Complete Guide to E-commerce & Retail Product Packaging
Packaging is the first thing your customer sees on the shelf or their doorstep. Before your food, makeup, candle, toy, cocktail kit, or whatever product you’ve poured hours of time and energy into even has the chance to prove its excellence, the customer evaluates its packaging. Product packages have the power to impact customer decisions and brand perception but there is a variety of product packaging, packaging materials, and creative design choices. All these options can be overwhelming. Does your brand packaging need a face lift? This BR Printers packaging overview will go through everything you need to know about retail and ecommerce packaging in order to elevate your product packaging.
The Influence of Product Packaging
E-commerce and retail product packaging is used throughout nearly all industries, but not all companies take advantage of the opportunity custom packaging presents.
Deepen Your Brand Identity
Either your customer is picking up your product on a shelf or receiving it in the mail, so let’s discuss both options. First, let’s say you’re selling cookie dough and need retail product packaging. Your cookie dough is shrink wrapped and stored in a box on the shelf at grocery stores. This is your chance to be recognized by shoppers. Your product packaging can stand out on the shelf by showing customers the brand colors, logos, mascots, taglines, and images of the food they’re looking for. Our second scenario is if your product is showing up on your customers doorstep and you’re looking for ecommerce packaging. If you have an online store that sells granola bars where customers order multiple boxes of granola bars at a time, you’ll need to send a large box containing multiple granola bar product boxes. While you could ship these in a large plain corrugated box, you’re missing an opportunity to reinforce brand identity by customizing the box on the customers doorstep. On top of the classic branding options (logo, colors, taglines, etc.), you could include information about current campaigns, holidays, or even share your company’s eco-friendly values and encourage customers to recycle their packaging.
Optimize User Experience
Leave a first impression that lasts. When customers open your product, the last thing you want is to confuse or frustrate them. Custom boxes can be designed to open with ease, aesthetically fit your product, and include compartments to hold additional informational flyers, items, and pamphlets. Folding cartons can be customized to fit your products unique shape and easily share all the information your customer might need to know in order to use your product efficiently. If your selling a lotion, stored in a folding carton, shipped in an envelope. The quality of that envelope and folding carton also reflect the quality of your brand.
Prioritize Safety
Budgeting more for a durable box and protective packaging that will ensure your package is in perfect condition upon arrival in store or through the mail can save you money and time that would be spent refunding and replacing damaged items. Avoid the hassle and backlash of product damage and protect your product with packaging that is shaped to fit your items.
Did you know?
72% of American consumers say that product packaging design influences their purchase decisions
30% of business report an increase in revenue after improving product packaging
74% of consumers report that honesty and transparency in product labeling builds consumer trust
52% of online shoppers that receive their order in custom packaging say they are more likely to return to that same company for future orders
Types of Product Packaging
What type of packaging is best suited for your product? A product box, folding carton, mailer box, shipping box, or a sleeve? A few factors can help determine which route is best for your product. Consider the shape, size, and durability of your product along with the method of packaging you’re looking for (ecommerce packaging vs. Retail packaging). Browse through the types of product packaging offered by BR Printers below to determine what can deepen brand identity, optimize user experience, and prioritize safety.
