Online stores are making a killing because more people are shopping on the internet. With 69 percent of people buying online and 300 million expected to do so by 2023, e-commerce businesses earn $1,804 per shopper. What does all of this mean for your business?
It means looking into the value of product packaging and learning how to use boxed package goods to work for your bottom line.
What Does Product Packaging Mean in Marketing?
Your product packaging builds your brand, and it has the power to attract loyal customers. So its role in marketing what you’re selling is big.
Consider the simple beauty of an Apple product packaging, which is the sole job of one person.
The brand’s minimalist white boxed packages and their polished metallic fonts create visual impact with its restraint on design. Apple’s clean design aesthetic is part of the sensorial experience every customer seeks, leading up to a memorable unboxing experience. What the buyer marvels at on the outside is mirrored by the elegance of the product, from the iconic iPhone to the beloved Macbook.
What’s the Importance of Boxed Package Goods?
Of course, your business does not have to operate solely online to use boxed packaging. Any delicate consumer product, from electronics to toys, and any high-value goods, must be protected in durable boxes. Otherwise, you run the risk of damaging your products while in transit to their recipients.
Damaged packaged goods reaching customers can cost businesses millions of dollars, hurting profitability and, when returns aren’t handled well, brand reputation. When your reputation takes a hit, all the years you spent building your brand could crumble in a matter of minutes — thanks to the speed of social media.
Clearly, what seems like an after-thought for some businesses is significant to the overall success of any commercial venture.
Packaging is fundamental to the presentation of your products, no matter what type of business you run, big or small, new or established. But what type of packaged box should you choose?
First, be aware of the five main forms of packaging.
What are the 5 Types of Boxed Packaging?
Boxes differ not only in size but in type as well. The boxes you’ll find in one product packaging store may not be the same as the ones some shipping companies use.
Your choice is crucial because:
- The wrong box could damage fragile packaged goods;
- The right box could cut your packaging cost and boost profits;
- The wrong box could contaminate products, and
- The right box could showcase the product in any angle.
What are your packaging options for enhancing consumer experience with your products?
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Cardboard Boxes
Also known as corrugated boxes, these are typically used for large shipping, storage and shoe boxes. This type of box is also ideal for small packaged consumer goods, pizza boxes and other retail products. So the packaging material can be cut according to size and shape, and it lends itself well to reuse and recycle programs. If your business implements eco-friendly practices, the corrugated box works.
It features three layers of paper:
- Exterior liner
- Interior liner
- Corrugated medium (or the fluting)
Its fluting is what makes the cardboard box strong. Packaging companies even design boxes specific to hazardous goods. For instance, Uline can ship supplies for businesses dealing with hazardous solid waste, automotive and marine battery suppliers and biological substance shippers.
Each corrugated box may be designed with further safety features, from inner corrugated support to absorbent sheets and bubble wrap.
If your product is especially delicate and must be shipped worldwide, adding bubble wrap offers that extra layer of protection.
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Paperboard Boxes
Yet another box made from paper, this type of boxed packaging is suitable for a wide range of goods. But it comes in different grades, which correspond to the type of product it’ll protect.
For example, coated unbleached kraft boxes is ideal for soda and beer containers whereas solid bleached sulfate boxes are the best choice for food packaging, including dairy products, frozen food and perishable baking products.
Bagged package goods also make a good alternative for food products. Bags instead of boxes also make access to the product easier, so it’s suitable for food items that must be immediately consumed.
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Rigid Boxes
If your products are high-end and require more protection than paperboard and cardboard, rigid boxes are the ideal packaging. Premium brands, like Apple and Tiffany’s, use this type of boxed packaging for their luxury goods.
A rigid box is a type of paperboard box, but it’s four times thicker and made from highly condensed paperboard. Although it lends itself well to refined design, from embossed logos to compartments, it’s the priciest boxed packaging.
For one, its materials will mean greater production costs. For another, its rigidity will mean higher shipping expenses since it’s non-collapsible.
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Plastic Boxes
A plastic box or plastic container has the upper hand when it comes to presenting your products. For starters, the buyer does not have to open the box to marvel at what they bought. It’s also versatile; plastic boxes protect an extensive array of products, from paperclips to food. This type of boxed packaging is also airtight, which means eliminating the probability of contamination.
For businesses looking to manage costs with its product packaging, plastic boxes offer an ideal solution since their lightweight, recyclable and can be enhanced to suit your branding.
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Chipboard Boxes
Chipboards are made out of reclaimed paper stock and produced in varying densities and strength. One of the more cost-effective forms of boxed packaging, chipboards are ideal for food, cosmetics, electronics and even medical items. So long as your making lightweight products, chipboards will work.
You can have it cut, formed and folded according to your product. The trouble with this boxed packaging for consumer goods is it doesn’t hold up well in environments with moisture. If your storage facility or warehouse is heavy with moisture, expect this packaging to weaken and discolor over time.
Unlike the posh rigid box, a chipboard box isn’t a good match for luxury items.
Other forms of packaging to consider are poly bags, which are perfect for flowers, food and magazines and foiled sealed bags, which typically package coffee, cheese and cured meats.
Although you have multiple options to package your goods in boxes or bags, they may not be enough. They may not be enough to give you the sales you need or manage your production costs.
What can you do to improve your product packaging?
Product Packaging Tips for Small Businesses
Bubble wraps and packing paper are not the only added supplies to place in your product packaging. If your business is a small operation (e.g., you’re based out of your home, have a small staff, or selling on social media), personalizing your product packaging is one way to achieve customer engagement and brand impact.
Hand paint boxed packages
If you’re still working with small production for your products, hand painting individual boxes is one way to personalize your packaging. The painting doesn’t have to be complex or elaborate. The idea is to make it standout and give your customers something to cherish.
Use patterned or unique wrapping paper
Another way to personalize those boxes you got from the packaging store is to wrap your products in eye-catching paper. Match the wrapping paper design with the look of your brand, so you’re still maintaining a consistent imagery. The paper could have a colorful design, contrasting colors or even be tactile.
Get “crafty” with accessories
Customers like details. If it matches up with your branding, use craft paper, twine or dried flowers. Nice little touches like these tell people you’ve taken that extra time because your products — your customers are special.
Boxed Package Goods and Your Bottom Line
Product packaging matters to your bottom line. For one, it keeps the integrity of your products, keeping them secure from contamination or damage. For another, it ensures storage and shipping are not going to be costly. The boxes you pick will not have to take up too much space, ensuring efficient operations in warehouse, and they’ll retain their shape in transit.
So aside from considering the packaging cost, consider the impact your packaging materials and design will make. If your consumers will respond well to boxed package goods, go with boxes.
It doesn’t matter if you’re running a big business or operating a small company from your living room. What matters is the care you put into presenting your products to secure your place in the market. Choose the right boxed packaging for your goods and the sales will follow.
