If your company is an online, eCommerce enterprise, how do you create that WOW factor retailers can so easily achieve with shelf presence?
Yes you have your website as your shop window with strategically designed, key worded, and beautifully designed product pages, but what happens when your customers receive your products? Does the first impression of that delivery packaging portray you and your brand just as you want it to?
To some people, an unboxing experience might seem like a fad best saved for online influencers and brand enthusiasts and, for good reason. The companies behind those well-packaged products put significant emphasis on delivering an amazing unboxing experience to ensure that the products delivered are equally amazing.
Product packaging and the unboxing experience are something that both online and in-store retailers share. Just five years ago, eCommerce accounted for 7.5% of all retail sales. In June 2021, the figure is now 34.4%. There was a growth trajectory but this has been accelerated due to the global pandemic.
Source:ONS May2021
With such significant sales, product packaging and the unboxing experience needs to be high on the list of priorities for eCommerce companies. Here are a few considerations that can help you consistently deliver an exceptional unboxing experience for your customers.
Be Proactive with Product Packaging
Delivery of you products doesn’t have to be a science, it’s not complicated! Be proactive and think about these three key points so that you not only keep costs low for yourself and your customers, but also to ensure your products arrive safely.
1. Protect Your Product
During transportation, one error is all it may take to ruin your product, ruin your customer’s experience, and ruin your customer service department’s day too!
Many companies buy off the shelf standard sized packages and then use fillers to remove the voids that can cause products to move around unnecessarily during transit. All that extra material is bulky, costly and not great for the environment. It also annoys the customer who then has to think about how to dispose of the additional fillers! At the Reedbut Group, all of our corrugated boxes for eCommerce are bespoke; the packaging is designed around the product.
This not only eliminates voids and the need for extra fillers, but it is also sustainable and adds to the unpacking experience.
2. Strength
Another consideration is packaging strength. Different types of corrugated boxes can provide exceptional strength, and has a much smaller carbon footprint. If you’re unsure what type is best for your product, consult with one of our technical designers who will be more than happy to help.
3. Reduce Returns
Focussing on great product packaging will help you not only deliver a great unboxing experience but also reduce returns. Returns are inevitable. Whilst consumers can return a product to a physical store, that’s not the case with eCommerce. Product packaging will have an impact on the unboxing experience, and if the product is damaged, the consumer will return it. Suspension fittings and divisions provide simple and effective cushioning for transporting fragile, delicate and expensive items like ceramics and glassware, or valuable electronics. We can help you understand if these die cut divisions are the best route for you.
Be Responsible with Product Packaging
A low carbon footprint and recycling is critical. More than ever, consumers care about the recyclability of product packaging, and where the packaging has come from.
If the consumer receives a product with an over-packaged container that’s not easily recycled, they may not know what to do with it. Bespoke packaging significantly reduces the physical amount of packaging. The Reedbut Group’s corrugated cardboard is sustainably produced using a high percentage of recycled materials, and we are proud to source FSC® material for all of our customers.
Bring your Brand Alive with Product Packaging
Last but certainly not least, what your product packaging says about you in the unboxing experience will impact your customers’ perception of your brand. Here’s a few BIG TICKS to gain your customers thumbs up:
- Deliver your product in a corrugated box that’s recyclable and a brief message asking the consumer to recycle
- Ensure there is strength so that the product arrives safe and sound, and the consumer knows what to do with the package. This sends out the message that you care
- Communicate brand messaging prominently
- During the unboxing experience, printed messages on the inside of a package add value and meaning to the product, rather than just having the consumer open it, retrieve the product, and that’s that
- Messages thanking them for the purchase, wishing them well, or whatever else is appropriate based on the product will resonate with your customers
Ready to Deliver a Better Unboxing Experience?
Creating positive, memorable unboxing experiences is not a niche fad or trend. It’s a responsibility for every company who makes and delivers product — in-store or online.
Contact us to learn how we can help you take your product packaging and shipping to the next level.