Most of you reading the title of this post already know what we mean.

These days, companies and manufacturers are more focused on the customer experience than ever before – better materials, premium designs, and even elaborate packaging have all been used to try and catch the consumers’ attention before they even purchase the item.

And while that’s all well and good for the end user, it tends to create some headaches for those of us tasked with storing these items before they reach their destination. A lot of modern packaging, from the individual items to the shipping boxes themselves in some cases, tends to be a little more ‘glossy’ and eye-catching than usual, and this can lead to a lot of sliding around and product damage if you’re not careful.

As we head into the holiday season, when the big-ticket items will be in full swing (and, as a result, the items most likely to use this sort of packaging), you may need to plan ahead to safely store some of these items in a way that will keep them as safe as possible before they reach their destination. Here’s a few of our favorite ways to handle slippery packages:

Storing Items with Slippery Packaging

Safety nets & protectors

One of the fastest ways to keep wandering products on your shelves is through the use of safety panels. By using pallet rack safety guards to keep your products safely ensconced on their shelves, you can reduce the risk of them slipping off onto the floor or getting knocked around. (This is a good idea for most products, but particularly those with the most glossy or hard-to-handle packaging.)

Line your shelves and grates

A common cause of sliding boxes is a combination of slippery packaging, and shelving material that can’t quite get a grip on things. If your wire shelves have to hold onto some glossier packaging, using wire shelf liners can help provide a little more friction between your shelves and your packaging to prevent spills or drops.

Factor in transportation and picking

The shelves aren’t the only place your items will visit during their stay in your warehouse – if you use any sort of transportation during the storing and picking process, they’ll need to be taken into account as well. Particularly if you use wire utility carts to move products, make sure each shelf has a liner, and try to close the carts off with safety netting as they move through the warehouse.

Review your picking processes

While shelving and safety measures can handle part of the job when it comes to protecting products with less-agreeable packaging, your picking team is still an important part of the routine as well. Make sure to warn your pickers when an item is found to be more prone to damage through handling or transport, and create processes to minimize damage to these items – and quickly report any damage that may occur.