When I started paying closer attention to the finances of my small artisan business in Lagos, I expected the biggest expenses to be obvious ones. Materials, labour, transportation, electricity and stock were the categories I watched most carefully. Packaging was somewhere in the background. I knew I was spending money on bags, boxes, tape and other materials, but I never considered it important enough to track separately.
That changed when I noticed that I was constantly buying packaging materials without having a clear idea of how much each order was actually costing me.
I would buy a batch of bags one week, boxes another week and stickers whenever I noticed that I was running low. Sometimes I would add tissue paper or another protective layer because an order needed it. When a customer requested delivery, I would choose whatever packaging seemed appropriate at the time.
None of those purchases looked particularly expensive on their own. The problem was that they happened repeatedly.
I eventually decided to track my packaging expenses for 90 days. The purpose was not simply to find the cheapest bag or box I could buy. I wanted to understand how much packaging was really costing the business, which products required more protection, what customers actually noticed and whether some of the money I was spending was simply going to waste.
The results changed the way I package my products today.
I Originally Treated Packaging as an Afterthought
When I first started selling handmade products, my main concern was getting the actual product right. I spent time choosing materials, improving the finishing and making sure customers received something that looked worth the price they had paid.
Packaging was almost an afterthought.
As long as the product was clean and the package did not look terrible, I considered the job done. I assumed customers were mainly interested in what was inside the package.
There was some truth to that, but I was missing an important part of the buying experience.
The customer sees the packaging before seeing the product properly. For an artisan business, where a significant part of the appeal can come from the fact that something has been carefully made rather than mass-produced, presentation can influence how the customer perceives the product.
At the same time, presentation cannot be allowed to destroy the profit margin.
That was the balance I had not considered.
I needed packaging that protected the product and made the order feel properly presented, but I did not need to turn every ₦5,000 product into a luxury gift package that cost a large percentage of the selling price.
The Problem With Buying Packaging Whenever I Ran Out
My old approach was based entirely on convenience.
When I noticed that I had only a few bags remaining, I bought more. When I received an order that required a box, I purchased boxes. When I needed branded stickers, I ordered them.
The problem was that I was making these decisions individually instead of looking at the entire packaging system.
I did not know exactly how many orders a particular batch of packaging would cover. I did not know how much packaging I wasted because a bag was too large or a box was the wrong size. I also did not know how much I was spending on packaging materials that I rarely used.
Once I began recording everything, those little expenses became much easier to see.
For example, I could look at a purchase of ₦20,000 and ask how many completed orders that purchase actually supported. If it covered 100 orders, I could estimate that the material represented roughly ₦200 per order.
That number was much more useful to me than simply knowing that I had spent ₦20,000.
My 90-Day Experiment Started With Simple Records
I did not create a complicated accounting system.
I simply created a record of the packaging materials I purchased and noted approximately how many orders each material covered. I also recorded unusual expenses, such as replacing damaged packaging or purchasing additional protective material for a particular type of product.
At the end of each week, I looked at the numbers.
After the first month, I began seeing patterns.
Some packaging materials were being used much faster than others. Some products needed additional protection. I was also using packaging that was larger than necessary for some orders.
By the second month, I started making changes.
By the third month, I had a completely different approach to packaging.
The most important change was that I stopped thinking about packaging as one category.
Different products needed different solutions.
I Realised That One Packaging Size Could Not Work for Everything
Before the experiment, I liked having one or two general packaging sizes because it seemed simpler.
It was not necessarily cheaper.
A small product placed inside a large package requires more material than necessary. It can also look poorly presented because the product is moving around inside a package that is much larger than it needs to be.
I began measuring the products I sold most frequently and matching them with more suitable packaging sizes.
That sounds like a very small adjustment, but it changed my purchasing decisions.
Instead of buying whatever packaging was available, I started asking whether the size made sense for the product.
A small accessory might need only a compact package. Several clothing items might require a larger bag. A delicate handmade item might require protective material that another product does not need.
The goal was not to have dozens of packaging options.
I wanted a small range that covered most of my orders without creating unnecessary waste.
Customer Pickup and Delivery Required Different Packaging
Another discovery was that I had been packaging customer pickup orders and delivery orders almost exactly the same way.
That did not make much sense.
When a customer comes directly to collect an order, the product does not have to travel very far. I can hand it directly to the customer, and there are fewer opportunities for the package to be squeezed, dropped or exposed to rain.
Delivery is different.
Once an order leaves my hands, I do not control every stage of its journey.
A Lagos dispatch rider may carry several packages at once. The package may be placed inside a delivery bag with other items. It may encounter traffic, rain or repeated handling before reaching the customer.
That does not mean every delivery needs expensive packaging. It means I have to think about the risks involved.
For simple products that can withstand normal handling, lightweight packaging may be perfectly adequate. For delicate products, I became more willing to spend extra money on protection.
That distinction helped me avoid both extremes: under-packaging products that needed protection and over-packaging products that did not.
The Cheapest Packaging Was Not Always the Cheapest Option
This was probably the most important financial lesson from the experiment.
At the beginning, I was looking for the cheapest packaging material that looked acceptable.
After tracking my orders, I started thinking differently.
One packaging option costs ₦150 and another costs ₦300. The ₦150 option appears to save ₦150 per order.
But what happens if the cheaper option tears more easily? What happens if it provides poor protection during delivery? What happens if the product gets dirty or damaged?
If I eventually have to replace a product worth several thousand naira because I saved ₦150 on packaging, the original saving was not really a saving.
On the other hand, paying twice as much for packaging does not automatically make sense either.
If the more expensive option provides no meaningful improvement in protection or customer experience, then I am simply reducing my profit.
That is why I stopped comparing packaging based solely on price.
I started comparing cost against usefulness.
I Started Calculating Packaging Cost Per Order
Once I had enough information, I began calculating an average packaging cost per order.
The formula was straightforward:
Total packaging expenses ÷ Number of orders packaged = Average packaging cost per order
if I spent ₦45,000 on packaging materials over a month and those materials covered approximately 180 orders, the average packaging expense would be:
₦45,000 ÷ 180 = ₦250 per order
That number gave me something I could actually use when reviewing my product prices.
If a product generated a healthy margin, ₦250 might not be a major concern. But if a particular product had a much smaller margin, the packaging cost became more significant.
This was especially useful when comparing products.
Two products might have similar selling prices but completely different packaging requirements.
If one required simple packaging costing around ₦150 while another needed protective materials costing around ₦700, their actual margins were not the same.
That is something I had overlooked when I first started.
I Began Separating Packaging by Product Type
The biggest improvement I made was creating a basic packaging system based on the products themselves.
For smaller, durable handmade items, I used simpler packaging. There was no reason to spend heavily on protection when the product could withstand ordinary handling.
Clothing and fabric-based products required a different approach. The main priorities were keeping the item clean, folding it neatly and protecting it from moisture and dirt during transportation.
Fragile products were treated differently again. For these items, protection came before appearance. I would rather spend more on suitable protective material than send a beautiful package containing a damaged product.
This sounds obvious, but it is easy for an artisan to develop a habit of using the same packaging method for every order.
The 90-day experiment showed me that packaging should follow the product, not the other way around.
I Was Spending More on Branding Than I Needed To
I also discovered that I had become too interested in branded packaging.
I liked the idea of customers receiving an order with my logo on the bag, branded stickers and a printed thank-you card. It made the business feel more established.
There is certainly value in branding, but I had to ask myself whether every branding expense was producing enough value to justify its cost.
Custom packaging can become expensive when an artisan is still operating at relatively low order volumes. Ordering a large quantity can reduce the cost per piece, but it also means committing a significant amount of cash upfront.
There is another problem.
Businesses change.
A logo can change. A phone number can change. A social media handle can change. Even the packaging size that seemed perfect six months ago may become inconvenient as the product range changes.
I became more cautious about committing too much money to packaging that could quickly become outdated.
Instead, I looked for simpler ways to maintain a consistent brand identity.
A small sticker, a neat label or a simple thank-you message could sometimes achieve what I wanted without requiring expensive custom packaging.
My Thank-You Cards Were Not as Important as I Thought
I initially believed every order needed a printed thank-you card.
The cards looked professional, but once I started tracking the complete packaging cost, I questioned whether they were necessary for every single order.
I experimented with smaller notes and simpler messages.
For repeat customers, I sometimes preferred a short personal message rather than another generic printed card.
The response was interesting.
Customers seemed to appreciate the thoughtfulness more than the actual cost of the card.
That made me realise something about artisan businesses.
A personal touch does not necessarily have to be expensive.
Sometimes a carefully written message can create a stronger impression than an elaborate printed insert.
I Learned to Think About Lagos Weather
Packaging decisions also became more important because of the environment in which my orders were being delivered.
Lagos weather can change quickly. A package that leaves the shop or workshop during dry weather may still encounter rain before reaching the customer.
I started paying more attention to whether the outer packaging could handle ordinary exposure to moisture.
This was particularly important for products that could be affected by water.
I did not respond by making every package completely waterproof. That would have increased costs unnecessarily.
Instead, I considered the sensitivity of each product and added protection where it was actually needed.
This was another example of the same principle I had learned throughout the experiment: packaging should be based on risk rather than habit.
Wastage Was Quietly Eating Into My Packaging Budget
One of the things I had not considered before tracking my expenses was packaging waste.
Sometimes I bought a size that did not fit the products properly.
Sometimes I used more tape than necessary.
Sometimes I cut protective material incorrectly.
Sometimes a package was damaged before it was used.
None of these things appeared as a separate expense on my sales records.
But they were still costing the business money.
Once I became aware of the problem, I started storing packaging materials more carefully and buying sizes that matched my most common orders.
I also became more deliberate when preparing packages.
The goal was not to use as little material as possible.
The goal was to use the appropriate amount.
There is a difference between efficiency and cutting corners.
I Tested Packaging Before Buying in Large Quantities
Another change I made was to stop buying large quantities of unfamiliar packaging immediately.
If I found a new box or bag that looked promising, I would test a small quantity first.
I wanted to see how it behaved when actually used.
Was the size appropriate?
Was it strong enough?
Did the product fit comfortably?
Did the package look presentable?
Would it survive normal delivery handling?
Only after answering those questions would I consider buying more.
This helped me avoid the situation where I had a large quantity of packaging that looked good when purchased but turned out to be impractical once I started using it.
For a small artisan business, keeping cash tied up in unused packaging is not particularly helpful.
I Started Testing the Actual Delivery Journey
One of the most useful things I did was think beyond the shop or workshop.
A package can look perfect when it leaves the seller's hands and still fail during delivery.
So I began paying attention to what happened to orders after they left me.
I considered how the package was carried, whether it was likely to be squeezed into a delivery bag and whether the product could move around inside the package.
For fragile items, I became more cautious about empty space.
For clothing and other less fragile products, I focused more on keeping the package clean and secure.
This helped me realise that good packaging is not necessarily the packaging that looks best on a worktable.
It is the packaging that still does its job when the product reaches the customer.
What I Changed After 90 Days
By the end of the experiment, I had made several changes to the way I purchased and used packaging.
I stopped using oversized packaging for small products. I reduced materials that did not provide a clear benefit. I became more selective about branded materials and began testing new packaging in small quantities before committing to larger purchases.
I also started including packaging in my product-cost calculations.
This did not mean that I increased every product price automatically.
Instead, I had better information.
I knew which products were expensive to package and which were inexpensive. I knew which packaging materials were being wasted. I knew where spending more made sense and where spending more simply reduced my margin.
That information was more valuable than finding one supposedly perfect packaging supplier.
What Artisans Should Look At Before Choosing Packaging
If I were advising another artisan who was just starting out, I would not tell them to copy my exact packaging choices.
The right packaging depends heavily on the product.
A tailor making clothes has different needs from someone making handmade bags. Someone producing accessories has different requirements from someone selling fragile decorations. A person selling products primarily through customer pickup has a different packaging problem from someone shipping orders across Lagos or to other states.
Instead, I would recommend asking a few basic questions.
What does the product need protection from?
How long is the product likely to be in transit?
Is the product fragile?
Does it need protection from moisture?
What packaging size fits it properly?
How much does the packaging cost per order?
Does the packaging improve the customer experience enough to justify its price?
Those questions can help an artisan avoid both unnecessary spending and inadequate protection.
The Packaging Cost Should Be Part of Your Pricing
One mistake I made early in the business was calculating product cost without properly including packaging.
Imagine that the materials and labour required to make a product cost ₦3,000 and the product sells for ₦5,000.
At first glance, it looks like there is ₦2,000 remaining before other expenses.
But if packaging costs ₦300, that amount is no longer ₦2,000.
It becomes ₦1,700 before other business expenses.
The difference may appear small on one order.
Across hundreds of orders, it becomes much more significant.
That is why I now think about packaging as part of the cost of fulfilling an order.
It does not have to be treated as a separate mystery expense that appears whenever I run out of bags.
The Most Expensive Packaging Is Sometimes the Packaging You Do Not Need
One of the strongest conclusions from my experiment was that unnecessary packaging can be just as problematic as inadequate packaging.
It is easy to keep adding things.
A bigger box.
More tissue paper.
Another sticker.
A ribbon.
A printed card.
Extra wrapping.
Each individual addition can seem harmless.
But if the customer is buying an affordable handmade product, there is a point where the packaging becomes excessive relative to the product itself.
I started asking whether every additional material had a purpose.
If it protected the product, I considered it useful.
If it improved the presentation significantly at a reasonable cost, it could be justified.
If it was there simply because I thought every order had to look luxurious on social media, I became less interested.
That distinction saved me money.
What I Would Do If I Started Again
If I were starting my artisan business from scratch today, I would approach packaging much earlier.
I would identify the products I expected to sell most frequently and determine what type of packaging each one actually required.
I would buy small quantities first and test them.
I would calculate the packaging cost per order.
I would test the packaging through the actual delivery method customers were likely to use.
I would avoid ordering huge quantities of highly customised packaging until I had enough sales volume to justify it.
Most importantly, I would not assume that expensive packaging automatically creates a better customer experience.
The customer ultimately wants the product to arrive safely, cleanly and in a condition that matches what they paid for.
Everything else should support that objective.
My Biggest Lesson From the 90-Day Experiment
The biggest lesson was not that one particular type of bag or box was better than another.
It was that I had been making packaging decisions without enough information.
I was buying based on habit.
I was choosing sizes based on convenience.
I was adding branding because it looked professional.
I was sometimes spending more simply because I thought expensive packaging must be better.
Tracking the numbers forced me to look at packaging differently.
A ₦100 difference may seem insignificant on one order. But if that difference occurs across 500 orders, it becomes ₦50,000.
The opposite is also true. An unnecessary ₦300 expense repeated across hundreds of orders can quietly remove a substantial amount of profit.
That is why small recurring expenses deserve attention.
The Bottom Line
Packaging is one of those expenses that can disappear into the background of a small artisan business.
You buy a few bags, some tape and some boxes. You order stickers. You add protective material when necessary. Then another month begins and you buy more.
Because each individual purchase may be relatively small, it is easy to assume that packaging is not important.
My 90-day experiment changed that view.
I discovered that packaging affects much more than appearance. It affects product protection, delivery reliability, customer experience, branding and ultimately profit.
I also discovered that the most expensive packaging is not necessarily the best packaging, and the cheapest packaging is not necessarily the most economical.
The right choice depends on the product, the customer, the delivery method and the amount of protection required.
For an artisan operating in Lagos, I think the most useful approach is to start with the product rather than the packaging.
Understand what the product needs. Consider how far it has to travel. Think about Lagos traffic and weather. Consider whether the customer is collecting the order or receiving it through a dispatch rider. Then choose packaging that provides the necessary protection without unnecessarily consuming your margin.
Most importantly, track the numbers.
Calculate your average packaging cost per order. Pay attention to waste. Test new materials before buying large quantities. Review your packaging every few months as your products and order volume change.
I started the experiment because I wanted to know where my money was going.
I ended it with something more valuable than a cheaper packaging supplier.
I had a better understanding of the economics of fulfilling an order.
That is the lesson I would take from the entire experience.
For a small artisan business, every part of the customer journey has a cost. The product has a cost. Labour has a cost. Delivery has a cost. Packaging has a cost.
The goal is not to eliminate every expense.
The goal is to make sure the money being spent is actually helping the business.
That is what changed the way I package my products today.