Universal AIR|SHIELD™ Packaging for Kitchen Doors
One of the UK’s leading manufacturers bespoke and mass-market kitchen doors, supplying retail, trade, and direct-to-consumer channels. With over 115 unique door SKUs across various finishes—gloss, matte, and solid wood—the client serves showrooms and installers nationwide
The Challenge
With over 100 door variants and daily deliveries to kitchen showrooms and installers nationwide, the client faced the following challenges:
- High SKU Complexity: Wide range of door dimensions and material, requiring adaptable packaging, SKU consolidation and reducing packaging pack out.
- Fragile Finishes: Gloss and painted doors were particularly prone to scuffs, corner cracks, and scratches during handling and transport - including damage to ‘J-pull’ handle designs.
- Storage and Packing Complexity: Maintaining unique packaging SKUs for each door type was inefficient and costly
- Improving Pack Out: Current solutions require ‘guess work’ from packer using multiple SKU’s and inefficient packaging practices
Our Solution
GAIA developed a streamlined solution using just three universal AIR|SHIELD™ packaging SKUs, engineered to cover the full product range. Each pack uses inflatable edge and surface cushions that conform to the door’s shape, cradling it securely inside a standardised outer carton.
- Modular: 3 AIR|SHIELD™ variants effectively protect 115+ door SKUs.
- Durable: Engineered to absorb shocks and safeguards fragile finishes through every touchpoint of the supply chain, including final-mile, 2-person delivery.
- Quick auto-inflation and standardised packaging SKU’s reduces pack-out time and eliminates the need for excessive fillers or foam.
- Storage-efficient: Inflatable packaging is shipped and stored flat, freeing up to 90% of warehouse space.
- Sustainable: AIR|SHIELD™ is constructed from 50% PCW material and recyclable. Outer cartons are fully recyclable and FSC-certified.
Results
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
Number of Door SKU's Packed | 115+ |
Years In Use | 8 |
Recorded Transit Damage | <0.2% |
Warehouse Space Saved | ~75% Reduction vs Foam Stock |
Training Time | <30 mins for new packers |
Results & Impact
The AIR|SHIELD™ universal solution is a proven performer in the kitchen door packaging sector, enabling a streamlined, damage-resistant, and scalable system across high-mix, high-volume operations. This case underscores the power of design-led, adaptable protective packaging.
"… AIR|SHIELD™ packaging has been an absolute game-changer. We no longer deal with constant packaging headaches or damaged doors in transit. The simplicity, reliability, and low damage rates speak for themselves — it's the only solution we trust for nationwide kitchen door delivery."
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