E-tailer’s guide to Black Friday 2021

Black Friday marks the start of the Christmas shopping season, and already many consumers are starting their research for the shopping day. As an e-tailer, you’ve probably already noticed that preparations start earlier every year – especially when it comes to packaging. We guide you to this year’s Black Friday, so you can prepare in the best possible way.

Does my business have to be on Black Friday?

Within the Black Friday phenomenon, several underlying trends have developed. It started with Cyber Monday which extended the day into a weekend, now the term Black Week is also gaining traction. Sometimes it seems that Black Friday is just getting more and more widespread and extreme.

But not everyone is on board with the idea of extending and intensifying the shopping day. There is concern that the rush of sales leads to over-consumption – which obviously has a negative impact on the environment. As a counter-reaction to Black Friday, Green Friday has therefore been established. Bustle magazine describes Green Friday as an ‘anti-Black Friday movement’:

Green Friday challenges consumers to not rush to the shops and instead choose to shop sustainable brands or not shop at all.

Bustle – What is Green Friday?

The answer is no, you don’t have to be on Black Friday. It’s entirely up to you how you want to spend the day. You can make your own rules!

Last year at RAJA, for example, we ran a combination of Black Friday and Green Friday. We called our promotion Green RAJA-Days, and it involved offering discounts on our range of selected eco-friendly partner products. For every partner product sold, we donated £10 to the Women and the Environment Action Programme, a charity that supports 6 projects around the world focusing on the environment and women’s rights. This is a project we support all year round, but by offering a discount on this range over Black Friday, we gave an extra incentive to our customers who want their packaging choices to benefit both the environment and solidarity. Win win, plain and simple.

Commodity shortages and Corona impact this year’s Black Friday

The fact that there is a serious resource shortage in the world is something that is hard to escape. Shortages of raw materials like plastic and wood affect demand, which in turn leads to price increases, and in the worst case scenario, you can’t even get the raw materials you want. What this means for you as an e-tailer is that you need to have even better foresight and a willingness to consider alternative solutions when it comes to packaging your products. Make a forecast of how many items you will sell, and be sure to order the packaging you need well in advance.

Also, don’t forget that last year’s peak season sales had an unusually large weighting towards e-commerce, due to the stage of the Corona pandemic we were in. If the positive trend of the last few weeks in terms of reduced contagion persists, a significant proportion of purchases will probably move to shops this year.

If you need advice on any of this, feel free to contact us at RAJA and we’ll help you navigate. As experts in packaging, we’re used to developing solutions based on our clients’ unique circumstances and challenges. You can reach our support by phone 010 – 33 08 200 or email info@rajapack.se, we are available on weekdays from 07:30-17:00.

Distinguish yourself with packaging

Attention is currency in today’s society, and people are constantly talking about “standing out in the noise”. This is especially important during Black Friday when everyone is fighting for the consumer’s attention. So we end this guide with two quick tips on how you can stand out from your competitors when it comes to packaging.

2. Consider the environment when choosing your packaging

Stand out by showing that you care about the environment. A small item in a big package filled with filler will make a bad first impression to your customer. Sending goods with a lot of air in the package is seen as an unnecessary burden on the environment, as the package takes up unnecessary space in the delivery. Learn more about volume weight in our blog post, and make sure you use the right size of your cartons.

Do you use a lot of plastic in your packaging process? In most cases, paper material is better for the environment because it breaks down naturally in the environment. Feel free to explore RAJA’s wide range of eco-friendly packaging. A bonus of eco-friendly packaging is that it sends a clear signal to your customer that you care about the environment. Paper tape is a perfect example. It adheres just as well as plastic packing tape, it gives your packages a natural look and it makes it easier for your environmentally conscious customers as the tape doesn’t have to be separated from the cardboard when recycling.

Read also: how to replace 3 common packaging products with an eco-friendly alternative

3. Custom printed packaging

Did you know that we offer customised packaging? By using cartons or e-commerce bags with your company logo and graphic profile, you’ll give your shipments a professional look, increase recognition and strengthen your brand. Send us your request today and we’ll start a dialogue where we’re involved step by step in the process.

Please note that custom printed packaging can be costly for smaller businesses as the higher volumes you order, the lower the cost per package. Instead of custom printing entire boxes or bags, it’s more economical to custom print packing tape, which you can then use to add a personal touch to your packages. Try our Rajaprint tool to design your own packing tape. Please note that delivery times are currently very long due to a shortage of raw materials.