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| Used Shipping Containers |
Used shipping containers can be extremely useful both to small businesses seeking to save money on their packing charges, and to private individuals seeking the fastest and easiest way to get their property ready for a house or office removal. The demand for packing materials of all kinds is far greater than it was even ten years ago, as the trend towards online retailing gathers pace and continues. Most large retailers will use exclusively new packaging as they can buy it in bulk and save themselves both money and time, but small retailers will often use used packing to level the playing field.
The changes we have gone through in society over the past fifty years have determined the changes in the market in both distribution services and the materials used within them. Packing cases and boxes were always needed and used, but in recent years the numbers needed have increased dramatically. Part of this demand is due to the population becoming more mobile, and part is due to the Internet and the growth in online retailing. There are now large retailers who operate exclusively online, and virtually all offline retailers of any size have moved into the online space.
These large retailers are creating a huge demand for new packing, but it is the smaller retailers who are making use of used packing. Some small retailers scarcely ever need to buy any packing, because they are customers and enthusiasts themselves and are able to save up enough of what they receive to then send out their own packages. If you are trading in items which are all the same size, or in only a few different sizes, you can make this work for you. The inner packing can be saved and used again, as well as the outside shipping container.
It is not only retailers who have items to send through the mail who can make use of used shipping containers. Many people who are about to move house will start saving their old boxes and packing containers as soon as they realize they are needed. If you are a member of one of the sites which allows you to list items and give them away for free, you may be able to add to this collection. There are always people who have just moved, and who have containers they no longer have any use for. It is always worth leaving a wanted ad on those sites.
You can also use these shipping containers as storage in your own home if you are going to be short of storage space. While they will often not cope with heavy items unless they are standing on the floor, they can be stacked high if they only contain light goods. If the contents are heavy, the best option will be to erect shelving on a wall in a room you don't use that often. If the supports are built well enough, shelving is able to withstand heavy weights for a long time.
Getting hold of used shipping containers is not as difficult as you might think, even if you rarely buy goods which come from far away. You can always try the free giveaway sites to see if anyone has just finished moving house and wants to give some away, and failing this you can try offline stores. Many of these have items delivered and then end up throwing the packaging away. If you find the right store you may even be able to negotiate a regular pick up for any packing they don't need, including used shipping containers.
The changes we have gone through in society over the past fifty years have determined the changes in the market in both distribution services and the materials used within them. Packing cases and boxes were always needed and used, but in recent years the numbers needed have increased dramatically. Part of this demand is due to the population becoming more mobile, and part is due to the Internet and the growth in online retailing. There are now large retailers who operate exclusively online, and virtually all offline retailers of any size have moved into the online space.
These large retailers are creating a huge demand for new packing, but it is the smaller retailers who are making use of used packing. Some small retailers scarcely ever need to buy any packing, because they are customers and enthusiasts themselves and are able to save up enough of what they receive to then send out their own packages. If you are trading in items which are all the same size, or in only a few different sizes, you can make this work for you. The inner packing can be saved and used again, as well as the outside shipping container.
It is not only retailers who have items to send through the mail who can make use of used shipping containers. Many people who are about to move house will start saving their old boxes and packing containers as soon as they realize they are needed. If you are a member of one of the sites which allows you to list items and give them away for free, you may be able to add to this collection. There are always people who have just moved, and who have containers they no longer have any use for. It is always worth leaving a wanted ad on those sites.
You can also use these shipping containers as storage in your own home if you are going to be short of storage space. While they will often not cope with heavy items unless they are standing on the floor, they can be stacked high if they only contain light goods. If the contents are heavy, the best option will be to erect shelving on a wall in a room you don't use that often. If the supports are built well enough, shelving is able to withstand heavy weights for a long time.
Getting hold of used shipping containers is not as difficult as you might think, even if you rarely buy goods which come from far away. You can always try the free giveaway sites to see if anyone has just finished moving house and wants to give some away, and failing this you can try offline stores. Many of these have items delivered and then end up throwing the packaging away. If you find the right store you may even be able to negotiate a regular pick up for any packing they don't need, including used shipping containers.
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