How do I prepare a packing list for a 60-SKU wholesale order to a retailer?
Enter all sixty items in the items table, which takes up to 200, and start each description with the SKU exactly as it appears in the buyer's system. A long list runs over several pages with the table header repeated on each one and the totals at the end. Send the priced invoice as a separate document.
What a retailer's receiving team actually needs
When sixty items land at a large store's warehouse, nobody reads each description in full. The receiver looks for the code that matches their purchase order, counts, and ticks. So the order of words in each line matters more than nice wording: the code first, then a short name, then size or colour.
- A description that helps: 'SKU 40218, white ceramic mug 350 ml'.
- A description that slows receiving: 'Lovely mug for coffee and tea, white, ceramic, code 40218'.
The description field takes up to 200 characters, so there is no need to abbreviate hard, but put what the receiver searches for at the start.
Example: 60 items in carton quantities
We entered sixty lines in the Packing-list generator, each at 24 pcs, a carton quantity used here purely as an example. The summary showed 60 item lines and a total quantity of 1,440 pcs. That is the figure the buyer compares with the total on their purchase order; if the two differ, both sides know straight away that a line is missing or extra.
After you press 'Create PDF', the tool tells you the page count before you download. A 60-item document across several pages was tested, and the table header repeats at the top of every page, so whoever reads page three does not have to flip back to find the quantity column. Each page also carries a page number such as '2 / 3' at the bottom.
Tips for long lists
- Keep the lines in the same order as the buyer's purchase order, so the receiver can run down both sheets together.
- Or order them by carton number if the buyer receives carton by carton.
- Type the unit identically on every line, so you get one total rather than several.
- Check the item-line count in the summary against the number of lines on the purchase order before printing.
What the tool does not do
There is no file import in this tool: items are typed into the table one line at a time, and each press of 'Add item' adds a line, up to 200. Nothing is saved after you close the page, so finish the list and download the file in one sitting. A packing list carries no prices either; the amounts belong on a separate invoice made with the Basic invoice generator, and the buyer may want both documents.
Common questions
What happens at item 201?
The add button stops at 200 items and a note shows the limit. Split the order into two shipments with different references.
Can I paste all the items from Excel at once?
No, each field is typed or pasted on its own. For very long orders it helps to prepare the descriptions in a text file and copy them across one by one.