Shipping supplies—boxes, tape, labels, mailers—might seem like minor costs, but they add up fast for any business handling its own fulfillment. Whether you’re managing a home-based operation or overseeing a warehouse, finding savings on everyday shipping essentials can significantly improve your margins. Fortunately, with the right tools and strategies, you can cut costs without cutting corners.
Audit Your Supply Usage First
Before jumping into savings strategies, assess what you’re spending on supplies. Review your average usage per week or month. Are you buying too many custom-sized boxes? Are you overusing filler? A supply audit helps you eliminate waste and pinpoint where costs can be trimmed. Apps like Sortly or Inventory Now can help small businesses track inventory usage without added complexity.
Buy in Bulk from Reliable Retailers
Stores like Staples, Office Depot, and Uline offer bulk pricing and dependable shipping supply selections. If you ship frequently, buying in higher volumes often means significant per-unit savings—especially for items like bubble mailers, thermal labels, and reinforced packing tape.
Earn Cashback on Supplies Using Gift Cards
One of the most effective ways to lower your supply costs is to combine your purchases with cashback-earning tools. For example, you can earn cashback with an Office Depot gift card or get rewards with a Staples gift card when you shop through platforms like Fluz. These gift cards can be purchased in real time—down to the cent of your order total—and used instantly online or in-store.
This approach gives you back a percentage of your purchase that can be reinvested directly into more supplies or other parts of your business.
Stack More Cashback with Apps Like Rakuten and Ibotta
You can further increase your savings by stacking your Fluz gift card cashback with browser-based cashback tools like Rakuten. Simply activate Rakuten while checking out at Office Depot, then pay using a discounted gift card from Fluz. For in-store purchases, Ibotta also offers rewards on select office supply retailers.
This kind of stacking helps small businesses stretch their budgets further while keeping operations smooth.
Use Loyalty Programs and Rewards Points
Both Office Depot and Staples offer loyalty programs—an example being Office Depot Rewards—that offer additional perks like 2% back in store credit, exclusive coupons, and member-only pricing. When paired with cashback tools, these programs help you save in multiple ways on every purchase.
Final Thoughts
Shipping supply costs don’t have to eat into your margins. By shopping in bulk, using loyalty programs, and leveraging cashback tools, you can turn routine purchases into strategic savings. Whether you earn cashback with a Staples gift card or combine Fluz with apps like Rakuten and Ibotta, you’re stacking value onto every box and roll of tape that goes out the door.
