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Christmas crackers packaging solutions – The main focus of a recent Sunbeauty case study was how to package Christmas crackers. When our parnter Bad on Paper (Australia) reported over 20% damage on an air shipment of Christmas crackers, our team performed a root-cause analysis and redesigned the packaging strategy — reducing damage to 0 in further shipments.
Summary of the Event and Working Together with Clients
Client: Bad on Paper, an Australian company that makes greeting cards, is getting into the Christmas cracker business.
Important Dates on the Timeline:
Samples verified in August, and scale manufacturing starts.
In September, Bad on Paper confirmed mass production after successful samples and trade show feedback. The order was sent in two parts, one by air and one by sea. The air cargo got there first, and when it was checked, more than 20% of the outer packaging was damaged. There was almost little damage to the sea cargo.
In October, Sunbeauty remade damaged units at our cost (15–30 day lead) and implemented packaging improvements.
Because the restocking issue was resolved quickly, sales did not suffer. Bad On Paper also reports that current sales are performing well right now.
We appreciate Bad on Paper’s collaborative approach and continued trust while we resolved the issue together.
Problem: High damage rate on air shipment
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Analysis:
- The outer container was made of reinforced cardboard and had corner bracing, however the pressure from stacking in air freight caused damage.
- Crackers that weren’t folded up and weren’t held in place well enough let them slide and collapse under pressure.
- Sealing and labeling were not designed to work well in circumstances where things need to be moved quickly and stacked on pallets.
Old Solution vs. New Solution | ||
| Aspect | Old Solution | New Solution |
| Box Protection | Reinforced outer box + corner braces | Inner foam/liners + pallet reinforcement + stronger carton + optimized stacking |
| Compression Handling | Vulnerable to vertical stacking | Dramatically lower compression and handling damage |
| Sealing & Labeling | Standard | Clear “Do Not Stack / Flat Pack” marks; improved tape/seal patterns |
| Shipping Recommendation | No specific guidance | Sea freight for pre-assembled products; air freight flat-packed |
| Damage rate | ≈ 20% | ≈ 0 |
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What Sunbeauty altered to make things better?
Finished items are sent by sea in palletized boxes with extra strong corners for extra safety. Reissued replacements come folded or unassembled and are put flat to make sure they don’t get bent out of shape.
After implementing the new packaging and operational controls, Sunbeauty remade damaged air-shipped items at our cost (delivery 15–30 days) and shipped replacements. After monitoring shipments, damage rates dropped from 20% to 0%. When packing and palletization procedures were used, marine shipments also had almost no damage.
Sunbeauty’s Christmas Cracker Packaging Solution Options
To prevent similar incidents from occurring, we have implemented recommended measures for packaging and transportation of this product series. We redesigned from the inside out for Christmas crackers:
- Lining & Foam Protection: Custom-cut foam strips and paperboard liners protect sensitive areas (mouths, seams) from compression.
- Corner Braces and Unit Trays: Add strength to the inner pallets and use outside restraints to keep them from moving sideways.
- Increase carton compression strength and optimize stacking strategy.
- Clear “Do Not Stack / Flat Pack” signs and better tape and seal patterns for sealing, labeling, and handling.
- Put shock-absorbing cushioning in the right places to protect vulnerable areas.
- Air freight tip: Ship Christmas crackers flat (unassembled) to avoid folding damage.
- Use sea freight for finished/assembled products with reinforced pallets to prevent deformation.
Sunbeauty’s Christmas cracker packaging solutions converted a big logistics problem into a proven success: damage rates went from 20% to 0, replacements were always on time, and Bad on Paper kept selling the product well. If your seasonal or fragile items are lost in transportation, our packaging engineers can check, create, and test a solution that works for your supply chain.
