Logistics in e-commerce – 5 ways to plan your budget for 2019

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas promotions… you also need to prepare your budget for 2019. There’s no doubt that these dates are crucial for day-to-day business, but it’s also important to stop for a moment and plan for a challenging 2019 for e-commerce. To help you with this, we suggest 5 ways to optimise your budget, adapt your services to the ever-increasing demands of consumers and solve logistical problems in your company’s warehouse.

E-commerce packaging budgets in 2019 – 5 tips:

1. Personalise your packaging. This is a trend that can be seen across all industries. Keep up with the competition and don’t risk being left behind.
2. Research eco-friendly alternatives to plastic packaging. Society is increasingly demanding in this respect. It is time to plan a more responsible, environmentally friendly purchasing policy.
3. Reduce your transport budget by investing in the right packaging. Using new packaging solutions, you can reduce the weight and volume of your parcels. This will translate into lower transport costs.
4. Improve your customer experience. Fast delivery is one of the most important determinants of e-customer satisfaction. Make it easier to receive parcels by using smaller, more convenient and more economical packaging.
5. Increase the productivity of packers. You can achieve this by investing in packaging solutions that increase the comfort of those responsible for packing parcels and allow you to handle more orders. In this way, you will increase the pace of your work while reducing sick leave (80% of shop downtime is caused by musculoskeletal disorders). It’s an investment that could pay triple dividends in 2019. Our proposed solution is effective when the number of orders per employee exceeds 50.

I. Personalisation of shipping packaging

Expectations 2019: Wow effect, standing out from the competition.

Company flyer

Some ideas for the content of the flyer: a message to encourage positive sharing on social networks, promotional codes with which to build customer loyalty to the brand. Is it worth creating personalised leaflets for each of your customers? Technically, this is a complex solution. It is also worth personalising with the name of the person who prepared the order to give it a more personal touch.

Personalised tissue paper

Tissue paper with a printed logo is often used in the textile and luxury sector. You don’t need to invest in personalised tissue paper – just choose one whose colours match those used by your company. An alternative to tissue paper can be one of the following:

Self-adhesive tape with individual print

Individually printed tape is distinguished by three important advantages:

• It effectively secures the parcel against unauthorised opening – if you secure your parcel with tape with a unique design, you significantly increase its security. Any attempt to open the parcel and close it with another tape will be very easy to detect.
• Increases your brand recognition – the company logo and name on the tape with which the package is wrapped is memorable for customers, as well as for carriers and suppliers.
• Speeds up your workflow – personalised tapes are sold ready to use and the logistics team does not need to spend time preparing them. The tapes are also convenient to store, taking up little space in the warehouse.

Our tip: Before placing an order, consult us about the technical limitations of printing personalised tapes.

Tip: If a more responsible purchasing policy is part of your plan for next year, bear in mind that personalised adhesive tapes made from 100% recyclable Kraft paper can also be used.

Personalising labels

If you are looking for a low-budget solution to customise your boxes: personalise your labels with special messages or brand logos.

Packaging personalisation: carton, box or envelope

Cartons, boxes or envelopes are an extension of the customer’s experience in the shop and they become brand ‘ambassadors’ in a way. There are shops that even slightly perfume their packaging so that the experience when opening it also identifies it. The key to success is a special attention to detail.

Our advice:

• Takeinspiration from personalised cartons and boxes that appeal to you.
• Think of a message that will be meaningful to the customer when they open the package.
• Finally, send us your design. We can help and advise and will do our best to make your packaging unique and impressive.

On a budget level: It is worth involving the marketing department in the work of introducing personalised packaging. This will increase the overall benefits of the solution. The most beautiful personalised packaging is the result of collaboration between specialists from several departments.

Do you need personalised packaging? Rajapack is here to help you create packaging tailored to your needs!

Get in touch with us:

By e-mail: specjalne@rajapack.pl,

By phone: 801 55 3200*(Cost according to the operator’s tariff).

II. Reduce the environmental impact of packaging

We could put this suggestion at the top of our list of advice. Both internationally and nationally, there is growing public pressure for more environmentally sustainable business practices. It is worth adapting to the changes taking place and meeting the needs of environmentally friendly customers in order not to disappoint their expectations.

Our advice:

• Eliminate or reduce your use of plastic packaging. You can replace them with envelopes, self-adhesive tapes that can be recycled and biodegradable parcel fillers. These solutions are available from Rajapack with delivery in 24 hours! It’s easier than you think!

On a budget level: Making the changes puts little strain on the budget, as the alternatives usually do not incur additional costs and in some cases are even more economical.

III. Optimise transport costs

Logistics puts a significant strain on a company’s budget. To reduce transport costs, simply reduce the weight and volume of packaging.

Our advice:

• Pay attention to the sizes of your most frequently recurring orders (single or multi-product) – this will help you determine the most optimal carton sizes. The closer the carton size is to the size of the product(s), the more you can reduce the volume and weight of the packages.
• Find the right carton size in our specialised search engine.
• Some of our customers use packaging with stabilising foil for shipping electronic devices, cosmetics or alcohol.

On a budget: Changing packaging solutions may mean an increase in budget. However, the investment will translate into reduced transport costs for the company in 2019.

IV. Ensure an increase in the positive experience accompanying the customer when opening the parcel

Receiving and opening a parcel is a very important moment for any customer who has made an online purchase. Neglecting this final, crucial stage can lead to losing a customer – after making a one-off purchase, they may not be interested in using your company again.

Our advice:

• Make it easy for your customers to open your packaging. It’s very simple – just use cardboard boxes, foil envelopes or cardboard envelopes that have special tear strips, allowing you to open the package quickly and conveniently.
• Make it easy to return your products. For this purpose, you can use envelopes or cartons with a double strip. With this solution, the customer can return the parcel in a safe and dedicated package.

On a budget: This is a small investment that will have a very positive impact on customer satisfaction. To increase its effectiveness, the marketing / customer relations department should be involved in its implementation.

V. Increase the productivity of operations by reducing the level of workload and downtime

Work stoppages and temporary work are associated with a high cost of handling the warehouse. Changes in the labour market are making both the recruitment of new employees and the retention of existing employees increasingly difficult. Improving working conditions is both a strategic HR and financial issue.

Our advice:

• Check regularly the condition of all items in the warehouse: shelves, drawers, pallet trucks, machines. An item in poor condition can limit operator productivity.
• If your employees prepare more than 50 parcels per day, consider using machines that automate this process. To see if such a solution can be used in your business, take advantage of a free expert audit.

On a budget level: This is an investment that will benefit the logistics team as well as management and staff. To estimate the cost of a prevention plan, interview a certified expert company.

Logistics budget 2019 – conclusions?

This year, e-commerce logistics will need to focus on three areas:

• Developing more environmentally friendly solutions- eco-friendly packaging, greener delivery methods, optimal truck load factor.
• Improving the shopping experience and customer service – aesthetically pleasing yet practical packaging, improved delivery and return methods.
• Optimising margins and profitability – reduced transport costs, increased efficiency of order preparers, optimised use of warehouse space.

And what are your plans for 2019? Write in the comments!

If you need help with your annual packaging budget, don’t hesitate to contact our specialists via tel: 801 55 3000* or email: poczta@rajapack.pl.

Our specialists will help you choose the best packaging solutions to suit your business.

*Costaccording to operator tariff.