9 keys to ideal e-commerce packaging | RAJA
10min read
22/08/2021
Are you sure that you have integrated the right e-commerce packaging into your order picking process?After all, there are so many criteria to consider, from the protection of your goods, to the care of your customer experience, to the environmental friendliness and the management of your order returns. To help you make the right choice, our RAJA experts have identified 9 keys to help you select the right e-commerce packaging. Take a look at them and find out which solutions are the best for your e-commerce logistics!
Key #1: Choosing the most protective packaging for your goods
| The objective: To think first of all of the protection of your goods, which is the primary function of an adapted e-commerce packaging. |
dans un premier temps, vous ne pouvez vous passer d’un emballage industriel de qualité, qui vous permette d’expédier vos produits avec une protection maximale, en toute sérénité.
Pour ce faire, votre emballage e-commerce doit d’abord être adapté à la taille et au poids de vos marchandises. Votre but ? Évitez de sur-emballer, en choisissant un emballage au plus près des dimensions de votre produit. Par exemple, si vous optez pour un emballage en carton et que vos produits sont très lourds, optez pour une triple cannelure de carton ondulé, qui résistera à la manutention.
Vous pourrez également, comme vous le verrez dans la clé #2, choisir un matériau de calage pour combler le vide qui subsiste dans le colis, caler vos produits dedans, et les protéger un peu plus des chocs éventuels qu’ils peuvent subir lors du transport.
Mais ce n’est pas tout : votre emballage doit également être adapté au mode d’expédition de vos produits. Selon que vous choisissez une livraison à
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| The objective: To provide additional protection for your products, and to fill the void that may be left in your parcels in order to secure your goods. |
there are a number of different packaging materials available to you to properly pack your packages and protect your products. Choose from the following options, depending on your objectives
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Bubble wrap, although very protective, is increasingly perceived as not very environmentally friendly, and does not really enhance your brand image. There are other types of packaging that are better suited to enhancing your brand image. |
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Kraft paper can be a good alternative to bubble wrap: with its more eco-responsible aspect, it remains just as protective. |
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Air cushioning is ideal if you want to achieve lighter weight shipments and a transparent feel inside your packages. |
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Corn starch packing particles are also environmentally friendly and can be used for small packages containing small items to be packed. |
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Silk paper, elegant and customisable, can be interesting if you pay particular attention to the unpacking of your products. |
Key #3: Choosing the right material to close and secure your packages
| The objective: to close your packages properly, and thus secure them during shipment. |
again, there are several options available to you to effectively close your packages, to be selected according to your logistical objectives
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Traditional adhesive tape is strong enough to close traditional parcels securely, but if you want to be more environmentally friendly, choose kraft paper tapes! |
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Reinforced tape can be relevant if you want to pack heavy loads: it is reinforced with glass fibres, which makes it tear-proof. |
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Packaging with self-adhesive gummed strips, which become tear strips for easy opening, can save you time on your packaging phase. |
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Strapping your parcels witha strong strap can provide additional security for your goods. |
key #4: Reduce the volumetric weight of your e-commerce packaging
| The objective: To reduce the space your parcels take up in transport containers, to limit the carbon footprint of your shipments, but also to reduce your express and international transport budget. |
si vous avez déjà un peu d’expérience dans le monde du transport e-commerce, vous savez sans doute que les transporteurs, pour les envois en express et à l’international, appliquent une méthode de calcul de leurs coûts spécifique : la méthode du poids volumétrique.
Sur ce type d’envois, votre transporteur vous facture en fonction du volume de votre colis, qu’il transforme en poids “fictif”. En somme, le transporteur prend en compte la place prise dans le conteneur : tandis qu’un colis très dense sera facturé sur son poids réel, un colis à la densité moyenne le sera sur son volume.
C’est pourquoi il est crucial pour vous d’adapter vos emballages à cette méthode de facturation, pour réduire votre budget logistique global.
Pour ce faire, n’hésitez pas à consulter la méthode ColisConsult x RAJA d’optimisation du poids volumétrique des emballages. Dedans, vous découvrirez comment…
- Analyse your shipments by invoiced weight range, to identify the volumetric weight of the e-commerce packaging you currently use.
- Review your packaging range– why not switch from cardboard packaging to extra-flat postal boxes or even padded envelopes where possible, or select a variable height cardboard box that can be cut to the exact height required to protect your products?
- Reorganise your processes in the warehouse, because when you change your equipment, you have to take into account changes in your processes.
if you want to know more about the ColisConsult x RAJA method, you can download the guide here and start improving the volumetric weight of your packaging now.
Key #5: Limit the environmental impact of your packaging
| The objective: to improve the eco-responsible image of your e-commerce brand, to meet the expectations of your customers, who are increasingly aware of the impact of their consumption on the planet. |
the ecological wave that has swept across France has not escaped your notice. As an e-tailer, you cannot refrain from rethinking your logistical practices in the light of this “green wave”. So think about choosing eco-responsible e-trade packaging. To do this, there’s nothing like using the 5Rs of packaging. The principle is simple! Think about whether your packaging can meet one of the following R’s. Can you?
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Reduce the weight and volume of your shipments, without over-packing… You read it in key #4: packaging solutions exist, dedicated to reducing this weight-volume, making it possible to reduce the CO2 emissions of your packages. |
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Reuse your packaging as soon as possible? You’ll see later in the article that returnable packaging is ideal for this, but you can also turn to 100% recycled plastic pallets rather than traditional wooden pallets if you’re sending palletised products. |
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Replace environmentally unfriendly packaging with low-impact alternatives… If eco-designing your packaging is one way to “Replace”, you can also replace all your plastic packaging with kraft paper equivalents, for example. |
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Renew the raw materials of your packaging ? To meet this 4th pillar of the 5Rs, turn to bio-based packaging (made from renewable natural materials, such as sugarcane fibre or corn starch), or made from recycled materials. |
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Recycling your packaging – Many packaging products are now available in recyclable versions, aiming to give your packaging a more environmentally friendly end-of-life. |
and whatever you choose, always make sure that the eco-responsibility of the packaging, as well as any sorting instructions, are clearly indicated on your e-commerce packaging.
Key #6: Improve the productivity of your packaging line
| The objective: To speed up your order picking line by choosing packaging solutions adapted to the needs of your operators. |
whether you work in a small e-commerce warehouse or run a very large order picking chain, you may want to optimise the productivity of your operators. After all, the faster your products are packed, the faster they are shipped, to the delight of your customers! And if you choose..
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Quick or instant assembly packagingthanks to this type of product, your operators only have to do a few things to secure the bottom of the crates and boxes, and slide your goods in, saving you precious time during the packing phase! |
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Integral cushioning packaging? available with recycled foam, plain film or anti-static film directly integrated into the packaging, these products limit the use of additional cushioning materials. |
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Packaging machines or systems? Between paper or air cushioning machines, strapping machines or wrapping machines, there are now technological solutions to assist your operators in each of their order preparation missions. Time saving guaranteed! |
key #7: Customise your e-commerce packaging to enhance your brand image
| The goal: To differentiate yourself from the competition by making your e-commerce packaging stand out at first glance. |
as an e-tailer, your first direct physical contact with your customers is the packaging of your products. It is therefore a real matter of customer experience and brand image to personalise your packaging. There are various personalisation techniques to consider
- Print your logo or slogan on your cardboard boxes, sleeves, stickers and other packaging products.
- Customise the colour of your packaging or cushioning material to match your corporate identity
- Choose to design a customised package from scratch, in terms of shape, material used, and printing
whatever the case, remember to take care of the design of your packaging, to leave a memorable souvenir for your customers when they receive their orders.
Key #8: Take care of the unboxing of your products to encourage word-of-mouth
| The goal: To encourage word-of-mouth, especially via social networks, by creating a memorable customer experience through packaging. |
you’ve probably already come across influencers or people close to you who, on the Internet, reveal the opening of the packages they’ve just received: this is called unboxing. Do you dream that your customers will do the same, to naturally increase your reputation? Then your e-commerce packaging must live up to their expectations in terms of unboxing. Here are a few clever ideas to encourage this word-of-mouth
- Choose a stylish cushioning material, avoiding cushioning particles that irritate customers when they open their packages
- Personalise the invoice you put in your packages
- Add “little extras” to your packaging: goodies, discount vouchers, a small message of thanks, etc
key #9: Make it easy for your customers to return their orders
| The objective: To simplify the return of your customers’ orders, while ensuring optimal protection for your products during their return. |
l’une des problématiques les plus couramment citées par les e-commerçants est sans doute les retours de commande. Ô combien il peut être complexe de fournir au client toutes les bonnes instructions pour vous retourner les produits dont ils ne veulent finalement pas !
Mais saviez-vous qu’il existait une solution d’emballage très pratique pour faciliter ces retours de marchandises ?
Il s’agit des emballages aller-retour. Le principe est simple : ces emballages sont dotés d’une double bande de gomme collante, et donc de deux bandes d’arrachage, pour faciliter la réexpédition de vos marchandises. Ils sont également conçus pour être assez robustes pour résister à l’aller comme au retour de vos produits.
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A vous de jouer : trouvez les emballages e-commerce idéaux pour votre activité, qui protègent vos marchandises tout en travaillant votre expérience client. Challenge accepté ?
