Where to find low MOQ custom packaging for small runs
Manufacturers typically require massive minimum order quantities that price early-stage businesses out of custom rigid boxes and prototypes. This makes it nearly impossible to test packaging in the market without committing capital to thousands of units upfront.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1searching for manufacturers willing to work with low volumes
- 2ordering thousands of units upfront before testing the market
- 3Using online packaging suppliers who buy from overseas
- 4Sourcing via online retail platforms and using shipping labels to contact suppliers directly
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
r/smallbusiness2 people · September 2026
“The difficult part is volume. I’d ideally like to start with 1–3 really good prototypes, then perhaps 25–100 boxes for the first production run rather than ordering thousands before the product has been tested in the market.”source ↗
RabidLabradoodle · r/smallbusiness · 3 upvotes
Where this came up
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