How to Buy Wholesale Bubble-Wrap Cushioning

Bubble wrap cushioning helps protect items from breakage during shipping.

If you own a business that involves selling and shipping breakable items, or you are thinking of starting a shipping business, you will need bubble wrap cushioning to ensure that your customers receive their items intact. As your business grows, you will need to keep bubble wrap cushioning in your shipping area for packaging as needed. Purchasing bubble wrap cushioning allows you to keep a sufficient supply on hand to streamline shipping functions, and helps you reduce expenses by obtaining this packaging material at below-retail cost.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Internet Connection
• Time

1. Check with your local small business office to determine how to register your business and obtain a state tax identification number. Wholesalers that sell bubble wrap cushioning typically require a valid tax number before selling you this packaging material at wholesale prices. Complete your vendor's license application and pay any necessary fees to obtain your license.

2. Shop online suppliers such as Uline, PackagingSupplies and eSupplyStore, which offer packaging and shipping materials, including bubble wrap cushioning. These companies allow you to purchase your supplies online and ship them directly to your home or business.

3. Check your local telephone book for packaging suppliers in your area. If there is a supplier in your area, contact the supplier to ask if it offers supplies wholesale. Buying from a local supplier allows you to pick up your bubble wrap cushioning instead of having to wait for shipping, and can eliminate shipping costs.

4. Visit local shipping facilities if you cannot locate a packaging supplier in your area. Shipping service facilities may give you the contact information for packaging suppliers that sell at wholesale prices.

5. Search online auction sites for auctions featuring shipping supplies. Businesses with excess bubble wrap cushioning inventory may sell their extra rolls through online auctions at wholesale prices.

Tips & Warnings

• Buy the largest quantity of bubble wrap cushioning you can afford or store at one time. Buying larger rolls or multiple rolls may save you even more money, allowing you to keep packaging and shipping costs low for your customers.

References

• SBA.gov: Search for Business Licenses and Permits
• "Make Your Dollars Stretch by Buying Wholesale"; Sparklesoup Studios; 2002

Resources

• Uline
• PackagingSupplies
• eSupplyStore.com