Consumer habits are changing. Most opt to buy online instead of visiting brick-and-mortar retail stores for everything from everyday essentials to premium, one-off purchases.
With this shift in consumer behaviour comes a need to address the way products are packed, shipped and delivered. Sustainability is a core focus for 2022, but in-depth branded experiences are a close second. So what does this mean for eCommerce businesses?
Is Custom Packaging Important in eCommerce?
Bridging the gap between digital and physical worlds is packaging. It’s the first thing consumers encounter and brings their previously online-only journey to life. It has the power to enrich their experience or create a rift in their expectations about the quality and value of their purchase.
Previously an afterthought or a luxury for large-scale brands, custom packaging is proving indispensable for online retailers in the modern business landscape.
Custom Packaging Is a Marketing Tool
The eCommerce space is more fiercely competitive than ever before. Over the past two years, unprecedented levels of online sales have heated up tense rivalries between businesses across all sectors, from household cleaning products to fashion brands. Most are aware of the power of perks like free shipping and hassle-free returns, but customised packaging is coming to the fore.
Creating a seamless, branded experience from research to discovery to purchase isn’t straightforward. Each aspect of the customer journey needs to be carefully considered. Your brand’s positioning needs to be perfect to stand out from the competition and offer distinctly more value than anyone else in the space, and making a spectacle of well-thought-out packaging can tip the balance in your favour.
Sustainable Packaging Is a Must
While standing out on the digital shelves of the online marketplace is crucial, custom branding is second place to sustainability. Consumers are willing to spend more on sustainably packaged products than those clad in environmentally damaging packaging. This poses a problem, as many manufacturers still rely on cheap yet efficient plastic packaging like non-recyclable mailing bags or bubble wrap mailers that aren’t easily recycled or reused.
Now that consumers are much more aware of their environmental impact, shipping products in this non-recyclable or non-biodegradable packaging is highly unfashionable and equally unsustainable. Here, a custom packaging solution crafted from eco-friendly materials can elevate your brand’s status in the eCommerce arena without compromising your brand’s values.
The Future of Packaging Beckons
In some ways, the world has reverted to tried and true packaging processes and materials, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Backing away from plastic and returning to corrugated packaging has led to global shortages in the short-term but avoided vast amounts of plastic waste and pollution in the medium to long term. Is this a vision of the future?
Consumers want more for their money and would rather avoid unsustainable products and packaging. Therefore, eco-friendly custom packaging provides a positive outlet for businesses to offer more value to customers while reducing their carbon footprint.