Frozen foods can be a great fit for Bubble Goods, from frozen pizza and meals to juices, desserts, and ice cream. But frozen products require extra care when it comes to packaging and shipping.
Bubble Goods is a dropship marketplace. We do not hold inventory or ship orders from a Bubble Goods warehouse. When a customer places an order, your brand packs and ships it directly to them.
That means your team is responsible for making sure frozen products can safely travel through carrier networks and arrive at the customer's door in the condition you intended.
š¦ Your Packaging Needs to Be Built for Frozen Shipping
Frozen products need packaging that can maintain the appropriate temperature throughout the expected shipping window.
Your setup may include:
- A properly insulated shipping liner
- Gel packs or frozen coolant
- Dry ice
- A sturdy shipping box
- Leak-resistant packaging
- Packaging that protects the product from damage during transit
The right setup depends on your product, packaging size, shipping distance, weather, and expected transit time.
Test your actual product and packaging together before you start shipping at scale.
āļø Keep Frozen Products Frozen
Frozen foods should remain frozen throughout transit.
This is especially important for products such as:
- š Frozen pizza
- š„¤ Frozen juices and smoothies
- š¦ Ice cream and frozen desserts
- š² Frozen meals
- š„ Frozen appetizers and prepared foods
- š§ Other frozen specialty foods
Your packaging should be designed to maintain the product's required temperature for the full expected transit time.
As a general food safety guideline, the temperature danger zone is 40Ā°F to 140Ā°F. Frozen products have additional temperature requirements, so follow the appropriate storage and handling requirements for your specific product.
š§ Gel Packs vs. Dry Ice
The type and amount of coolant you need will depend on your product.
Gel packs
Gel packs may work for some frozen products and shipping conditions. Make sure you are using enough coolant for the expected transit time and temperature conditions.
Dry ice
Some frozen products may require dry ice to stay frozen during transit, particularly products such as ice cream.
If you use dry ice, make sure your packaging and shipping process are appropriate for dry ice shipments. You should also include clear instructions for customers explaining how to safely handle and dispose of it.
Don't assume the same packaging setup will work for every product. A frozen pizza, a pint of ice cream, and a frozen juice product may have very different shipping requirements.
š Ship Early in the Week
Shipping day is especially important for frozen foods.
Many Bubble Goods sellers ship orders only on Mondays and Tuesdays. This helps prevent packages from sitting in carrier networks over the weekend and keeps transit time focused on the business week.
For frozen products, avoiding unnecessary weekend transit can make a big difference.
If you only ship on certain days, make sure your shipping settings and customer expectations reflect your actual fulfillment schedule.
š·ļø Label Your Boxes
Frozen shipments should have a "Perishable" sticker or label on the outside of the box.
Your product packaging should also clearly communicate the appropriate storage requirements, such as:
- Keep frozen
- Keep refrigerated
- Do not refreeze
- Thawing instructions
- Use by or best by date
- Other applicable storage instructions
Make sure the information is easy for the customer to find when they receive their order.
š Give Customers Clear Instructions
When a frozen order arrives, the customer should know what to do with it.
If the storage instructions are not already clearly printed on the product, include instructions inside the box.
For example:
Please place your product in the freezer immediately upon delivery. Follow the storage and handling instructions on the product packaging.
If your product should not be refrozen after thawing, make that clear.
Using Dry Ice?
If you ship with dry ice, include instructions for the customer explaining how to safely handle and dispose of it.
Customers should not have to figure this out themselves when they open the package.
š§Ŗ Test for Real-World Shipping Conditions
Before shipping frozen products nationwide, test your packaging under realistic conditions.
Consider testing:
- Short and long shipping distances
- Warm weather
- Cold weather
- Your longest expected transit time
- Monday and Tuesday shipments
- Potential carrier delays
Your goal is to understand how the product performs when the shipment takes longer than expected.
For example, packaging that works perfectly for a two-day shipment may not be enough if a package gets delayed in transit.
If your product arrives partially or completely thawed during testing, revisit your packaging, coolant, or shipping method before expanding your shipping footprint.
š”ļø Think About the Time of Year
Frozen shipping can be particularly challenging during warmer months.
Your packaging needs to account for the conditions your package may experience while sitting on a loading dock, moving through a carrier facility, or traveling in a delivery vehicle.
You may need to adjust:
- The amount of coolant
- The type of coolant
- Insulation
- Box size
- Shipping days
- Shipping distance
- Your available shipping footprint
A packaging setup that works in January may not perform the same way in July.
šŗšø Know Where You Can Safely Ship
Because Bubble Goods is a dropship marketplace, your brand is responsible for getting the frozen product from your facility to the customer.
Before launching, make sure your team knows where you can safely ship within the continental U.S.
š° Don't Forget Shipping Costs
Frozen products can be more expensive to ship because of insulation, coolant, box size, and expedited shipping requirements.
Before setting your product price, make sure you understand your full fulfillment cost.
Consider:
- Packaging
- Insulated liners
- Gel packs or dry ice
- Shipping boxes
- Carrier costs
- Expedited shipping, if needed
- Additional seasonal packaging costs
These costs should be part of your pricing strategy from the beginning.
ā Before You Launch
Make sure you have these pieces covered:
We understand that Bubble Goods is a dropship marketplace and we ship orders directly to customers.
We know the temperature and storage requirements for our frozen product.
We have an appropriate insulated liner.
We use enough gel packs, coolant, or dry ice for our expected shipping conditions.
We have tested our packaging with our actual product.
We have tested for our longest expected transit time.
Our shipping schedule minimizes weekend transit.
We can safely ship to the areas we plan to serve in the continental U.S.
Every frozen shipment has a "Perishable" sticker on the outside.
Storage instructions are included inside the box if they are not already on the product.
We include dry ice handling and disposal instructions when applicable.
We have considered how our packaging will perform during hot weather.
We understand the full cost of shipping and packaging our product.
We have a plan for carrier delays.
š§ The Bottom Line
Frozen products can be a great fit for Bubble Goods, but successful frozen shipping starts with the right fulfillment setup.
Whether you're shipping pizza, juice, ice cream, frozen meals, or another frozen product, your goal is the same: customers should receive the product safely and in the condition you intended.
Test your packaging before you scale, ship early in the week when possible, and make sure your team is prepared for the realities of frozen fulfillment.
Frozen brand? Start Selling With Bubble Goods Today!
