Custom Tote Boxes

Tote Packaging for Retail and Stockroom Handling

Start with the task the box needs to perform. A retail carry pack may hold a customer’s purchases, while a stockroom tote may move components between shelves and workstations. These uses need different access, presentation and handling arrangements.

Tell us what goes inside, how frequently the box will move and where staff will pick it up. Include whether products stay in their own packaging or sit directly in compartments.

For coordinated merchandise presentation, our custom retail packaging options cover related formats. Each box still needs dimensions and support suited to its contents.

Choose Open-Top Access or a Covered Format

Open-top tote boxes provide access during sorting, picking and replenishment. A lidded design covers the contents between tasks, with attached and separate lid formats available for discussion.

Consider where the lid goes when the tote is open. An attached lid needs clearance to move; a removable lid needs somewhere to sit during loading. Check these details against the shelf, trolley or packing station.

Confirm the closure, base and delivery format in your quotation. Flat-packed, pre-glued and assembled constructions involve different preparation steps. If the tote must fold down between uses, specify that requirement before approving the structure.

Match Handles and Base Support to the Filled Load

Cardboard tote boxes with handles need grip positions that work with the packed arrangement. Side hand holes and a top carry handle are different constructions. Confirm the handle type, opening size and position on the production drawing. Provide the total filled weight and explain whether staff will lift the tote from a shelf, carry it between rooms or place it on a trolley. Mention gloves if they affect the hand clearance needed.

The base, corners and handle areas must be considered together. Concentrated weight from one heavy component creates a different brief from several evenly distributed lightweight items. Discuss reinforcement where needed, with its construction and availability confirmed before ordering. Agree any required load checks using a representative filled box. Carrying capacity and stacking limits must relate to the specified design and conditions.

Measure Product Space and Rack Clearance Separately

Record the required usable internal length × width × height, preferably in millimetres. Include the full product arrangement, inner packaging and dividers, with space to load and remove items. Measure the external limits separately when totes need to fit existing equipment:

• Rack opening, shelf depth and overhead clearance.
• Trolley platform or compartment dimensions.
• Space for hands around the handles.
• Clearance for opening or removing the lid.

Folded walls and inserts reduce the available internal space. A tote matching a rack’s external footprint may still need a different layout to hold your products. For stacking, supply the filled weight, proposed stack height and storage conditions. The design needs a defined route for supporting the boxes above; a lid alone does not establish stacking strength.

Select Board for Handling and Print Requirements

Corrugated tote boxes use fluted material between liners. The flute, liner specification and wall construction should reflect the load, box dimensions and expected handling frequency. SBS paperboard offers a smooth white surface for printed retail carry packs. Kraft provides a brown background that affects colour appearance. Both still need assessment against the chosen structure and contents.

Our guide to packaging board grades explains the material differences. Board name or thickness alone cannot establish the tote’s performance. Mention damp storage, chilled products or possible spills during the enquiry. Those conditions need consideration in the specification. Recycling guidance should also reflect the complete pack, including coatings, adhesives and fitments.

Use Dividers and Printing to Organise Contents

Dividers can separate product groups or give components individual positions. Share the dimensions and quantity of each item, then allow enough access for staff to remove one without disturbing its neighbours. Confirm whether fitments arrive loose or fitted.

Printed tote packaging can carry a logo, department name, SKU or product-group reference. Position identification on a panel visible when the box sits on its usual shelf. Pair colour coding with readable words or codes.

CMYK and spot-colour requirements can be discussed alongside the selected board. Matt, gloss, foil and spot UV treatments depend on compatibility with the structure. Keep important markings clear of hand holes, folds and glue areas.

Check Artwork, Samples and Assembly

Prepare artwork on the agreed dieline using our print-ready artwork guidelines. We provide a free artwork check. Upload reference images through the quote form and email PDF, AI or PSD files to sales@healeypackaging.co.uk, including your enquiry reference.

A flat proof or 3D mock-up helps review artwork placement. A structural sample can help assess product fit, grip clearance, lid movement and assembly. Agree what the sample represents, its charges and timing. Load or repeated-handling checks need their own agreed scope.

Confirm any design development, dielines, revisions and tooling in the quotation. Keep the approved drawing, material specification and artwork version together for repeat orders.

Send the Quantity for Each Size and Printed Version

Send the quantity for each size and printed version, packed weight, intended use and delivery location. There is no minimum order quantity; pricing reflects the agreed materials, structure, printing and order requirements.

Production takes 7–10 working days after artwork approval. Allow separately for design, sampling and transit, and share your required arrival date when enquiring.

Empty packaging deliveries are free to the UK and USA, with applicable import duties and taxes covered by Healey Packaging. Your onward transport of filled totes requires its own packing arrangements.