Case study: a jewellery reseller packs orders with zip lock pouches

One stud from a pair of oxidised earrings costs almost nothing. When it goes missing in a parcel, it costs a refund, a return pickup and a one-star rating.

That is the problem this example seller wants to fix.

This is a worked example. The business is illustrative, put together from situations small sellers commonly face. The product details and the maths are real.

The short answer: put every piece in its own clear zip lock pouch the day the stock arrives, not on the day it ships. Use the smallest size that lets the piece lie flat. Then put the pouch inside a proper outer pack, because a pouch keeps a pair together but does not protect it from a knock. For about 700 orders a month, this seller needs roughly 1,100 pouches across five sizes.

Who is the seller, and what goes wrong today?

The seller is a two-person artificial and oxidised jewellery business in Indore. They buy from wholesalers, then sell on Meesho, on Instagram and over WhatsApp. They ship about 700 orders a month, with roughly 1.4 pieces in each order, so close to 1,000 pieces go out every month.

Today the stock sits loose in plastic boxes, sorted by design. At packing time, someone picks the piece, finds a pouch of any size, and closes it. Three things go wrong:

Earring pairs separate, and one stud ships alone.
Necklace chains tangle with each other in the stock box, and untangling them at packing time eats the morning.
A big pouch with a small piece in it lets the piece slide, scratch and look careless when the customer opens it.

(PackSmith has no link with Meesho or any other marketplace. We only supply the packaging.)

Why zip lock pouches, and what else did they consider?

If I were packing for this seller, I would compare three options.

Small cardboard jewellery boxes. They look good and protect better. They also cost far more per piece and take much more shelf space. For a gifting order or a premium set, I would still use one.
Small paper envelopes. They keep plastic out, but you cannot see the piece, and an earring post can pierce them.
Clear zip lock pouches. They are cheap per piece, you can see the design without opening, and the press seal opens and closes again. That last point matters for returns.

The seller picks pouches for everyday orders and keeps boxes for the occasional gift order.

One honest point before we go on. These pouches are plastic. A brand that promises plastic-free packaging should not use them, and our paper mailer or courier bag guide covers that side.

Clear zip lock pouches with red press seal lines, in several sizes

Which pouch for which piece?

Our listing gives the pouch sizes as two numbers, 2*3 up to 10*14, with no unit. In the Indian trade these sizes are given in inches, and I read them that way here, just as our zip lock pouch guide does. The zip and the side seals take a little room, so the usable space is slightly smaller than the listed size.

Piece	Pieces a month	Pouch, inches	Outer pack
Stud earrings and small jhumkas, fixed on a card	400	3x4	6x8 courier bag
Large jhumkas and chandbalis	150	4x5	M1 padded paper mailer
Necklace sets with matching earrings	200	5x7	M1 or M2 padded paper mailer
Bangle sets	100	5x6	M1 padded paper mailer
Anklets, one pair	80	4x5	6x8 courier bag
Rings and nose pins	50	2x3	6x8 courier bag
Total	980

The rule behind the outer pack is simple. Flat, hard-to-crush pieces go in a courier bag. Anything with a dome, a dangling drop or a set of bangles goes in a padded paper mailer, because a courier bag stops rain and prying hands but not a knock in the sorting sack. Measure your own necklace set in its pouch before you choose M1. If it does not clear the padding, go to M2.

How is the packing set up?

The big change is where the pouch happens. It moves from the packing table to the receiving table.

When a wholesale lot arrives, check each piece for missing stones and bent hooks before it goes into stock.
Fix earrings on a small card first, so the posts cannot pierce the film. We do not sell cards, so buy them from a jewellery supplier.
Keep the piece and your hands dry. Sweat and damp speed up tarnish.
Put one piece, or one matching set, in the smallest pouch where it lies flat.
Press out the air and run your thumb along the full zip.
Stick a small label on the pouch with the design code. Do not write on the film with a marker, it smudges.
Store the pouches by design code in shallow boxes, one row per code.
At packing time, pick the pouch, check the code against the order, and put it straight into its outer pack with the invoice.
On the outside, write nothing that says "jewellery". The address and the shipping label are enough.

Tarnish needs a word too. The Canadian Conservation Institute's note on caring for silver (CCI Note 9/7, revised 2007) says silver tarnish comes from sulphur compounds in the air. It suggests sealed polyethylene bags, with small packs of silica gel and activated charcoal inside for extra protection. A pressed pouch helps oxidised and plated pieces in the same way. It does not stop tarnish completely, so please do not promise that to a customer.

What are the numbers?

I have added about 10% for split zips, re-packs and returns that need a fresh pouch. We sell every size in packs of 50 and 100.

Pouch, inches	Pieces a month	Need with 10%	Suggested monthly buy
2x3	50	55	1 pack of 100, lasts nearly 2 months
3x4	400	440	4 packs of 100 and 1 pack of 50
4x5	230	253	3 packs of 100
5x6	100	110	1 pack of 100 and 1 pack of 50
5x7	200	220	2 packs of 100 and 1 pack of 50
Total	980	about 1,078	1,250 pouches

Before you settle on the mix, check the per-piece price on the 50 and the 100 pack of each size. We do not price every pack on the same curve, so the bigger pack is not always cheaper per piece.

Plan for double in the wedding and Diwali months, and order two weeks ahead of the rush. We dispatch in 1 to 2 working days and delivery is free, but couriers are often slower in festive weeks.

What will a pouch not do?

I want to be clear here, because sellers sometimes expect too much from a small bag.

It is not padding. It goes inside a courier bag, a mailer or a carton, never on its own.
It is not tamper-evident. The press seal opens and closes again, which is the point of it. Tamper evidence comes from the sealed courier bag outside.
It is not airtight. Our listing does not claim that, and air slowly gets in through the zip and the film.
It is not sold as food grade. Our listing makes no food-grade claim, so keep it for jewellery.

When a return comes back, check the piece first. Reuse the pouch only if the zip still closes along its full length and the film is clean. Otherwise, put the piece in a fresh pouch with a fresh code label before it goes back into stock.

To know whether the system works, count three complaints for 60 days before the change and 60 days after: missing piece, tangled piece, and tarnished on arrival. Also time 20 orders packed the old way and 20 the new way.

What would it take in your business?

List your pieces and how many of each you ship in a month.
Lay each piece flat on two pouch sizes and keep the smaller one that fits.
Move pouching to the day stock arrives.
Label every pouch with a design code.
Choose the outer pack by how crushable the piece is.
Add 10% to your pouch count, and double it for festive months.

Two questions resellers ask

Should I put two different pieces in one pouch to save pouches?

No. They rub, scratch and tangle. One piece or one matching set per pouch.

Can a customer reuse the pouch?

Yes, and some will keep their earrings in it. That is a small, free reminder of your shop every time they open the drawer.

We have been making packaging at JPPL in Jaipur since 1997, and I still find that the cheapest item on the packing table often fixes the most expensive complaint.

If you are not sure which sizes to start with, tell us your three best-selling pieces and their measurements. We will suggest the pouch sizes before you order.