Most bakeries do not need a pallet of boxes. They need one good box, in one size, that fits the thing they sell most of. Our minimum is 100 boxes per design, which makes that a realistic first order rather than a leap. What follows is the order in which to make the decisions.
Step one: pick the product that earns the box
Not the product you are proudest of, the one that leaves the shop most often and travels furthest. A branded box is a shop window on a car seat and on a kitchen table, so it should be wrapped around your volume item. If two products are close, choose the one that is more fragile, because that box is doing a second job.
Step two: settle the size around a real product
Measure a finished item, not a recipe. Include the board, the cup, the wrapper or the tin it sits on. Add clearance for icing, a dome, or a lid that overhangs. A box that is slightly too small is worthless, and a box that is much too large lets the contents slide. If you are unsure, send us the product dimensions and we will size it on the dieline, which is included.
Step three: decide what to lock now and what to leave
| Decision | Lock on the first order | Can wait |
|---|---|---|
| Box size and dieline | Yes, this is the expensive one to change | |
| Board and any grease resistance | Yes, it depends on the product | |
| Brand mark and colours | Yes, one or two colours is fine to start | |
| Window film | Yes, add it when you know it sells | |
| Seasonal artwork | Yes, use a sleeve, sticker or ribbon instead | |
| Second and third sizes | Yes, once the first size proves out |
Step four: order and reorder
Pricing starts from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes and is confirmed on your written quote. At 100 units you sit above that floor, because press setup is spread over fewer boxes. Ask for a price at 100, 500 and 1,000 in the same quote, then decide how much you actually want to store. Bakery boxes do not go off, but damp storerooms do soften board, so buy to the space you have.
When you reorder, the dieline already exists and the artwork is already set, so a repeat order is a much shorter conversation than the first one.
Timing
Turnaround is stated per product across three lanes: rush is expedited production plus air freight, standard is air, cost saver is sea. The floor is from about 7 business days plus 2 to 5 for delivery, and specialty items can run up to about 12 weeks, so a box for a holiday period is planned months out, not weeks. Rush adds about 7 to 25% depending on the job. There is no sample kit to buy: if you want to see material first, raise it in the quote conversation.
Ordering for a whole range or for repeat volume instead? Wholesale bakery boxes covers formats and quantity breaks. To start a first order, send the product you want to box and the quantity through the quote form.
