shipping labels or printed tapes not only secure the package but also reinforce brand identity from the moment it hits the doorstep.
Eco-Friendly and Recyclable Packaging
Offering biodegradable mailers, recyclable boxes, or soy-based ink options can help your clients meet their own green goals and makes your service even more attractive.
👉 Book a demo and see how DesignNBuy can help your packaging business scale smarter.
What Today’s Customers Expect (and Why You Should Care)
Let’s be honest—selling boxes isn’t enough anymore. Today’s customers want the full experience: speed, simplicity, and the power to design something that feels uniquely theirs.
When a brand whether it’s a handmade soap seller or a subscription snack box—lands on your web to print storefront, they’re not looking for generic templates or outdated order forms. They want control. Creativity. Confidence.
Here’s what they expect from a modern eCommerce packaging provider:
Seamless, intuitive online design journey:
A clunky interface is a dealbreaker. What they want is a clean, easy-to-use web to pack design editor where they can drag and drop elements, change colors, resize logos, and preview instantly.
Live previews, including 3D mockups:
The ability to visualize their custom packaging in real time is huge. It builds trust and makes them feel ownership before the orders are even placed.
Customization goes beyond just the logo:
Think about custom sizes, materials, finishes, and print areas right down to the inside of the box. Bonus points if it’s all visible and configurable on your platform.
Fast turnaround and no hidden costs:
Today’s ecommerce brands move quickly. They can’t afford to wait weeks for quotes or production. Transparent pricing, low MOQs, and clear lead times are the new baseline.
Eco-conscious and brand-aligned options:
Many customers are actively looking for recyclable, biodegradable, or sustainable materials, especially in sectors like beauty, food, and lifestyle.
How to Start Offering eCommerce Packaging with DesignNBuy: A Step-by-Step Journey for Print Providers
Launching your eCommerce packaging service doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With the right tools and workflow, you can turn your print shop into a powerful online destination for custom packaging. Here’s how to get started.
Step 1: Launch a Branded Web to Print Storefront
Begin by creating a professional online w2p storefront that reflects your brand and capabilities. This is where your customers will explore packaging types, choose from available custom sizes and materials, configure their order, and either upload artwork or create their designs directly on your site. The smoother and more intuitive the interface, the more likely clients are to complete their orders without hand-holding which saves your team time and effort.
Step 2: Integrate a Web to Pack Software
The real value starts when customers can personalize their packaging without relying on a designer. Integrate a web to pack software that gives them control over layout, text, colors, and logo placement. Real-time design previews and 3D visualization ensure they see exactly what they’re getting before they click “order.” It adds a layer of confidence that reduces revisions and reprints, while positioning you as a tech-savvy partner in their branding process.
Step 3: Automate Your Production Workflow
Once an order is placed, automation should take over behind the scenes. Connect your storefront to your production environment so that orders are automatically processed, preflighted, and converted into print-ready files. This not only eliminates manual steps and the risk of human error, but also accelerates turnaround time, something eCommerce clients value deeply. With the right print workflow, even complex jobs can flow smoothly into production without bottlenecks.
Step 4: Offer a Client Portal for B2B Accounts
For businesses that order regularly especially D2C brands or subscription-based sellers, a dedicated client portal adds a professional edge. With secure login access, they can manage past orders, reupload artwork, place repeat jobs with just a few clicks, and track order progress in real time. It streamlines communication, reduces dependency on your support team, and makes you the go-to packaging partner for their growing business.
Step 5: Optimize and Scale with Smart Management
As your eCommerce packaging services grow, so will your workload. This is where robust web to print infrastructure really shines. Use intelligent rules and automation to manage volume whether it’s dynamic pricing for bulk orders, handling multiple shipping destinations, or routing jobs to different machines based on urgency or material type. A well-structured backend keeps your operations lean while ensuring clients get fast, consistent service no matter how many orders come in.
Have questions or want to brainstorm your packaging strategy? Contact our team—we’re happy to chat.
How to Successfully Sell Custom Packaging Online: 5 Proven Tips
Let’s face it—selling custom packaging online isn’t just about having products listed on a website. It’s about creating an experience that helps your customers feel confident, excited, and in control of their brand.
So how do you stand out when everyone’s trying to sell the same boxes and tape? Here’s what we’ve seen work time and again.
1. Find your niche and speak directly to them
Generic doesn’t sell—especially in eCommerce packaging. If you’re trying to serve every industry under the sun, chances are you’re connecting with none. Focus instead on high-impact verticals like cosmetics, gourmet food, artisan beverages, or fashion accessories. These brands live and die by their unboxing experience, and they’re actively searching for packaging partners who “get it.”
2. Lead with sustainability—it’s a top trigger in 2025
Customers today care about the planet, and their buyers expect eco friendly choices. Offering recyclable, compostable, or FSC-certified materials isn’t just a nice touch—it’s often the deciding factor. Make these options visible in your web to print storefront, and let your clients know that eco-friendly doesn’t mean boring.
3. Bundle for a better brand experience
Don’t stop at boxes. Brands love curated packaging that tells a story—from custom tissue paper and inserts to matching labels and tapes. When you offer all of these together through your web to-pack design editor, you’re not just a printer—you’re a packaging partner.
4. Make the product feel real before it’s printed
The better your previews, the faster people buy. High-res previews, 3D mockups, and live design rendering reduce hesitation and increase cart conversions. If your platform can show exactly what the final product looks like—inside and out—you’ll win trust before the first order even ships.
5. Think long-term: reward loyalty and repeat orders
Packaging is never a one-time need. Brands grow, campaigns shift, and products evolve. Offer tiered pricing for wholesale buyers or recurring clients. Make reordering a breeze. That’s how you go from being a vendor to becoming their go-to partner.
The bottom line? Make it ridiculously easy for your customers to order what they need—and even easier to come back next month.
Enhance Your eCommerce Packaging Strategy with DesignNBuy
If you’re serious about selling custom packaging online, you need more than just great print capabilities, you need a platform that’s built for today’s fast-moving, brand-driven market. That’s where DesignNBuy steps in.
At DesignNBuy, we help print service providers transform how they sell, manage, and deliver eCommerce packaging with powerful, easy-to-use technology that scales with your business.
Whether you’re launching a packaging division or upgrading a legacy system, our web to-pack design editor give you everything you need to offer a sleek, modern customer experience without extra overhead.
With custom product configurators, your customers can create the exact box, mailer, or label they need—selecting custom sizes, materials, and finishes—all directly from your w2p storefront. Our 2D/3D live design preview tools allow them to visualize their packaging in real-time, building trust, reducing back-and-forth, and boosting conversions.
You can streamline operations with quote and order automation, where everything from pricing to production-ready files is handled automatically, freeing up your team to focus on growth. For both B2B and B2C clients, we offer branded portals that make it easy to reorder, track shipments, and manage ongoing packaging needs.
And with multi-store, multi-language support, you can scale effortlessly and serve customers across regions, markets, and industries from a single, centralized platform.
With DesignNBuy, you’re not just offering boxes—you’re delivering a full-on, tech-enabled packaging experience that today’s ecommerce brands expect.
Let’s Talk About Your eCommerce Packaging Goals
Want to start offering custom packaging online or scale your existing services?
FAQs
How do I start selling custom packaging online with my existing print setup?
Simply integrate DesignNBuy’s web to print storefront into your current workflow. It lets you offer online customization, automate file handling, and streamline orders without changing your existing print infrastructure.
Can customers design their own packaging on my website?
Yes! With DesignNBuy’s web to pack editor, customers can design packaging online using drag-and-drop tools, upload logos, customize sizes, and preview their box in 2D/3D—all in real time.
What types of packaging can I sell using this solution?
You can offer corrugated boxes, mailers, envelopes, labels, tapes, pillow boxes, and eco-friendly packaging—each fully customizable and available in low or high quantities.
How does the platform handle B2B clients and repeat orders?
DesignNBuy provides secure client portals where B2B customers can reorder, manage artwork, track shipments, and view order history—making recurring business seamless and efficient.
Can I offer sustainable or eco-friendly packaging through this platform?
Absolutely. You can easily list biodegradable, recyclable, and eco-conscious packaging materials, and let customers configure them online—perfect for brands focused on sustainability.
