Revealed: the nation’s favourite cardboard boxes
It’s no secret that the packaging industry is currently questioning the future of cardboard boxes. Actions in Russia could lead to packaging shortages while demand for folding carton boxes may outstrip supply as retailers make the swap from plastic packaging. All this means it’s more important than ever to have your finger on the pulse of the cardboard packaging market so you can make data-driven business decisions. Packaging retailers RAJA used Google Search Trends and SEMRush keyword research to discover what types of cardboard boxes people in the UK are most interested in, and when.
It’s no secret that the packaging industry is currently questioning the future of cardboard boxes. Actions in Russia could lead to packaging shortages while demand for folding carton boxes may outstrip supply as retailers make the swap from plastic packaging. All this means it’s more important than ever to have your finger on the pulse of the cardboard packaging market so you can make data-driven business decisions. Packaging retailers RAJA used Google Search Trends and SEMRush keyword research to discover what types of cardboard boxes people in the UK are most interested in, and when.
The most popular cardboard box searches are around proximity, size and purpose
RAJA found that UK consumers are most likely to search for keywords about cardboard boxes that include the words “cardboard boxes near me”, “cardboard storage boxes” and “large cardboard boxes”. Searches for “small cardboard boxes” follow closely behind. Despite renewed interest in sustainability, recycling appears less frequently (starting with 260 searches). The top ten individual searches using the phrase “cardboard box” include:
- cardboard boxes (27,100 searches)
- cardboard box (6,600)
- cardboard boxes near me (2,900)
- cardboard storage boxes (2,900)
- large cardboard boxes (2,900)
- cardboard box near me (1,600)
- small cardboard boxes (1,600)
- smallest cardboard box (1,600)
- buy cardboard boxes (1,300)
- cardboard gift boxes (1,300)
The most popular types of cardboard boxes tend to be lidded, large and for storage
The research also combined all similar individual searches to find the most popular types of cardboard boxes. Top searches include “lidded cardboard boxes”, “large cardboard boxes” and “cardboard storage boxes”. Less frequent searches include “brown cardboard boxes” (910 searches) and “transparent cardboard boxes” (500 searches). Below is a list of the most popular types of cardboard boxes based on cumulative search volume.
- Cardboard storage boxes (17,420 cumulative searches)
- Lidded cardboard boxes or cardboard boxes with lids (12,540)
- Large cardboard boxes (12,160)
- Cardboard boxes for moving (9,810)
- Small cardboard boxes (8,940)
- Cardboard gift boxes (7,710)
- Cardboard postal boxes or cardboard boxes for posting (4,460)
- Double wall or double walled cardboard boxes (3,230)
- Cardboard boxes for packing (2,920)
- Cardboard shoe boxes (2,860)
What are the most popular types of boxes for different purposes?
When broken down by specific purposes such as moving, gifting and packing, the keyword research reveals that consumers tend to be specific in their use of search. Below is a list of the most popular types of cardboard boxes based on cumulative search volume.
| Purpose | Keyword | Search volume |
| Moving | cardboard wardrobe boxes for moving
large cardboard boxes for moving heavy duty cardboard boxes for moving |
480
260 90 40 40 |
| Gifting | brown cardboard gift boxes
cardboard gift boxes with lids small cardboard gift boxes large cardboard gift boxes cardboard magnetic closure gift box |
480
320 320 110 90 |
| Posting | post office cardboard boxes
cardboard wedding post box small cardboard boxes for posting black cardboard postal boxes large cardboard boxes for posting |
480
90 90 50 40 |
| Packing | cardboard box packing machine
cardboard packing boxes for moving house strong cardboard packing boxes best packing tape for cardboard boxes extra large cardboard packing boxes |
90
90 90 70 30 |
| Cake/Food | cardboard cake boxes
cardboard food boxes cardboard cupcake boxes small cardboard food boxes cardboard food boxes with window |
880
720 140 140 110 |
Searches for “cardboard boxes” surge in November, with other peaks for specific items
A deep dive into Google Search Trends finds that November tends to be when UK consumers search for cardboard box related terms. There are peaks in September and October for searches such as “storage cardboard boxes”, “packing cardboard boxes”, “cardboard box printing” and “brown cardboard boxes” and in August for searches such as “buy cardboard boxes” and “lidded cardboard boxes” or “cardboard boxes with lids”. Based on a five-year period between 30 April 2017 and 26 April 2022, the following is when top keyword terms are most searched in the UK:
- cardboard boxes (searches peak in November)
- large cardboard boxes (December)
- storage cardboard boxes (September/October)
- small cardboard boxes (November)
- buy cardboard boxes (August/November)
- gift cardboard boxes/cardboard boxes for gifts (November)
- cardboard boxes with lids (August)
- moving cardboard boxes (May/June)
- double walled cardboard boxes (May/June)
- cake cardboard boxes (January/June)
“Majority of our enquiries we receive these days link to eco-friendly packaging or a solution to speed up their production while keeping it cost effective. Adding commitments such as sustainability and keeping costs low for consumers can all play a part in making this side of a business more complicated. Here at RAJA, we do what we can to support businesses grow and adjust ourselves in line with our customers to fulfil their requirements,” said Tom Smith, national commercial manager & CRC sales at RAJA UK