You designed amazing jeans, but the wrong packaging can ruin everything. It leads to damaged stock, lost sales, and rejected shipments. Let’s make sure your packaging works for every channel.

Retail packaging focuses on brand presentation and individual sale, using bags and hangtags. Wholesale packaging¹ prioritizes shipping efficiency² and warehouse storage, using sturdy bulk cartons. The right choice depends entirely on your sales channel and logistics plan.

I've seen brands lose thousands because of a simple packaging mistake. A stunning pair of jeans in a flimsy bag arrives wrinkled and unsellable.

Or a major retailer rejects an entire shipment because the carton labels are wrong. For a designer like Dean, details are everything, and packaging is one of the most critical final details.

Let's break down exactly what you need to ask your factory to avoid these disasters. It's not just about putting jeans in a box; it's a critical final step in your supply chain.

Do you offer folded polybag vs. hanger-ready packaging³?

You need your jeans to look pristine on the sales floor. But they often arrive wrinkled and creased from shipping, requiring costly steaming and prep work in the store.

Yes, we offer both. Folded and polybagged is standard for e-commerce and stacked displays. Hanger-ready is a premium option for retailers who want to hang products immediately, saving them time and labor.

The choice between these two options comes down to your final customer. A client selling to a major department store initially chose standard folding.

The store’s manager complained about the labor needed to unbag, steam, and hang 1,000 pairs. For their next order, we switched to "hanger-ready."

We put each pair of jeans on a branded hanger, protected by a long gusseted polybag, and then placed them in special "garment on hanger" (GOH) cartons.

It cost more per unit, but the retailer was thrilled. It strengthened my client's partnership with them and made their brand easier to do business with.

For online brands, a crisp, flat fold in a quality polybag with an air hole is perfect. It protects the jean and looks professional when the customer opens the box.

Choosing Your Presentation Method

Packaging Type	Best For	Pros	Cons
Folded & Polybagged	E-commerce, boutiques, stacked retail displays.	Cost-effective, compact for shipping, protects from dust/moisture.	Can wrinkle, requires retail staff to prep for hanging.
Hanger-Ready (GOH)	Department stores, high-end retailers.	Arrives wrinkle-free, ready to hang, premium presentation.	Higher packaging cost, higher shipping volume (freight cost).

Can you print barcodes per retailer spec?

Major retailers have painfully strict barcode requirements. One small mistake in the code or its placement means your entire shipment can be rejected, causing massive delays and expensive chargeback fees.

Yes. We print and apply any barcode (UPC, EAN, FNSKU) directly onto hangtags, price tickets, or polybags. We verify placement and scannability based on your specific retailer's compliance guide to guarantee acceptance.

Barcodes require absolute precision. I once worked with a brand shipping to Amazon FBA for the first time. They gave us the barcode numbers, but they sent the wrong type—a UPC instead of the required FNSKU.

My QC team has a protocol to always cross-reference barcode requirements with the purchase order and the retailer's latest guide.

We caught the error before 2,000 units were mislabeled. A simple check saved the client from a logistical nightmare and thousands in Amazon fees.

When you work with us, we don't just print what you send. We ask for the retailer's guide and treat barcode application as a critical quality control checkpoint, ensuring every single unit will scan correctly at the distribution center. It’s a small step that prevents a huge headache.

How do you bundle multi-packs or sets?

You want to sell a 3-pack of jeans or a denim jacket and jean set. If they are packed incorrectly, they can get separated in a warehouse or look like a messy pile to customers.

We create custom bundles using branded paper bands, ribbons, or specially sized polybags that hold multiple items together. For sets, we carefully fold the items together to create a single, neat retail unit.

Bundling has to be both functional and attractive. We had a client creating a "denim starter kit" for a subscription box. It included one pair of raw denim jeans and a care kit in a small box.

The challenge was packaging them together without the hard corners of the care kit box damaging the jeans during shipping.

We developed a custom solution. We designed a larger, sturdy polybag with a cardboard insert. The jeans were perfectly folded and placed on one side, and the care kit sat securely in a die-cut holder on the other.

It looked clean, professional, and kept both items pristine. Whether it's a simple paper band for a 2-pack or a more complex solution like this, our goal is to ensure your bundle stays together and communicates value to the end customer.

What palletizing options⁴ optimize my freight costs?

You're about to ship thousands of units across the ocean. Inefficiently packed cartons and poorly stacked pallets mean you end up paying to "ship air," which can dramatically inflate your freight costs per unit.

We use software to calculate the optimal carton size and pallet configuration for your order. We offer multiple stacking patterns to maximize carton density, ensuring you fit the most units per container and reduce freight costs.

The wrong box can cost you a fortune. A new client was shocked by his first freight quote from his previous supplier.

I asked to see their packing list, and the problem was obvious. They were using one standard, large box size for their entire order. For the smaller jean sizes (28, 29), the boxes were half-empty.

We immediately recalculated. We created two custom carton sizes—a smaller one for waist sizes 28-32 and a slightly larger one for 33-38. This simple change allowed for a much denser, more stable pallet stack.

On his next 40-foot container, he fit an extra 800 pairs of jeans. The savings on freight per unit were enormous.

We also ensure the cartons themselves are strong enough (e.g., 200 lb. test, double-walled) to prevent the bottom layers from being crushed during a long sea voyage. It’s this behind-the-scenes logistics work that directly impacts your bottom line.

Conclusion

Smart packaging protects your jeans, satisfies retailers, and cuts logistics costs. Getting these details right from the start is crucial for your brand's success and profitability.

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