With the rise of the e-commerce industry due to the ongoing COVID19 pandemic, the need for better packaging materials and techniques has also accelerated.
Even smaller product-based companies are reimagining the way they design custom packaging in the U.K.
Apart from stress on sustainability and consumer preferences, some trends are having an impact on purchasing decisions.
We have accumulated five packaging industry trends that are changing the landscape of the e-commerce industry.
The Rise of E-Commerce Ready Packaging
In e-commerce ready packaging, most of the product information is provided or uploaded online. This eliminates the need to include it all on the physical packaging.
Today, businesses are utilizing a direct-to-consumer model focus on e-commerce packaging.
Packaging companies are focusing on customized packaging trends. E-commerce ready packaging calls for better designs and more customer-friendly packaging options than traditional stores.
Paper Beats Plastic
Given a choice between getting an online order via a box or a film bag, around 82% chooses cardboard storage boxes.
Among the younger shoppers, 34% believe that cardboard storage boxes are more eco-friendly than plastic bags.
These numbers show the rise of sustainability among consumers. People care about where their packaging comes from, how the environment is getting affected by it.
Packaging companies have to be extra careful while using packaging supplies. And same goes for brands!
Some marketing experts are commenting how cardboard box suppliers are focusing on 100% recyclable products. Even thin non-recyclable plastic strips will cease to exist five years from now.
Popularity of Personalisation
A personal note, name printed on their ordered items, these excite people the most.
Studies show that 49% of younger shoppers between 18-24 years of age prefer gift-like or custom packaging in the U.K.
Brands that treat their customers personally seem to build a close social media engagement. For instance, Nutella will personalize the products by printing customer’s names on their labels.
Customized packaging creates an emotional unboxing experience. For packing companies, everything from packaging materials to delivery service should be a part of the customer’s emotional experience.
Even simple thank you messages can make a difference.
People Affected by Sustainable Packaging
Even though environmental issues have affected people in general— however, certain sections are more responsive than others.
Luxury shoppers, for that matter, places more emphasis on sustainability while making purchasing decisions. Around 48% of luxury shoppers subscribe to newsletters based on their environmental stands.
Among that, 31% of them compare a company with others based on these factors.
Again, it has been observed that 60% of consumers credited sustainability as a packaging factor. They are most likely to shop from the company again.
These factors indicate that people with more awareness and time values eco-friendly packaging companies.
User-Friendly Packaging
When it comes to packaging, no one likes it complicated.
Frustration-free packaging is a term used when a consumer starts with the unboxing experience, and the cradle-to-cradle concept is to reuse, recycle, and so on.
This is something businesses need to keep in mind when they buy cardboard boxes and other supplies. For instance, sporting goods need to be packed in a certain way.
Also, other than inner packaging, consumers focus on components like packing slips, pre-paid return labels to the shipping company.
To sum it up…
Packaging companies that only think about brick-and-mortar stores are unable to have effective and sustainable packaging solutions in online retail sectors.
The e-commerce retailers are setting new trends demonstrating a willingness to provide customer needs, especially in the area of packaging.
It is about making a community and develops a healthy ecological system among the manufacturing industry.
According to industry experts, apart from digitalization, the Covid19 pandemic has been a significant factor in revolutionizing trends, sometimes even conflicting ones.
Expert packaging companies like Packaging Midlands are about making a community and developing a healthy ecological system among the manufacturing industry.