“Discreet shipping” is one of those phrases brands put on their FAQ page that means six different things to six different operators. We figured it’d be useful to publish exactly what we do, because the spec only matters if it’s auditable.
The outer packaging
Plain corrugated kraft boxes. No printing, no logos, no colour. The box itself is 200#-test ECT-32 — boring industry standard, just sturdier than the bargain stuff. We use white poly mailers for anything that ships in flat-pack form (think apparel, soft goods).
The shipping label is the only customer-visible artifact on the outside of the box. Carriers require a return address, so ours reads as our warehouse — not the brand’s name. The carrier knows nothing about the contents beyond what’s on the manifest.
The label
Three details that matter:
- Return address. Reads as
Littles Fulfillment Warehousewith a P.O.-box-style street treatment. Curbside neighbours can’t back-trace it to a category. - Service level. Default to ground unless the customer paid for faster. Ground sees less hand-off and consequently fewer mis-deliveries.
- Contents description. Where the carrier requires one, we use a generic descriptor (e.g. “personal-care goods”) consistent with the harmonised tariff classification. Domestic ground rarely needs anything more specific.
The inside
Plain kraft tissue paper, never branded. The packing slip is printable on demand and sits face-down so it doesn’t flash if the box is opened by a roommate. Brand inserts (thank-you cards, instruction leaflets) ship if the partner provides them — they don’t change the discretion spec because they’re invisible from outside.
What we will not ship
Three things, regardless of how cheaply someone tries to make us:
- Branded outer packaging. Even “tasteful” branding on the box. The whole point of discreet shipping is that the box doesn’t reveal what’s inside before the customer opens it.
- Anything that requires us to share customer data with a third party that isn’t the carrier. No marketing partners, no insert-program networks, no “data-enriched personalisation” vendors.
- Tracking SMS opt-ins as default. SMS tracking is fine when the customer specifically asks for it on checkout. We don’t default-opt them in because the message previews on a locked phone screen.
The customer-service script
Customers occasionally write in worried about their packaging. Our canned reply, which any partner brand is welcome to copy:
Your order ships in a plain corrugated box with no logos, no colour, and a neutral return address. The label lists our warehouse, not [Brand]. The carrier sees a generic shipping descriptor — we don’t put product details on the manifest. If you’re worried about a specific neighbour or building staff, tell us and we’ll route to a hold-for-pickup at your nearest carrier location instead.
That last sentence — the hold-for-pickup option — wins more loyalty than any discount code we’ve seen.
Want a copy of our discretion-policy PDF for your own customer-service team? Email hello@littlesfulfillment.com and we’ll send it over, even if you’re not a partner.