Nelsons for Cartons and Packaging

What Nelsons for Cartons and Packaging does

Nelsons for Cartons and Packaging is a Leicester-based packaging distributor founded in 1983 and operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Macfarlane Packaging (part of Macfarlane Group UK Ltd) following its 2016 acquisition. The company specializes in bespoke retail, display, and food-grade corrugated packaging, with a particular focus on shelf-ready solutions for the East Midlands region — specifically the LE postcode area on the east side of Leicestershire. Prior to acquisition it was one of the Midlands' leading independent packaging companies, and it continues to operate as the 'Macfarlane Packaging Nelsons' location within the parent's national distribution network.

The product portfolio spans the full Macfarlane packaging catalog, including single and double wall cardboard boxes, postal and eCommerce boxes, bottle and pallet boxes, BDCM-compliant boxes, and removal/archive/gift boxes. Protective packaging covers bubble wrap (including anti-static variants), Airsac® inflatable air cushions for wine, electronics, jars, bottles, and frames, foam packaging including Instapack expandable foam, edge/corner/surface protection, kraft paper rolls, and wood wool/vermiculite loose fill. The range further extends to packing tapes (PVC, polypropylene, paper, gummed, coloured, printed, tamper-evident), postal packaging (envelopes, tubes, document wallets), bags (grip seal, polythene, paper, carrier), strapping (polypropylene, polyester, steel), chilled packaging, pack room equipment, pallets, and sector-specific packaging for aerospace, automotive, engineering, export, instrumentation, and medical sectors.

The business model combines transactional e-commerce sales via the parent's macfarlanepackaging.com storefront (with free delivery on orders over £125) and telephone-based inside sales for bespoke and shelf-ready packaging projects, which are priced per quote. Operating hours are Monday-Friday 08:00-16:00 from Unit B, Britannia Way, Leicester. The company carries no proprietary technology or software product; it functions as a physical-goods distributor within the parent group's UK packaging supply chain. Headcount is reported at 1-10 employees, and no standalone revenue, patents, certifications, or awards are disclosed.

Name

Nelsons for Cartons and Packaging

Legal name

Nelsons for Cartons & Packaging

Website

https://nelsonsforcartons.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Nelsons for Cartons and Packaging is a Leicester-based packaging distributor and subsidiary of Macfarlane Packaging, supplying bespoke retail, display, food-grade corrugated, and shelf-ready packaging to businesses across the East Midlands LE postcode area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Packaging Distribution

NAICS

Paper and Paper Product Merchant Wholesalers (4241)

SIC

Wholesale-Paper & Paper Products (5110)

akta.pro primary industry

Corrugated Packaging & Boxes (RSC, die-cut, bulk bins) (IMAMAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Folding Cartons & Paperboard Packaging Converting (IMAMAHAB)

Keywords

• Corrugated packaging
• Cardboard boxes
• Protective packaging
• Shelf-ready packaging
• Packaging distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Leicester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Nelsons for Cartons and Packaging is a Leicester-based packaging distributor supplying a full range of packaging products to businesses. Its core offer is bespoke retail, display and food-grade corrugated packaging, with specialist expertise in shelf-ready packaging formats. It also provides a broad secondary catalogue covering cardboard boxes, packing tape, protective packaging, postal packaging, bags, strapping, chilled packaging, and sector-specific industrial packaging solutions.

Product overview

Nelsons for Cartons & Packaging, acquired by Macfarlane Packaging in 2016, is a packaging supplier specializing in bespoke retail, display, and food corrugated packaging. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of packaging products across multiple categories including cardboard boxes (single wall, double wall, postal, eCommerce, bottle, pallet, archive, BDCM, removal, and gift boxes), packing tapes (PVC, polypropylene, paper-based, colored, printed, and tamper-evident variants), protective packaging (bubble wrap, Airsac® inflatable cushions, foam, edge protection, kraft paper), postal packaging (wraps, envelopes, tubes, document wallets), bags (grip seal, polythene, paper, carrier), strapping (polypropylene, polyester, steel), chilled packaging solutions, and specialist industrial packaging. The product portfolio also includes retail and gift packaging, pack room equipment, pallets, and sector-specific solutions for aerospace, automotive, engineering, export, instrumentation, and medical industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corrugated Cardboard Boxes Bespoke and standard corrugated cardboard boxes including single wall and double wall constructions, postal boxes, eCommerce boxes, bottle packaging, pallet boxes, archive boxes, BDCM (British Display and Distribution Centre) boxes, removal boxes, and gift boxes. Supplied to retail, food, and industrial customers requiring storage and transit packaging.
• Packing Tape Range of packing tapes for carton sealing, including premium PVC tape, polypropylene tape, self-adhesive paper tape, gummed (water-activated) paper tape, coloured tape, custom printed tape, tamper-evident tape, reinforced tape, and double-sided tape, plus tape dispensers.
• Bubble Wrap and Bubble-Based Protective Packaging Bubble wrap rolls, bubble wrap bags, anti-static bubble wrap, BubbleGuard rigid protective sheeting, and BubbleMask surface masking film for cushioning fragile items during storage and transit, including ESD-sensitive electronic components.
• Airsac® Inflatable Air Cushion Packaging Airsac® inflatable air cushion packaging system with variants for wine and beer, electronics (PC/laptop, tablet, mobile phone, TV/monitor), jars/bottles/tins (including paint tins, heat seal, jars, bottles), and frames/mirrors, plus Airsac® on a roll and pumps/compressors.
• Postal Packaging Postal packaging including postal boxes, eCommerce boxes, postal and book wraps, bubble envelopes, padded envelopes, mailing bags, postal tubes, document wallets, labels, and rigid cardboard envelopes for mailing flat, fragile, or rolled items.
• Protective and Foam Packaging Foam-based and paper-based protective packaging including packing chips and loose fill, foam wrap rolls, Instapack expandable on-site foam, edge/corner/surface protection (cardboard, foam, plastic edge protectors, L strips, mesh sleeves), kraft paper rolls, paper sheets/newspaper offcuts, waxed kraft paper rolls, air cushioning, and wood wool/vermiculite loose fill. Also includes custom foam conversion services for bespoke protective packaging.
• Bags Reclosable and single-use packaging bags including grip seal bags, polythene bags in various sizes, eco-friendly paper bags, and retail carrier bags for customer purchases.
• Strapping and Wrapping Solutions Load-securing products including machine applied and hand applied stretch/pallet wrap, layflat tubing, shrink wrap, and polypropylene, polyester, and steel strapping for securing boxes, pallets, and heavy loads.
• Chilled Packaging Temperature-controlled packaging solutions including thermal liners and coolants for shipping chilled goods.
• Shelf-Ready Packaging Bespoke retail-ready packaging designed for direct shelf placement, allowing products to move from transit case to retail shelf without repacking. Cited as a core specialism of Nelsons for Cartons.
• Heavy Duty and Timber Shipping Solutions Industrial-grade shipping packaging including heavy duty corrugated packaging, custom timber crates and wooden boxes, rigid protective cases for valuable/sensitive equipment, large transit containers for oversized items, pallets, and Correx corrugated plastic sheet material for reusable packaging applications.
• Anti-Static (ESD) Packaging ESD-safe packaging materials including anti-static bubble wrap rolls and bags and anti-corrosion (VCI) kraft paper for protecting electronic components and metal items during storage and transit.
• Sector-Specific Packaging Specialized packaging solutions tailored for Aerospace, Automotive, Engineering, Export, Instrumentation, and Medical sectors, drawing on the broader product catalogue (heavy duty corrugated, timber, foam conversion, anti-static, protective cases) to address sector-specific transit and storage requirements.
• Retail and Gift Packaging Decorative and premium retail packaging including gift boxes and jewellery boxes, premium gift bags and luxury retail bags, luxury wooden and timber boxes, ribbons, bows, embellishment accessories, tissue paper, and gift boxes for presentation.
• Pack Room Equipment Equipment and tools for packing operations including knives, cutters, shelving, glue guns, and packing stations.
• Ranpak Paper Systems Mechanical paper void fill and cushioning systems from the Ranpak brand for high-volume paper-based protective packaging.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Macfarlane PackagingcoreOthersNelsons for Cartons was acquired by Macfarlane Packaging in 2016. Operates as Macfarlane Packaging Nelsons location. Part of the larger Macfarlane Group UK Ltd network offering comprehensive packaging solutions and services including warehousing, logistics, and European packaging distribution.

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Swiftpak: UK-based packaging distributor offering cardboard, protective, postal and bespoke packaging to businesses. Comparable product breadth, SME focus and online-plus-telephone distribution model.
• Kite Packaging: UK-based packaging distributor supplying cardboard boxes, protective packaging, tapes and postal packaging to businesses. Directly comparable product range, target customer (SMB to mid-market) and distribution model to Nelsons/Macfarlane.
• Davpack: UK packaging supplier specialising in cardboard boxes, postal packaging, and protective materials for SMBs. Direct overlap with Nelsons on product categories, customer profile and online/telephone sales motion.
• Rajapack: One of Europe's largest B2B packaging distributors with a deep UK catalogue of cardboard, postal, protective and warehouse packaging. Closely aligned omni-channel distributor model and SME customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Mondi: Global packaging and paper group with corrugated and kraft paper operations serving UK and European customers. Adjacent incumbent with overlapping customer set in e-commerce, food and industrial packaging.
• DS Smith: Major international corrugated packaging manufacturer with significant UK operations. Competes with Nelsons/Macfarlane for retail-ready and display packaging business and supplies into many of the same end-markets.
• Smurfit Kappa: Global paper-based packaging manufacturer and distributor with strong UK corrugated footprint. Operates upstream of Nelsons but competes for the same shelf-ready and corrugated accounts at scale.
• Antalis: European packaging and paper distributor operating in the UK with a broad product range including corrugated, protective and paper-based packaging. Larger incumbent competing for similar B2B accounts.

Emerging players

• Viking (Office Depot Europe): UK catalogue/online distributor selling packaging, warehouse and office supplies to SMBs. Overlaps with Nelsons on tapes, postal and protective packaging, particularly for small business buyers.
• Packaging Express: Smaller UK online packaging specialist focused on cardboard boxes, postal packaging and limited protective lines. A niche online competitor targeting the same SMB e-commerce shipper segment as Nelsons/Macfarlane.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/MacfarlanePKG
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MacfarlanePackaging
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Macfarlane-Packaging/193587354004986
• Instagraminstagram.com/macfarlanepkg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nelsons for Cartons and Packaging