A quarter inch can cost you a shipping container.
Pallets and containers fill up in steps. A slightly shallower box can save you money by decreasing the number of pallets and containers needed without compromising the shelf presence of the game box.
Case studies.
For board game publishers: common game box sizes, run through TetraLoad's planner, and what a slightly shallower box saves.
Half an inch of air, on the hobby's most common box.
22% of hobby games ship in an 11.73 in square box, 2.91 in deep. If the insert leaves room, the same box at 2.41 in keeps its front on the shelf and saves at every step after the factory.