When customers order certain products, they may not want other people to know what they purchased. That could be due to the product’s value, it being sensitive or personal in nature, or the customer bought a gift and doesn’t want someone in their household to know what it is. Whatever the reason to hide a box’s contents, providing discreet shipping and packaging can increase buyer satisfaction and remove barriers to purchase (hesitant shoppers are more inclined to pull the trigger if they can shield their orders with privacy).

However, it also introduces new complexities into your fulfillment process, especially if you offer both normal and discreet shipping options. You’ll have to define what “discreet” means for your customers, establish appropriate processes, and work with your shipping provider to ensure packaging maintains buyer privacy.

What is discreet shipping?

Discreet shipping delivers products in such a way that outside observers can’t tell what items are inside. Normally, that entails:

• Standardized box sizes that make it difficult to see what’s inside
• Plain boxes with no branding or distinct markings on the exterior
• No packing labels or invoices on the outside of the box
• No listed shipper that can be traced back to your store

When a customer places an order, it should arrive in an inconspicuous parcel that blends in with any other packages they receive. You shouldn’t be able to tell what’s inside, even with a bit of sleuthing.

For example, an FBA shipment consisting of a standardized box with only “Amazon” on the exterior counts as discreet shipping; you have no idea what kind of product is inside until you open it. On the other hand, boxes that display FBA seller names on the label might give away the product, depending on the name of the store.

This shipping option is ideal for:

• Gifts: Many people live with significant others or family members, so a gift service with discreet packaging can ensure housemates don’t ruin the surprise. Use plain packaging but consider double boxing with a gift box inside for additional security. For presents, you should focus on the presentation inside the box so you deliver a stellar unboxing experience, and your customer can give the gift as is.
• Private products: Shoppers don’t always want to advertise their personal hobbies or preferences to neighbors or other family members. Offering discreet shipping for potentially sensitive products like menstrual care, adult diapers and incontinence products, items with political affiliations, or adult products can greatly improve the customer experience while reducing barriers to buy. Ship from an anonymous sender or list your 3PL’s business rather than your own to maintain privacy.
• Medication: Pharmaceuticals are normally shipped discreetly to offer privacy as well as reduce the risk of theft. Ship in standardized boxes such as book boxes with plenty of infill. This can be harder for refrigerated and cold-storage medication, but you can balance it out by using larger packaging with discreet labeling.

Keep in mind, you’ll have to use cold packs rather than dry ice for chilling pharmaceuticals, as dry ice requires content labeling on the outside of the package. You’ll also have to list substance characteristics on the package, such as “corrosive,” “flammable,” etc., which makes it harder to ship discreetly.

• Luxury products: Luxury products and electronics are prime targets for theft, but plain boxing can greatly reduce that risk. You can provide a premium experience at the same time with a well-crafted unboxing experience or double boxing to include high-quality packaging for the product.

There are many reasons to opt for discreet shipping, and each one requires a slightly different approach to packaging, so you need to consider your audience and offerings before planning your strategy.

Maintain discretion with signature upon delivery

Sometimes, you’ll want to ship products with a sign-on-delivery option, but that can sacrifice privacy if someone else signs for the package. To address this issue, you can direct buyers to release the package from signature ahead of time according to the carrier you use:

• UPS: The customer can pre-sign and release the package from signature requirements in the app or on the carrier’s website. However, this option is unavailable for more than 21 products like alcohol, tobacco products, and firearms.
• USPS: Customers can sign for packages online in advance.
• FedEx: Customers can sign for packages electronically as long as the goods don’t require an adult signature. For parcels that do, the only alternative is for the customer to redirect the package to a pickup point.

So, if your package requires a signature, you’ll have more complications, and FedEx specifically requests a signature for most packages. Therefore, shipping with USPS is generally the best option to ensure discretion.

Can you discreetly ship goods internationally?

It’s difficult to ship goods overseas in discreet packaging. While you can remove branding from the exterior, international products require a packing label. So, the only way to maintain privacy is to choose a 3PL with warehouses in a specific country or region and then ship directly from there.

How to brand your packaging with discreet shipping

Even if you have to use discreet packaging, you can still brand products themselves and offer a great unboxing experience through tactics like:

• Double boxing: Place your branded and luxury boxes inside of a plain-exterior parcel to ensure customers still receive a premium unboxing experience.
• Branding the box interior: Print your brand, logo, instructions, and other merchandising on the inside of the package. You’ll still wow the customer, and no one else will see your branding.
• Box inserts: Create custom inserts to add branding and extra information without changing the box itself.

You can also work with a 3PL to craft a unique unboxing experience. Collaborate on how products are boxed, the packing material used, and any inserts you want included to ensure even discreet packages delight buyers when opened.

Discreet packaging with a 3PL

Working with a 3PL makes it easier than ever to ship goods discreetly. For one, you’ll have access to a large selection of boxing and packaging so it’s simple to select discreet options that still accommodate and protect your product. Other advantages include:

• Box infill to prevent products from rattling around in the package, even when you use oversized boxes to disguise the contents
• Product inserts and custom box printing
• Addresses displayed on packages are from the 3PL, not your eCommerce store
• Packing consultations to craft a premium unboxing experience with discreet shipping
• A selection of shipping couriers that offer discreet delivery options
• Automatic routing of packages to different pack stations based on discreet or normal shipping

A 3PL can take over every step of your direct-to-consumer fulfillment. They’ll organize packaging, box presentation, infill, and courier selection to ensure your customer enjoys a stellar experience whether they want standard or private shipping.

Wrapping up — Make privacy your competitive advantage

Discreet packaging allows you to send goods directly to your customer without advertising the contents. It’s ideal for gifts, sensitive products, private items, medication, and luxury goods that have a high risk of being stolen. Offering discreet packaging can thus reduce the chances of theft, as well as improve the customer experience and even boost sales. However, you must package items correctly, deliver with carriers that offer privacy, and develop a first-rate unboxing experience, no matter how bland the exterior. Help hesitant shoppers cross the buying finish line by ensuring discretion.