When preparing for a move, the first instinct is often to grab boxes from the local supermarket. They are free, but rarely the right size, sometimes damp, and their durability is unpredictable. Moving boxes sold in stores offer a more reliable alternative, provided you choose a size that fits your belongings and a price that aligns with your budget.
FSC Certification and Gifi Boxes: A Detail Not Always Highlighted on the Label
Have you ever turned a box over to read what’s printed on it? On some paper and cardboard products sold at Gifi, a small logo appears: FSC or PEFC certification. This label guarantees that the raw material comes from responsibly managed forests.
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Since 2023, Gifi has displayed this certification on an increasing portion of its paper and cardboard ranges, including products sold under its own brand. For a move, this means that your packaging is not made from just any fiber. FSC Mix certified cardboard combines recycled fibers and fibers from controlled forests.
This point often goes unnoticed in online comparisons. When you buy Gifi moving boxes in bulk, you receive packaging with documented material traceability, which is not the case for a box retrieved behind a grocery store.
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Price per Box in Bulk: The Real Comparison with DIY Stores
The price displayed per unit tells only part of the story. Gifi sells its moving boxes in packs of several units, often in lots of ten or twenty mixing different sizes. This is where the price gap widens.
Purchased individually at a general DIY store (like Leroy Merlin or Castorama), a standard box costs significantly more than the same size sold in bulk at Gifi. The policy of permanent discounted prices practiced by the store since 2022-2023 reinforces this advantage for bulk purchases.
The trick is simple: a move rarely requires less than twenty boxes. Buying in bulk allows you to cover this need in one go, without making multiple trips to the store. Three points to check before buying:
- The number of boxes in the lot and the proposed dimensions (small for books, medium for dishes, large for linens)
- The weight of the cardboard, which determines its resistance to weight and moisture – double-walled cardboard supports heavier items than single-walled cardboard
- The presence of an integrated closure system or the need to buy tape as a supplement
Same Factory, Different Label
A rarely mentioned fact: boxes sold under private label by discount stores like Gifi and those offered by large DIY chains often come from the same import circuits. Therefore, the price difference does not reflect a difference in structural quality, but rather a margin strategy and commercial positioning.
In other words, paying more at a DIY store does not guarantee a sturdier box. The reliable criteria remain the weight and type of corrugation, not the brand that sells it.
Adapting Box Size to Items: The Method That Prevents Breakage
The common reflex is to take the largest boxes available to fit the maximum number of items. This is precisely what causes damage. A large box filled with books becomes untransportable. A small box stuffed with clothes wastes useful space.
Each type of item calls for a specific box size. The multi-size packs offered at Gifi meet this need: you receive several sizes in the same pack, which prevents you from forcing everything into a single size.
Heavy Items, Fragile Items: Two Opposing Logics
For heavy items (books, jars, tools), opt for small boxes. The weight remains manageable, and the bottom of the box does not give way. For bulky and lightweight items (duvets, pillows, clothes), large boxes are perfectly suitable.
Fragile items require special handling. A medium-sized box, lined with bubble wrap or crumpled newspaper, protects better than a large box where dishes can shift during transport. Here are the effective combinations:
- Small box (about 35 liters): books, canned goods, small appliances, shoes
- Medium box (about 55 liters): individually wrapped dishes, toys, decorative items, bathroom products
- Large box (about 95 liters): linens, duvets, folded clothes, stuffed animals, cushions
Stretch Film and Packing Accessories: What Gifi Offers as a Supplement
Boxes are not enough. Stretch film remains the best ally for stabilizing a stack of boxes in a van or car trunk. A few wraps of film around a group of boxes prevent slipping during transport.
Gifi also offers tape, bubble wrap, and markers, grouped in the same aisle as the boxes. This proximity in-store allows you to create a complete kit in one visit, without running from one aisle to another or ordering online with delivery delays.
A often overlooked tip: label each box on two sides (the top and one side visible once stacked). At the time of unloading, you will immediately know which box goes to which room without having to open everything.
Sorting before the move is just as important as the quality of the boxes. Take advantage of the packing process to separate what you keep from what you give away or throw away. A move with fewer belongings means fewer boxes to buy, less weight to transport, and less time spent unpacking in the new home.