How to Ship a Gift Basket

The gift basket industry is growing by 3 to 5 percent annually. This means that eCommerce merchants need to know all the ins and outs of shipping gift baskets to deal with the growing industry. From wine gift baskets to gourmet food, all gift baskets require extra care for packaging.

So, how do you ship a gift basket safely? Merchants will want to double-up on packaging to ensure the durability of their packaging. Bubble wrap, shrink paper, newspaper, and other cushioning materials are all vital to the safety of your shipment. Besides, the last thing you want is a stressful shipping experience.

In this blog post, we’ll go over how to ship a gift basket so merchants can know the best way to ship gifts this holiday season.

How to Package a Gift Basket

Shipping gift baskets require extra love and care when it comes to the packaging. Otherwise, merchants risk damaging the shipment during transit.

Crumpled paper, bubble wrap, and shrink wrap all come in handy when it comes to how to send a gift basket. Gift baskets often come with many items, which means you need to secure your package so items don’t move around during the delivery process.

Looking for the best way to ship gifts? Here’s a more in-depth look at how to package gift baskets for shipping.

Secure the gift basket with bubble wrap

Bubble wrap is your new best friend when shipping gift baskets. Wrap your gift basket in a layer of bubble wrap to prevent the gift basket from any damage.

Bubble wrap is one of the most effective ways to secure your gift basket from moving around during transit. That’s why merchants should include a layer of bubble wrap around their gift basket before packaging it in a shipment box.

Fortunately, bubble wrap is cheap and easily attainable from places like ULINE, Amazon, Staples, and numerous other online retailers.

Choose the right-sized box for your gift basket

Gift baskets come in all shapes and sizes, which means you can’t choose any box when shipping gift baskets. Plus, you want to factor in an extra two inches of space to add cushioning materials to the corners of the shipment box.

USPS, UPS, and FedEx offer free shipping boxes and packaging materials for your shipments. Unfortunately, if you’re looking for custom packaging for your business, you’ll have to pay out of pocket for custom shipping boxes.

Insert cushioning materials to the box’s corners

Choosing the right-sized box and wrapping your gift basket in bubble wrap may be vital steps to the packaging process, but you’re not there yet. Ultimately, you want to make sure your gift basket stays in place during transit to prevent it from any damage. That’s why you want to add cushioning materials to the corners of the shipment box.

You don’t have to spend a pretty penny on cushioning materials you can use. Most materials can be found in one’s place of residence. Here are some cushioning materials you can use to the box’s corners:

• Newspaper
• Crushed, unprinted paper (i.e., brown paper bags)

When it comes to shipping gift baskets, the main goal is to make sure your package is secure, and inserting cushioning materials to the box’s corners does just that.

Label your package correctly

Last but not least, make sure you include a shipping label on the top of the box. Plus, you’ll want to have a fragile shipping label if your gift basket contains many fragile items that could break during transit.

USPS, FedEx, and UPS offer additional handling for your fragile gift basket shipments. But, there is an additional charge depending on the courier. For instance, USPS charges an additional $11.15 per package.

How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Gift Basket?

The average gift basket costs $45 to $50, which doesn’t include shipping. Plus, depending on the shipping courier, you may have to pay additional fees for handling your fragile parcel. No matter what, the following factors determine the final cost of shipping:

• Courier service
• Delivery speed
• Weight of package
• Shipping distance
• Package dimensions

We’ll go over the specific expenses for shipping gift baskets so you can choose the best way to ship gifts to your domestic and international customers.

Related post: What's the Cheapest Way to Ship Packages This Holiday

Shipping with USPS

USPS is an affordable way to ship your items domestically or internationally. But remember, you’ll have to pay $11.15 for additional handling of your gift basket shipment.

Say you’re looking to ship a 7-pound gift basket from New York to Los Angeles, below are the available shipping options with USPS:

• Priority Mail Express 1-Day: $89.80
• Priority Mail 2-Day: $35.20
• Priority Mail 2-Day Large Flat Rate: $22.65
• USPS Retail Ground: $32.20

Now, say you want to ship the same 7-pound package but from the NY to the UK. Below are the available options with USPS:

• Priority Mail Express International: $98.45
• Priority Mail International: $85.85
• Priority Mail International Large Flat Rate Box: $108.50

Instead of paying retail shipping rates, Easyship saves users up to 91% off discounted shipping rates, including USPS.

Here’s how USPS compares to Easyship’s discount using the same 7-pound example from before.

Shipping from New York to Los Angeles

Shipping from New York to the United Kingdom

As you can see, Easyship offers the best available rates for shipping your domestic orders. Instead of paying retail rates, you receive exclusive discounts on major couriers.

Shipping with FedEx

FedEx is an excellent option for merchants who want fast, expedited shipping. However, it’s important to note that FedEx charges an additional surcharge for shipments over 70 pounds. But for fragile items, you don’t pay extra.

Here are some sample prices for shipping a 7-pound gift basket shipment from NY to LA:

• FedEx First Overnight: $273.28
• FedEx 2Day: $134.18
• FedEx Express Saver: $104.78
• FedEx Ground: $29.12

Now, let’s calculate the price for the same 7-pound package, but from NY to the UK:

• FedEx International First: $385.87
• FedEx International Priority: $331.12
• FedEx International Economy: $285.74

In the case of the 7-pound gift basket shipment example, Easyship provides rates from better courier companies.

Shipping with UPS

UPS is a reliable courier company for all your domestic and international shipping needs. Fortunately, UPS doesn’t charge an additional handling fee for fragile shipments. You’ll only pay extra if your item is over 70 pounds.

Here are some sample prices for shipping a 7-pound gift basket from NY to LA:

• UPS Next Day Air: $183.87
• UPS 2nd Day Air: $108.49
• UPS Ground: $32.84

Now, let’s calculate the price for the same 7-pound package, but from NY to the UK:

• UPS Worldwide Express: $316.36
• UPS Worldwide Expedited: $290.76
• UPS Saver: $308.87

Alternatively, Easyship saves users up to 91% discounted shipping rates, including UPS.

Best Practices to Ship Gift Baskets

There’s a lot of room for error when shipping gift baskets. That’s why you want to make sure you pay special attention to packaging your gift baskets.

To prevent any damage during transit, check out these tips on the best ways to ship gift baskets.

Use shipping insurance

Shipping insurance protects merchants and customers from lost, stolen or damaged packages. Every year, three billion packages are lost and damaged. That’s why merchants should utilize shipping insurance to give them some peace of mind.

Easyship offers users up to $5,000 of shipping insurance for any shipment. Plus, save up to 91% off discounted shipping rates on 250+ couriers. Now, you can get the protection you need while gaining exclusive access to high-volume discounts.

Require signature upon delivery

Over 35 million Americans say they were victims of porch piracy in 2021. To curb this issue, merchants should use signature upon delivery services to prevent theft.

USPS, FedEx, and UPS offer scheduled delivery services. Here are some popular services that provide a signature upon delivery:

• USPS Priority Mail Express
• USPS Retail Ground
• FedEx Express Package Services
• FedEx Ground Services
• UPS Next Day Air
• UPS Ground

Now, your customers can have the reassurance they need this holiday season when you require a signature upon delivery.

Wrap each item individually

Consider wrapping your gift basket items individually if they can easily break during transit. Bubble wrap, shrink wrap, or other cushioning materials can ensure that things don’t break on impact.

For instance, if your gift basket contains items made of glass, you’ll want to wrap the item in cushioning materials to ensure its safety. Alternatively, merchants can use individual boxes or other materials that can safely protect the items.

Label the gift as fragile

Most likely, your gift basket contains easily breakable items. This is why you want to place a “fragile” label on the top of the box and the other corresponding sides. The last thing any merchant wants is for their package to be mishandled.

It’s your job to make sure that anyone who comes into contact with the shipment knows that the package is fragile. USPS, FedEx, and UPS offer free shipping supplies, such as “fragile” labels, so postal workers visibly understand that the shipment contains fragile items.

Fill out hollow items

If you see any space inside your shipment box, fill it with packing materials like crumpled paper or newspaper to minimize movement as much as possible. The less hollow space inside the shipping box, the less likely it is that your gift basket arrives damaged.

So, before you close the box, make sure all space inside is filled with cushioning materials. Plus, consider adding a pad at the bottom of the box for protection too.

Best Way to Ship Gifts with Easyship

Now that you know the full scoop on shipping gift baskets, you’re ready to spread holiday cheer like a well-seasoned pro. Before you start shipping away, remember the following tips:

• Package your gift basket with ample cushioning materials and handle with care
• Label your shipment as fragile on the top of the box
• Include shipping insurance to give you some peace of mind

Easyship saves users up to 91% off discounted shipping rates on 250+ couriers. Now, it’s easier than ever to find the best way to ship gifts to your customers. Gain instant access to premium shipping tools like our Free Shipping Rates Calculator, Custom Branding Suite, and Automated Label Generator.

Looking for the cheapest way to ship gift baskets? Sign up for a FREE Easyship account and gain instant access to high-volume discounts

If you found this article informative, you may enjoy the following:

• The Holiday Shipping Playbook
• Cheapest Way to Ship a Package for the Holidays
• What’s the Cheapest Way to Ship Large Packages