Packaging: the 5 priorities for e-commerce and retail

At the Deliver show (European e-commerce logistics exhibition), we interviewed 200 European e-commerce owners about their packaging priorities.

Discover the results and use our advice to turn these ambitions into reality.

The 5 priorities of e-commerce and retailers in 2018:

1) Making it easier to open parcels

There is nothing more frustrating than receiving a package that is difficult to open. Remember, opening the parcel is considered a critical moment in the customer experience and will affect the customer’s decision to buy your products again or not. Don’t let inadequate packaging generate frustration at such a delicate moment!

Our advice: favour pre-cut boxes and cases that allow the package to be opened with two fingers. This is the solution adopted by many e-commerce companies that have one thing in common: a strong focus on customer experience.

2) Facilitate waste disposal

Have you ever had to open a parcel full of small polystyrene filling material? In this case, the consumer will have to deal with disposing of the different materials, cleaning up the residue and will feel more and more like a polluter.

Our advice: reconsider your way of filling packages with practicality in mind.

• Paper filling has the advantage that it can be disposed of with the cardboard the box is made of.

• What if I want to dispense with the filling? Depending on the nature of your products (size, fragility) you can try elegant packaging with integrated protection o with foam protection.

Tip: what if I want to do without boxes? If the size of your products allows it, use padded bags. Reduced volume and weight reduce transport costs and also result in less clutter in your customers’ rubbish.

3) Propose eco-responsible packaging

Packaging is seen by most consumers as a source of pollution. Opt for eco-responsible alternatives and, above all, valorise this commitment through all means of communication available to you (website, email, social media, flyers).

Some concrete alternatives :

• Eco-friendly silent polypropylene tape: with 30% less plastic.
• Kraft papertape: based on kraft paper, therefore recyclable.
• In addition to paper fillings, there are recycled plastic-based fillings such as green bubble film made of recycled plastic or green air cushions.
• Do you want to use plastic but are environmentally conscious? The new AIRPlus Mini system film is for you. To find out more click here
• Rajapack boxes come from a European recycling chain

4) Simplify return

According to ReBOUND’s 2018 survey, 59% of millennials (18 – 35 years old) would not recommend a site where order return policies are complicated and unclear. And while millennials are increasingly demanding, all users in general have become particularly sensitive to the return experience.

Our advice: it is better to make the procedure easierby offering easy return packaging.

5) Improve design

We talked in our article ‘What packaging to use to stand out from the competition‘ about the positive impact that customised packaging has on customers and their loyalty.

In almost every sector, customised packaging has multiplied: look at the success story of Uber Eats.

Tip: if you are on a tight budget, we offer 2 alternatives to customising boxes.
To start, personalising tape can be an inexpensive solution.
Otherwise, use a customised label to close your boxes.

Our tip: let the experts guide you in the creation of your customised packaging.

The two steps to get it right:

• Think first about the nature of the message you want to appear on your packaging, then deal with the design.
• Rajapack’s customisation team is here to help you create unique packaging that will immediately differentiate you from the competition in the eyes of consumers.

Conclusion

Taken together, these five priorities have a common goal: to improve the customer experience. Some of these improvements are easy and quick to try out and then put into practice.

Remember that packaging never stops evolving!
Theimportant thing is to continuously improve in order to regularly add small but new benefits to your customers.