Abstract: There is provided an overall system of packaging commodities such as garments or other like compressible articles in which the articles are initially conditioned to provide relatively low temperatures and relative humidity, following which the garments are enveloped with wrapping material, and subjected to a vacuum packaging operation. The system may include a transport system for transporting packaged commodities between the wrapping and vacuum packaging steps and stations. The vacuum packaging apparatus in which the apparatus functions to initially compress the central portion of the packaged commodity and progressively outwardly therefrom to provide improved packaging techniques to remove any entrapped air. The wrapping device may vertically envelops a commodity to be packaged. There is also provided a conditioning step and apparatus for conditioning the articles before packaging.