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All fragile merchandise must be able to withstand delivery to Altar'd State, handling within our fulfillment center, and customer delivery. Fragile Merchandise Policy Examples: glass, china, pottery, crystal, cosmetics, fluids, candles, etc.
Choosing the Right Box
You don't want to use boxes that have too much space in them, causing the contents to shift around. Using a slightly bigger box than the product allows any remaining empty space to be filled with dunnage to keep everything in place.
While poly mailers can be cheaper to ship than boxes, they are not a good option for fragile, breakable products, as they can be smashed easily. While poly bags come with bubble wrap padding, these don't eliminate the breakage of fragile items.
Inside the Box
Using the correct packing materials inside the box is necessary to ensure fragile items arrive at our distribution centers and stores without damages. Many varieties of packing materials ensure the safety of your fragile items in transit.
Factors affecting which of these materials you use inside the box to protect your fragile items include: the item's size, the amount of empty space in the box, and packing material. Packing materials cushion items and fill empty spaces in the box to keep items protected.
Here is a list of packing materials we require you incorporate into your packing procedures to ensure protecting fragile items through transit.
Bubble Wrap
Craft Paper
Cardboard Partitions (Dividers)
Shredded Paper
Crumbled Paper
Materials not permitted to pack with:
Packing Peanuts
Air Pillows
After properly cushioning your item, fill the empty spaces between the item(s) and the box. Filling empty spaces with packing material prevents the item from shifting during transport. This is especially important for items with an irregular shape.
Place the properly-cushioned item in the center of the box with filler on the bottom, top, and sides. Ideally, the box will have room for at least two inches of filler for cushioning on all sides of the items.
Test your Packaging
A drop test simulates the freefall of a package on its corners, edges and surfaces. To achieve this, the packaging is filled with the protected products and dropped from a defined height. This enables realistic conditions encountered during shipment to be simulated. See below for height requirements by weight or drop testing.
All fragile products must have a drop test performed prior to shipment.
Packing and Shipping Home Decor & Gifts
All Home Décor, Gift, Fragrance, and Bath & Beauty PO(s) may require extra and/or special protective packaging to prevent damage of merchandise in transit. These PO shipments must be packaged in a manner that provides protection for the product through the entire distribution chain (from vendor/shipper to final destination/store.)
Individual or store-specific cartons and packages must be able to withstand handling multiple times, and/or rough handling, and not sustain damage to the contents.
Cartons and packages must be able to survive the UPS small package delivery cycle. This especially applies to glass, ceramic, pottery, and other fragile items which may break in transit. This also applies to picture frames, wall art, and books (which could sustain damage to the corners).
Packaging and Shipping Footwear
Footwear is subject to all terms and conditions previously expressed in this guide. Additionally, vendor must follow footwear specific instructions.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
Carton Markings
Altar’d State PO number
Vendor Style Number (must match order)
Quantity (# of items in carton)
Specific size scale or musical run-on side of carton
Color (color names, not color codes)
American size scales should be used when possible
See Shipment Packing and Labeling section for specific shipping label requirements
Protecting the product
Vendors must protect goods from the elements during storage, transfer and loading
Shoes must be protected in original shoe box or clear polybag using egg crate packaging
Mold preventative measures must be used
Vendors are responsible for ensuring cartons adequately protect the merchandise
Musical Pack (Store Pack) Instructions
Only one style/color may be packed in a carton
Size scale must follow PO specifications
Non-Boxed Footwear
The carton can only contain 1 Purchase order
Pack in egg crate master carton
Egg crate to be assembled in full grid
No more than one pair shoes or two pair sandals per grid section
Each pair of footwear is in a polybag
Place SML RFID sticker on Hang Tag
POLYBAGGED FOOTWEAR
All polybagged footwear must be securely paired, properly protected, and sealed in a clear polybag. The hang tag and product information must remain visible through the bag, and the shoes should be neatly positioned to maintain presentation and prevent damage during shipping and handling.
BOXED FOOTWEAR
Boxed footwear is not the current standard packing method for footwear It is used only when specifically instructed for Ecommerce exclusive styles.
Packing (see Figure 10.2)
The carton can only contain 1 Purchase order
All UPC label or retail price ticket must be in an upright position within the cartons
Merchandise labels must be visible for scanning upon opening the carton
Shoe Box marking requirements
Size indicator
UPC barcode ticket (see Figure 10.1)
UPC Barcode Ticket
Standard 2” X 1” white, adhesive backed label
Style, color, size, UPC barcode printed on label (see Figure 10.1)
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