Glass shipment damage costs the global industry £3.7 billion every year—much of it driven by inadequate e-commerce packaging.impactograph.com When premium glass brand Paşabahçe began scaling D2C sales in the UK and Europe, breakage spiked to alarming levels. This 2025 case study shows how a rapid switch to UK Pre Fulfilment—combined with ISTA-certified packaging—cut breakage 42 % in a single quarter while boosting customer satisfaction and profit margin.
Company Snapshot
| Metric (2024) | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual D2C Orders (UK + EU) | 180 000 |
| Average Order Value | £38.20 |
| Pre-project Breakage Rate | 4.8 % |
| Main SKUs | Drinkware sets, mixing bowls, oven-safe glass |
Paşabahçe, founded in Istanbul in 1935, is Europe’s second-largest household glass producer. Known for ultra-clear soda-lime glass, the brand entered UK marketplaces in 2019 and quickly saw online sales outpace B2B growth.Paşabahçe
The Challenge: Fragile Goods Meet Rapid E-Commerce Growth
-
Rising Damage Claims – Customer RMA data showed breakage soaring past the 3 % profitability threshold.
-
Cost Drain – Each broken item incurred ~£5.60 in product loss, repack labor and reship freight.
-
Brand Reputation – Negative reviews citing “shattered on arrival” threatened listing visibility on Amazon and Shopify.
Why UK Pre Fulfilment?
-
ISTA 3A Packaging Lab on-site ensures drop-test compliance for fragile glassware.ista.orgLinkedIn
-
Specialised Void-Fill Options (air-cell sleeves, honeycomb paper) for high-shock absorption.
-
Photo QC at inbound receiving to catch hairline cracks before storage.
-
EU & Amazon Replenishment routes—shipments consolidated for Amazon DE, FR and IT FCs.
Implementation Timeline
| Week | Action | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baseline audit of pick-pack flow & carton sizes | UK Pre Fulfilment |
| 2 | ISTA 3A drop tests; choose double-wall EE flute cartons | Joint |
| 3 | Pilot 5 000 orders → real-time damage tracking | Paşabahçe Ops |
| 4 | Full SKU migration (24 Pallets) to UK Pre Fulfilment | Logistics |
| 5–12 | Weekly KPI reviews; packaging fine-tuning | Both |
Results After 90 Days
| KPI | Before | After | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakage Rate | 4.8 % | 2.8 % | -42 % |
| Avg. Cost per Damage Case | £5.60 | £3.90 | -30 % |
| Customer Star Rating (Amazon UK) | 4.3 ★ | 4.6 ★ | +0.3 |
| Net Promoter Score (Shopify) | 46 | 62 | +16 |
Financial Impact
-
Annualised Savings: ~£82 000 (product + freight + labor).
-
ROI: Project payback achieved in < 60 days, despite modest carton-cost increase (£0.12/ea).
“Switching 100 % of our UK fulfilment to UK Pre Fulfilment paid for itself before peak season. Damage credits plummeted, and reviews bounced back almost overnight.”
— Semih Yılmaz, E-Commerce Director, Paşabahçe
4 Packaging Upgrades That Mattered
-
Double-Wall EE Flute Cartons – 38 % higher edge-crush strength vs single-wall.
-
Air-Cell Sleeve Inserts – Form-fit cushioning for stemware without adding DIM weight.
-
Suspended Divider Trays – Prevent glasses from touching; 12-piece sets saw zero internal collision.
-
Color-Coded Fragile Labels – Automated WMS rule: red label triggers side-loading on trucks.
Boldt Smith Packaging studies confirm that double-wall plus engineered void fill can cut glass breakage 30 – 60 % across LTL and parcel channels.BoldtSmith Packaging Consultants
Lessons Learned
| Lesson | Takeaway |
|---|---|
| Data beats intuition | Weekly photo audits pinpointed root-cause impacts near carton corners. |
| Small cost, big return | £0.12 extra per box saved £2.50+ per prevented damage. |
| Test before you scale | Pilot run validated ISTA specs, avoiding six-figure launch mistakes. |
Next Steps for Paşabahçe
-
Q4 2025 – Expand automation via UK Pre Fulfilment’s auto-cartonizing line (expected 12 % labor cut).
-
2026 – Roll out identical packaging specs to US DC to replicate success.
Conclusion & CTA
When fragile SKUs meet fast-moving e-commerce channels, the right fulfilment partner is mission-critical. Paşabahçe’s 42 % breakage reduction proves that ISTA-tested packaging, inbound QC and data-driven process tweaks can transform your bottom line in weeks—not years.
Curious what a similar packaging revamp could save your brand? Request a no-obligation damage audit from UK Pre Fulfilment and see if double-digit breakage cuts are within reach.
