Bulky packaging is undesirable for several reasons. It costs more to manufacture and more to ship, and also produces more waste. However, there’s another factor that’s often overlooked: a bulkier package means that customers can’t carry or store as much of that item as they might like.

For instance, there are two pizzas that I always buy at the store. One comes in a very slim box, and the other is packed in a thicker box that’s nearly twice the volume. With my limited bag space in the store and non-infinite freezer space at home, I end up having to buy proportionately more of the pizza that comes in the thinner box. That’s too bad, since all else equal, I would rather split the purchases equally between the two options.

More generally, an overly bulky package forces customers to compromise. They’ll either buy less of the bulky product, or take home a smaller number of items to make room for the bulky one if they really can’t live without it. All else equal, it pays to find a way to slim down your packaging, since a desirable product with a space-efficient box should outperform its bulky counterparts on a regular basis.