Your 2026 Packaging Playbook: What to Prep Each Season (So You’re Never Behind Again)
As the year winds down and everyone starts thinking about fresh starts and new strategies, there’s one area brands consistently wish they had handled earlier: packaging.
Design deadlines sneak up. Lead times stretch. Seasonal launches come faster than expected. And before you know it, a “simple packaging refresh” becomes a rushed, stressful scramble.
So here’s your solution: a season-by-season packaging playbook that helps you map out what to design, when to order, and how to stay ahead all year long, no matter what you sell.
Let’s turn 2026 into the year your packaging never falls behind.
WINTER (January–March): Set the Foundation and Plan Big Projects
Winter is prime planning season. Most brands underestimate how important Q1 is for successful packaging, but this is truly where the entire year is won.
1. Lock in your major design projects
January through March is the best time to begin any large design or branding updates for the kinds of projects that tend to stretch over weeks or months. This is the best time to:
Start full packaging redesigns
Update structural designs
Refresh branding, colors, or artwork
Plan new product or SKU launches
Design tends to take longer than people expect, especially if engineering, prototyping, or new substrates are involved. Starting now keeps things smooth.
2. Get ahead on upcoming seasons
Even though it’s still cold outside, winter is when you should be:
Finalizing Mother’s Day and Father’s Day packaging
Starting early sketches for summer product launches
Testing any specialty inks, finishes, or embossing you want for warmer months
If it’s happening in late spring or early summer, its packaging should be underway now.
3. Audit your supply chain and materials
Q1 is the perfect time to examine:
What packaging sizes caused freight inefficiencies last year?
Which materials were consistently out of stock or caused delays?
Could your 2026 packaging become more sustainable or more cost-effective?
Winter gives you the breathing room to evaluate and adjust before you place the year’s most important orders.
4. Place early orders for packaging with longer lead times
Especially things like:
Custom printed boxes
Rigid packaging
Custom molds
Specialty finishes
Imported materials
If it has more than a 10–12 week lead time, winter (or earlier, depending on launch time) is where it belongs.
SPRING (April–June): Execute Summer and Prep for the Busy Season Ahead
Think of spring as your execution and refinement period. Designs that began in winter should now be locking in, moving into sampling, and heading through final approvals.
1. Order your summer seasonal packaging
If you have warm-weather branding, limited-edition prints, or summer-themed bundles, spring is when those orders should be placed… not in June. Waiting too late almost always leads to tight timelines, limited options, and a lot of frustration.
2. Finalize any structural or material changes
This is a great time to test and approve things like:
New eco-friendly packaging options
Lighter-weight shipping materials
Updated mailers or envelopes
Better insert materials or upgraded printing
If you’ll need it for Q3 or Q4, spring is your window to test, tweak, and finalize.
3. Prep your packaging for mid-year marketing moments
Mid- to late-year marketing-related moments need to start being thought about in spring. Think:
July 4th
Summer pop-ups or events
Back-to-school launches
Early fall product releases
Designs for all of these should be completed in the spring so production can happen on time.
4. Start planning early for holidays (yes, really!)
By late May and June, holiday packaging should be:
Concepted
Outlined
And heading into design
It sounds early, but holiday timelines move fast, and waiting until summer often means rushed design or limited production options. Holiday printing always takes longer than brands expect, and starting in spring keeps everything smooth and stress-free.
SUMMER (July–September): Holiday Prep, Major Orders, and Last-Minute Tweaks
Summer is the make-or-break season for packaging. Miss these windows, and the holiday rush gets messy fast.
1. Place your holiday packaging orders
By July and August, holiday packaging should be fully designed, approved, and officially moving into production. This includes:
Holiday boxes
Seasonal mailers
Gift sets
Advent-style packaging
Specialty coatings or foils
Holiday labels, inserts, and stickers
Every year, we see brands wait until September, and they always struggle to get everything on time. Please don’t wait until September… it’s really not worth the stress.
2. Order your Black Friday/Cyber Monday accessories
The keyword here is accessories. Remember, the actual packaging should have already been ready to go in the spring. These can include:
Branded tape
Limited-edition stickers
Holiday-themed thank-you notes
Special tissue paper
Promo-code cards
These have shorter lead times, but summer is still the ideal time to get ahead of them.
3. Confirm fulfillment capacity and storage
Packaging takes up space, and you are about to get very busy during the holidays, so you need storage. Summer is when you should:
Book warehouse space
Coordinate delivery timelines
Plan out production waves
Update inventory counts
Holiday fulfillment gets chaotic quickly without this step.
4. Make last-minute design adjustments for fall
If you have fall releases, labels, or subscription box updates, summer is the last safe window to finalize. By September, the calendar becomes crowded, and lead times tighten across the entire industry.
FALL (October–December): Execute, Review, and Prepare for 2027
Fall is all about execution. With holiday sales kicking into full swing, brands rely heavily on the packaging decisions made earlier in the year. This is where all that planning makes your life easier… trust us.
1. Monitor packaging inventory closely
October and November are notorious for sudden order spikes, unexpected sell-through, and last-minute promotional changes.
This is the time to double-check levels of:
Boxes
Mailers
Tape
Inserts
Labels
If you need reorders, this is your last window before carriers get overloaded.
2. Switch to backup or generic solutions (as planned)
Fall is the season when brands often need:
Generic shipping boxes
Unbranded mailers
Lower-MOQ emergency orders
Planning these in advance prevents disruptions when holiday demand peaks.
3. Evaluate your packaging performance
Before the year ends, take note of:
What did customers love?
What caused issues?
Which materials or print methods worked well, and which caused bottlenecks?
How did your unboxing experience perform?
Where can you reduce cost or waste in 2027?
This becomes the foundation for your winter planning next year.
4. Start outlining your 2027 packaging goals
Finally, as December winds down, it’s helpful to outline your packaging goals for the upcoming year. Think high-level:
New product launches
Sustainability upgrades
Packaging redesigns
Seasonal expansions
Cost-saving initiatives
You don’t need to execute yet, just outline priorities before heading into the holidays. This way, you are prepared for the next year and not scrambling.
The Takeaway: Every Season Has Its Role, And Staying Ahead Wins Every Time
Every season plays a role in your packaging success. When you spread design, sampling, production, and ordering across the year, you avoid the rush fees, long lead times, and last-minute changes that create stress and weaken customer experience.
A thoughtful, seasonal packaging calendar helps you reduce costs, improve quality, and keep your brand consistent, no matter how busy your year becomes.
If you’re planning for 2026 and want help building your packaging timeline, designing seasonal packaging, or aligning production with your goals, we’re here to help make it seamless.
