Packaging: the 5 priorities of E-commerce and Retail | RAJA x Deliver Event

At Deliver, we asked 200 European retailers and e-tailers about their packaging priorities. Discover the results – sometimes surprising for the French – and get our advice on how to achieve these ambitions.

Find all the results of this survey in our previous article.

Priority 1: Make it easier to open my packaging

Nothing is more frustrating than struggling with your parcel to open it! Remember that opening the parcel – or unboxing – is now considered the Second Moment of Truth (1). An inadequate adhesive should not generate frustration at such a critical moment!Our advice: choose boxes and crates with a tear strip that allows you to open your parcel with two fingers. This is the solution adopted by many retailers and e-tailers who have one thing in common: a strong focus on the customer experience (Cheerz, Lacoste, My Little Box…)

Priority 2: Make it easier for my customers to manage their waste

do you remember the last time you opened a parcel overflowing with Styrofoam packing particles in your living room?

No one likes to fill a bin bag with Styrofoam chips or wood chips. Consumers increasingly feel they are polluting – in addition to the chore of cleaning up.Our advice: rethink how you pack your products

• Paper packaging has the advantage of being disposed of in the recycling bin in the same way as cardboard boxes.

• Bubble wrap or air cushioning is potentially less bulky than paper wrap, but its use depends on the fragility of your product and your desire to optimise the weight of your parcels [See our complete guide to optimising your transport logistics through packaging].
• Depending on the nature of your products (size, fragility, etc.), try elegant packaging with integrated cushioning or foam protection.

budget tip: if you don’t need crates or boxes, use padded envelopes to reduce the volume and weight of your products for transport, but also to reduce the volume of your customers’ rubbish

Priority n°3: Promote my eco-responsible approach

packaging is perceived by most consumers as a source of pollution

. Opt for eco-responsible alternatives and above all, promote your approach through all your communication media (website, emailing, social networks, flyers, etc.).Some concrete alternatives

• Ecological polypropylene adhesives: 30% less plastic.
• Paper tape: made from kraft paper, therefore recyclable.
• In addition to paper cushioning, there are cushioning materials made from recycled plastic such as green bubble wrap or green air cushions.
• As for packaging, apart from RAJA boxes and cartons, which are all produced in a European recycling chain, there are also pockets made from 60% recycled material.
• The best in class is the Jiffy padded pouch: the pouch can be put directly into the yellow bin for recycling without any further effort from the customer.

Priority 4: Make it easy for my customers to return their orders

59% of millennials (18 – 35 years old) will not recommend a website if the return process is complicated or unclear, according to the 2018 ReBOUND survey.

And while millennials are more demanding, all internet users are particularly sensitive to the return experience offered by brands.Our advice: it is best to make the process as easy as possible by offering “returnable” packaging

Priority 5: Improve the design of my packaging

effectivement, une étude Shorr 2016 montrait déjà l’impact positif de la personnalisation des emballages sur la fidélisation des clients (2).

Quelque soit leur secteur, les emballages personnalisés se sont depuis multipliés : Bergamotte (fleurs), Sezane ou Lacoste (vestimentaire), Cheerz ou Planet Cards (photo, carterie), QuiToque ou UberEats (alimentaire)…

Astuce budget : deux alternatives à la personnalisation de vos caisses et boites. Personnaliser l’adhésif peut être une solution économique pour débuter. D’autres utilisent du papier de soie scellé par une étiquette personnalisée.

Une part significative des retailers et e-commerçants choisissent cependant de personnaliser directement l’intérieur de la caisse pour lui donner un aspect écrin cadeau aux couleurs de la marque.

Notre conseil : faites-vous accompagner pour la réalisation de votre emballage personnalisé.

Les deux étapes pour réussir

• Thinking upstream about the nature of the message you want to put on your packaging and then validating the design. This phase can be done in-house, via an agency or a platform that puts you in contact with designers (such as Creads)
• The manufacturing of your packaging: RAJA’s packaging team is at your disposal to create this unique packaging that will immediately differentiate you from your consumers.

Conclusion

globalement, ces 5 priorités ont un objectif commun : améliorer l’expérience client au moment de l’ouverture du colis puis de s’en débarrasser rapidement.

On constate que les directions logistiques comme les directions marketing ont pris conscience de l’importance de montrer l’attention qu’ils portent à leurs colis car c’est in fine une preuve de l’attention qu’ils portent à leurs clients.

Certaines améliorations sont simples et rapides à tester puis à mettre en place. L’emballage ne cesse d’évoluer l’important est de lancer un projet d’amélioration continue afin d’apporter régulièrement des petits plus à vos clients.

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(1) Second Moment Of Truth (ou SMOT) est étudié plus précisément dans un livret complet publié prochainement par le groupe RAJA ; en partenariat avec l’institut international PRS INVIVO.

(2) Dans l’étude croisée PRS INVIVO – RAJA à paraître prochainement, nous