Product packaging&#;everything from garment hang tags to mailer boxes&#;serves a number of functions, such as identifying product details and providing protection during shipping. It&#;s also one of the most overlooked marketing opportunities for online brands.
By , nearly 23% of consumer purchases are expected to happen online. This growth has coincided with an increased focus on improving the packing and shipping processes to recreate the personal touch of in-store shopping.
While most packaging is designed to protect or identify your products, taking a purely functional approach means you might be missing out on its full potential. Ahead, learn how to use customized packaging to deliver your products safely while creating a positive experience.
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Get started with Shopify ShippingProduct packaging refers to the physical materials that house your product. Its main function is to protect products, and can contain usage information, help your product stand up on a retail display, and maintain its contents&#; shelf life. But it&#;s also a company&#;s chance to delight customers and build brand loyalty through a memorable branded experience.
Product packaging for ecommerce includes both the product packaging itself (say, the glass bottle that contains body cream or hang tag on a sweater) and the outer packaging (box and tissue) that gets that product to its final destination. Both of these types of retail packaging can be branded and customized to deliver impact.
A holistic branded packaging experience is a set of thoughtful design choices and selection of shipping and packing materials. Its purpose is to provide additional value for your customer and your business by way of creating a positive first impression of your brand identity&#;ideally, one that&#;s memorable and shareable.
Product packaging design refers to the phase of brand identity design where you apply logos, branded graphics, and copy to product and shipping packaging. In some cases it refers to designing custom packages from scratch for your unique product. Packaging design applies to any primary packaging that comes into contact with your product (like blister packs) and secondary packaging for shipping purposes.
The product packaging design process often involves working with standard size templates from a digital printing company. You can use a tool like Adobe Illustrator to design your product&#;s packaging or outsource to a professional designer.
Online stores have fewer direct touchpoints to deliver delight compared with physical retail. While there are many advantages to ecommerce for both seller and buyer, the tradeoff is a lack of direct connection between them. When ecommerce shoppers interact with your package after delivery, it&#;s your first chance to make an impression through a direct touchpoint.
Product packaging can become an extension of your brand. The choices you make can reflect your brand voice, aesthetic, and even values. For example, Seed, a direct-to-consumer retailer selling probiotic supplements, uses simple branded packaging made from biodegradable sachets and paper foam inserts. This reinforces Seed&#;s brand values and increases customer satisfaction among its target audience of eco-conscious buyers.
Seed uses eco-friendly custom product boxes for its product packaging. SeedA great experience is worth sharing. If you deliver a delightful experience from the first website interaction to the moment your customer opens their package, they&#;ll be more inclined to share it. User-generated content and word-of-mouth marketing are both valuable forms of organic marketing that can benefit brands.
A positive unboxing experience can also increase customer loyalty and affinity with your brand. Building a long-term brand means bringing customers back time and time again. Investing in retention can move you off of the acquisition treadmill, giving you more time and money to improve your brand experience for your biggest fans.
Demand for sustainable options has meant that companies are popping up everywhere to meet it. It&#;s easier than ever to walk the walk and truly be a sustainable brand, from manufacturing all the way to shipping.
When Hero Packaging ran Google Ads for its biodegradable shipping supplies, the response was overwhelming. &#;In a week, we got a thousand people signing up [for a free sample], and that was the first sign where we said, &#;People are really interested in this,&#;&#; says co-founder Anaita Sakar.
Product packaging refers to both the packaging in direct contact with the product and the packaging used for shipping. Both types can be customized through a digital printing company that specializes in custom packaging. Before you dive into packaging design, let&#;s look at the different types of packaging you can customize.
Product packaging that is in direct contact with your product is called primary packaging. This refers to the packaging of the product itself, before it&#;s placed in a shipping box with added materials. Examples of primary packaging include:
Before you can ship your products, you&#;ll need to package them for safe transport. Most products will require some type of box or envelope to protect the order for safe transport, as well as a cushioning material.
Cardboard boxes are the most common type of product packaging used by online retailers. They&#;re sturdy, don&#;t add a ton of weight to packages, and can be recycled. Double-walled corrugated boxes can provide extra strength and durability for heavier weight items. Many cardboard boxes are also made from recycled components for a sustainability factor.
These packages are best for shipping smaller, flat, or delicate items such as jewelry, handcrafted goods, or books. Many of these mailers are made from a polyethylene and contain a cushioned or &#;bubble&#; insert. In recent years, more companies have switched to eco-friendly versions made from biodegradable materials or paper.
Unpadded polyethylene mailers, Tyvek envelopes, or sustainable alternatives are great solutions for soft items that don&#;t require impact protection&#;a perfect packaging solution for apparel companies. Bags and poly envelopes are inexpensive, lightweight, strong, and self-sealing, adding efficiency to your shipping process.
Tertiary packaging is the outermost layer of packaging and is used for shipping and distributing products. It protects products from damage during transit. A corrugated cardboard shipping box containing multiple units of a product is an example.
All packaging types described above can be customized with your branding and to your product&#;s specifications. For specific primary packaging, you may need to work with a manufacturer to design and produce your packaging from scratch. But many standard shipping products can be customized using a company like Hero Packaging or Better Packaging Co.
There are many options for printing and customizing everything from tissue and gift wrap to jewelry boxes and shipping envelopes. Branded outer packaging makes an impression the second it lands on your customer&#;s door stop.
Decide which small business packaging options deliver the best experience and most value for you and your customers. Strategically investing in a few of these product packaging supplies can go a long way to creating an unboxing experience that cements your brand&#;s identity in the minds of customers.
The most significant element to consider is your ecommerce shipping container. Depending on your product, this might be a box, bag, or poly mailer. White and brown corrugated packaging options once ruled as the sole option because they&#;re cheap, sturdy, and get the job done, but they may not create the first impression you&#;re looking for&#;or be the right fit for your product.
Do you own a sustainable company? You can opt for biodegradable packaging alternatives made from compressed coconut fibers or compostable mailers made from corn rather than plastic.
Wrapping your products in tissue paper adds an extra level of luxury, creating anticipation during the unboxing experience. It can also provide protection for delicate items. Custom-printed tissue is another opportunity to add your brand aesthetic to the experience.
Traditional filler includes Styrofoam packing peanuts, foam inserts, air pillows, and bubble wrap. Many brands are meeting customer demand for sustainability and opting for eco-friendly alternatives like recycled crinkle paper (colored or brown), excelsior (wood fibers), and biodegradable packing peanuts made from wheat or cornstarch. The type you choose depends on your product and brand values (i.e., sustainability).
Using stickers on a plain box or bag is a versatile and fairly inexpensive alternative to creating custom packaging. A branded sticker can seal tissue paper or brand the outside of your packaging. You may also want to include a few extra stickers in the package as a way to thank your customers for their purchase.
Business cards or postcards can be added to packaging to tell customers more about your brand, thank them for their purchase, and even offer a discount on a future purchase. Use QR codes to link customers to a special landing page that you can update more easily than a printed card. You can also send other types of packaging inserts such as newsletters or a branded magazine. This unique packaging idea serves as reading material that deepens the brand&#;s relationship with customers.
It&#;s standard to include a receipt or packing slip in your package, but many businesses don&#;t use this as a branding or marketing opportunity. Add your logo and on-brand messaging. Then, place the receipt and packing slip in the package at a point that makes sense&#;not at the top of the box where you want to make the biggest splash.
&#; Tip: When you print a packing slip on Shopify, you can customize its contents and product packaging design by adding or removing elements like your logo or product images. You might also consider including a coupon code on your packing slip to encourage repeat purchases.
Though handwritten notes may be tricky to scale, new businesses are fighting to earn every customer. Connecting through a personal note can show customers there are real people powering your brand.
If you sell products that require assembly or instructions for set up and use, add educational materials to your packaging. Sharing educational materials like usage instructions shows that you care about their experience, builds trust, and ensures that customers have a positive initial experience with your product.
Like stickers, branded packing tape can be added to a plain box at a lower cost than customizing the whole box. It comes in a variety of colorful options off the shelf, too.
To improve customer experience during the holidays and seasonal events, consider limited edition packaging design that maintains your recognizable brand identity with a festive flair. For more tips, check out this holiday shipping guide to survive and profit during the seasonal rush.
Surprise customers with a free sample or gift with purchase inside the packaging. This tactic can help you cross-sell by introducing a customer to new products. Choose an item your customer is likely to be interested in to encourage them to purchase the full size at a later date.
A downside to a custom-branded packaging experience can be the associated cost. You&#;ll need to decide based on your average order size and profit margins what options are financially feasible, along with which present the greatest value to your business and customers.
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Unbranded packaging is the cheapest solution with many options available off the shelf in a number of quantities and colors. If you go this route, you can always add inexpensive customization with branded tape or stickers. Custom stickers can cost between 10¢ and $2 each, depending on order quantity and size.
Custom boxes and mailers tend to be the most expensive solution.
To create your own custom printed boxes, you may be looking at a minimum order of 250 and a cost of $2 to $25 per box. Some printing companies have no minimums&#;but you&#;ll pay for it. For example, Packlane will print 15 standard boxes for around $6 each, but if you order 10,000, your cost per unit drops to just over $2 each. On top of that, consider that ecommerce boxes will add more total weight to your shipment than a poly mailer.
Poly mailers will average 40¢ to $3 per printed mailer, depending on your order size and material&#;but you can order as few as 25 at a time with some suppliers (at a cost). Remember that the weight of this solution is low and will keep your shipping rates lower, too.
To improve your ecommerce packaging design, we&#;ve highlighted some creative ideas for shipping you can borrow from these best-in-class online businesses.
Caraway Home is a direct-to-consumer retailer that sells non-toxic ceramic cookware in unexpected colorways. To convey its values, the brand uses recycled materials with zero-plastic bags, low-impact print dyes, and biodegradable or recyclable inserts to package and ship goods.
Caraway also includes a welcome booklet with orders, made from recycled paper, along with messages printed directly on the packaging that improve the unboxing experience.
Overall, what stands out about Caraway&#;s ecommerce packaging is how organized and true to its brand aesthetic it is. Because this is a premium product (with a premium cost) little touches like this go a long way to assuring the customer they&#;ve made a smart purchase.
Otherland is a brand known for its beautifully packaged and fragranced candles. Otherland&#;s founder, Abigail Cook Stone, is a former art buyer for Ralph Lauren stores and therefore understands the importance of aesthetics at every stage of a customer&#;s interaction with a brand.
Whether a customer purchases a limited edition seasonal product or items from the core collection, the experience is familiar and consistent with pops of color and beautiful branding.
Allbirds is an ecommerce brand selling shoes made from sustainable materials, like tree fiber and sugar cane. This commitment to the planet extends to packaging that&#;s recycled and printed with soy inks.
Clever details in Allbirds packaging reflect the brand&#;s personality and focus on creating a seamless experience from the moment the package arrives. It&#;s playful and functional&#;just like the Allbirds brand.
Wild is a pioneer in personal care, tackling one of the biggest issues in the category: plastic waste. The brand solved this problem with product packaging. The packaging design process is at the heart of brand identity for Wild, as it serves as the brand&#;s unique selling proposition.
&#;Everything from shampoo, conditioner, shower gel through to toothpaste and deodorant, people&#;s bathrooms are absolutely packed full of plastic,&#; says co-founder Charlie Bowes-Lyon. &#;Not only did we want to reduce that problem, but we felt we could remove plastic and single-use materials completely.&#;
Clever packaging means that customers buy a reusable applicator once, and refill with a product that uses much less waste than conventional deodorant. The refill packaging is made from a compostable bamboo pulp.
Notice Hair Co. sells sustainable products for your hair, body, and home, with a mission to get as close to zero-waste as possible. It goes against the grain to offer packaging that is minimal and compostable to align with its values. The brand&#;s signature conditioner and shampoo bars also come wrapped in compostable paper, so there&#;s virtually no waste.
The brand continues to seek out fulfillment centers that commit to its zero-waste and no-plastic policies to lower the brand&#;s carbon footprint.
High quality packaging that reflects your brand&#;s voice and values can give you the competitive edge to not only generate repeat customers but also attract new ones.
Consider the customer&#;s experience from the first visit to your website to the moment their purchase lands on their doorstep. A thoughtful packaging strategy can create a memorable impression that turns one-time buyers into lifelong brand advocates.
Feature illustration by Gracia Lam
Additional research by Thea Earl
Replacing a damaged product can cost an e-commerce business up to 17 times more than the original cost of shipping it. Ensuring your product arrives safely in the hands of your end-user is the number one job of your packaging. In addition to the outer box, the interior void fill that you select has a significant impact on providing adequate protection for each shipment.
Void fill is the collective name given to the family of materials used to fill any empty space between the walls of your shipping box and its contents, preventing your product from moving around too much on its journey from warehouse to customer.
For e-commerce packaging, void areas should be minimized in the packaging design. Right-sizing your packaging ensures your product is protected while shipping costs are minimized. Typically, even the most efficient packaging designs will require some type of void fill or blocking and bracing solution to keep your products safe and your customers happy.
There are many material choices when it comes to void fill. Similar to choosing the right style of exterior packaging for your product, choosing the right void fill depends on your product, pack-out strategy, and the experience you want to deliver to your end user.
Air pillows are a common one-solution-fits-most void fill choice for companies sending a high volume of brown box shipments or shipping multiple size combinations of boxes and products, such as Amazon. The pillows can be purchased pre-filled with air, blown up manually, or most commonly are filled with air as they are packed by specialty equipment.
Air pillows are fast and simple and provide a decent amount of cushion. However, they don&#;t provide a great end-user experience as they must be punctured and disposed of. Because they are made with plastic film, air pillows are typically not curbside recyclable and most often must be dropped off at a collection facility to be recycled.
Traditional packing peanuts are polystyrene-based and have become a pariah to many consumers as they are not eco-friendly and can be a nuisance to dispose of. Biodegradable packing peanuts made from non toxic materials like wheat and cornstarch are quickly being adopted where this type of void fill is still in use. These peanuts can be dissolved in tap water and safely composted. However, many consumers may not be aware of this.
Regardless of the type of peanut used, consider the customer experience when it comes to this protective product. Packing peanuts can be a challenge for your end user to dispose of because they are small, lightweight, and difficult to corral into the proper disposal bin.
Bubble wrapping can be purchased in sheets, rolls, or in pouch form and comes in a variety of bubble sizes, film thickness, and bubble styles. Some manufacturers offer bubble wrapping made with recycled materials.
Similar to air pillows, bubble wrapping is an easy way to add an effective amount of cushion to protect your product in transit. As its name suggests, bubble can be wrapped more effectively around your product and affixed with tape to hold it in place during shipping. Bubble-wrapped products can also be stacked and handled more easily during the product fulfillment process without risking significant damage from directly handling fragile products such as electronics or glass.
Kraft packing paper is a very common void fill choice used by companies fulfilling large volumes of orders in stock shipping boxes. This is sustainable void fill solution that can work for a variety of products. The packing paper comes in a roll that is loaded onto an automated feeder which is activated by the pack-out employee with a foot pedal or button. The machine dispenses the paper, lightly crushing it as it is ejected, making it easy for the worker to quickly compress it into the shipping box around the product. Packing paper is 100% recyclable and can be easily disposed of by the end user. Unfortunately, it doesn&#;t offer the consumer much in the way of an experience when unboxing their order.
Crinkle paper is a fun void fill option that comes in brown kraft as well as a variety of colors and color combinations. Crinkle paper offers companies a relatively inexpensive way to jazz up their unboxing experience while protecting their product, and by adding a pop of color they can create an on-brand impression. Because crinkle paper is composed of many small strips of paper, it is not a recommended void fill for heavy or easily breakable objects as it is not strong enough to hold them in place during transit. Rather, crinkle paper shines when shipping small, lightweight items that just need a bit of extra padding, or for pure product presentation.
Match your in-store customer experience or build your brand with Inspyre paper. This colorful, brand-focused and sustainable void fill packaging helps connect with ecommerce customers like never before. Designed for use with Pregis&#; Easypack Quantum&#; on-demand, void-fill system, Inspyre paper is available in 10- and 20-inch wide paper bundles and comes in a wide variety of stock colors. Custom artwork is also available for specific branding and designs. Further, consumers can keep the colorful paper for downstream use or recycle in their local municipality&#;s paper recycling stream.
If delivering a memorable customer experience is central to your business model (and it really should be for most e-commerce companies), consider utilizing a custom corrugated insert in your packaging rather than using void fill at all.
Custom corrugated inserts are designed around your product, holding it in place and protecting it from impact during the shipping process. Upon arrival and unboxing, your product is revealed to the consumer perfectly in place and safely intact. Corrugated inserts can also be printed to match your brand packaging, add additional text and product information, or to add a personalized touch to every order.
Frequently when e-commerce brands are just getting started, investing in a completely custom packaging solution seems costly and out of reach. However, when evaluating packaging costs it is important to remember that traditional void fill solutions are often over-used or used incorrectly by employees, which can drive up your costs significantly in material use and damaged product returns. Many are also not recyclable and don&#;t provide a great end-user experience. Custom packaging inserts in conjunction with right-sized custom shipper boxes can save money in the long-run by reducing damaged product, eliminating waste from over-use, and earning repeat sales by providing a memorable experience.
It is worth noting that custom inserts are a good fit for brands offering a standard product set, not distributors who ship a wide variety of items in unpredictable volumes.
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