How Packaging Decisions Shape Retail Safety & Why It’s Time to Pay Attention

Retail has a reputation as a “safe” industry, but the data tells a different story. National labor statistics show that retail is the third most injury-prone industry in the U.S., nearly tied with manufacturing. And when stores get busy (especially during the holidays), injury rates jump 10–15%.

A big reason why? Packaging.

Corrugated boxes, overloaded carts, and cluttered backrooms create risks that multiply as soon as the pace picks up. What feels manageable at 10 a.m. on a Tuesday becomes unpredictable during a rush. A box that holds up fine when lifted slowly can split open when someone grabs it quickly. Cutters slip. Corners catch. Backrooms bottleneck. Stockroom aisles quickly become blocked with discarded cardboard that nobody has time to clear. Workers start taking shortcuts because they have no choice.

Retail isn’t just fast-paced. It’s variable, and corrugated / cardboard packaging is one of the first things to fail under pressure.

Federal data backs this up: containers are responsible for 6.9 injuries per 10,000 retail workers. And those injuries aren’t abstract. They’re sprains from awkward lifts, slips caused by cardboard scraps, cuts from rushed box-cutting, and loads that break at the worst possible moment.

There’s also an ergonomic angle retailers rarely acknowledge. In worker forums (especially among women and shorter associates), you’ll see the same complaints: carts stacked too high to see over, boxes sized for taller bodies, and tools that make an already physical job even harder. Packaging that ignores real-world ergonomics doesn’t just slow people down; it increases injury risk for certain groups more than others.

All of this matters because a single disabling injury costs employers around $44,000, not to mention the strain on already thin staffing and morale. But more importantly, most of these injuries are preventable. They’re symptoms of systems that weren’t designed for speed, variability, or the diversity of the people doing the work.

Reusable systems like The Last Box™ start to shift that reality. Handles make lifting safer. Predictable sizing makes stacks stable. Strong materials hold up under pressure. And eliminating corrugate clutter removes one of the biggest backroom hazards entirely.

As Mike Newman, CEO of Returnity, puts it, “When we reduce friction for associates, we reduce risk, and that’s the foundation of better retail operations.”

Packaging will never be the whole story of retail safety, but it’s a much larger chapter than most leaders realize. And as the industry moves faster and expectations rise, packaging built for real work becomes a meaningful lever for reducing risk and improving day-to-day operations.

Retail doesn’t need more band-aids and ibuprofen; it needs better systems. Packaging is one of the most powerful places to start.