Those who regularly read this blog know I have always had a love/hate relationship with Amazon. As a shopper, I am impressed by their ability to deliver just about anything I could possibly want to my door tomorrow. However, as a packaging industry veteran and a leading influencer of e-commerce packaging products and solutions, I am occasionally disappointed by some of their decisions.
The Correct and Best Way to Ship to a Customer.
The attached photo shows a fairly basic and simple packaging application: a plastic bottle of magnesium tablets in a paperboard folding carton. The problem begins when that carton is placed within an unpadded, paper mailer envelope. Undoubtedly, it is a lower cost shipping container, in terms of material, labor and possibly even shipping costs. Good for Amazon!
Unboxing experience.
I admit, the likelihood the bottle will be broken in shipping is minimal. At the risk of sounding like an old guy (which I am), the “unboxing experience” is what brand owners called it in the early days of e-commerce. Everyone talked about delivering “the WOW factor” to the consumer. Obviously, I realize this is just an order for an OTC supplement, not an item or gift where the way the product looks is not critical.
However, isn’t the customer’s reaction or response always important? Is the attached photo really what you want your customer to see?
What Other Packaging Options Could Have Been Considered?
The most obvious, but not necessarily the best alternative is a padded or cushioned mailer/shipping envelope. Depending on the item being shipped, it may or may not provide the necessary protection. Also, how eco-friendly, or the “greenness” of the envelope is determined by the type of cushioning it features. Plastic bubble lining, not so good. Cornstarch foam would definitely be better, but neither is going to prove sufficient protection if a thirty-pound box is dropped on top of it.
Undoubtedly the best packaging option is a corrugated box of almost any design. The product being shipped is well protected and will look great when the consumer opens it. Depending on the item being enclosed, additional protective packaging such as cushioning material or void fill might be recommended.
Sustainability is Important to Us and Our Customers
What makes a packaging solution green or greener? There are usually three factors we consider:
- The type of packaging material being used. Paper is always, always preferred over any type of plastic material.
- The amount of packaging material being used. This is when “right sizing” becomes the most important consideration.
- The recyclability of any and all packaging materials being used. Beware of materials that are fused together (example – paper envelopes with plastic bubble lining) because that fusion may make your packaging totally unrecyclable.
We are big believers in a team approach on new projects because combined, we are all smarter than any one of us. Our newest branded packaging advisor has nearly ten years on the job so imagine having twenty, thirty or even forty years of design project experience together working on yours. Take a quick visit to our gallery and see a small example of the work we have done for companies just like yours.
Call us at 630-551-1700 or contact us via this link. Our people are standing by and are eager to help you create great packaging at reasonable, competitive pricing.
Related posts:
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/category/packaging-design/
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/the-high-cost-of-your-outdated-e-commerce-packaging-design/
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/how-to-improve-your-customers-unboxing-experience/
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/top-10-packaging-design-mistakes/