The great thing about a new year is the chance to start off fresh and make some changes in the way you do things. Maybe that means deciding you’ll go to the gym, or committing to reading more often. Either way, you’ve resolved to make improvements for yourself, and that’s always a good thing.
You’ve heard the expression “new year, new you”–so why not “new year, new packaging”? Your brand or operation gets the chance to reboot and improve too, so why not take it?
Let’s take a look at some great suggestions for New Year’s packaging resolutions.
Create Unboxing Experiences
It’s been called a trend, but it’s here to stay. “Unboxing” is turning your secondary packaging into as big a presentation as your primary packaging. It can be as simple as branding shipping boxes with your logo or packing things in colored bubble cushion. But one thing is certain: how your customer experiences opening that box is just as important as the product inside it.
Personalize the Packaging
It’s a big world out there, with lots of businesses and online retailers to choose from. So how do you resolve to stand out from the pack? Send handwritten or custom thank you notes, making sure to use your customer’s name. Give them discount coupons and special bonus offers for their patronage, or even drop some candy or branded merchandise in with their shipment. Personalize everything you can.
Use Custom Boxes
Who doesn’t love color? Who doesn’t love colored boxes? Have your products make a big splash—and stand out in the brown box crowd—by arriving in bright and vibrant packaging. There’s really no quicker way to make a memorable statement. And once you’re memorable, you’re golden—or ladybug red, or jungle green, or lagoon blue…
Invest in Return-Friendly Packaging
If you’re an online retailer, you’ll have returns. You can make things easier on you and your customers by using packaging that’s easy to open and easily used to send things back. Airjacket® Poly Bubble Mailers with the PACzip easy tear strip can be opened by hand, meaning scissors aren’t needed and the packaging won’t be destroyed.
Go Green When You Can
Most packaging supplies by nature are recyclable or biodegradable. And every day, more and more packaging materials are becoming environmentally-friendly. Recycled bubble cushion and biodegradable packing peanuts are great options, and standards like foam can always be reused as void fill once they’ve had their day. No operation is ever 100% green, but these days it’s much easier (and cheaper) to get closer to it.
Use the Right Packaging
Don’t ship air. Not everything needs a box, because not everything can fill a box. Spare yourself excess packaging and shipping costs by sending products in what best serves them. Bubble mailers are great for protecting flat items like video games and books, while the security and strength of courier bags are just what clothing and jewelry need.
Don’t forget! Postal companies charge by dimensional weight—both the measurements of a box and how much it weighs. Choosing the right size and type of packaging can save you money in the long run.
Stock Up in Advance
With all that shipping you’re sure to be doing, it can be easy to forget the most important thing: your packaging supplies. Buy in advance and you can be sure you’ll have the supply stash you’ll need to cover your busiest times. Plus, if you buy in bulk, you can make the most of your budget and really reduce costs.
They say the best resolutions are the most interesting ones. With these new year’s packaging resolutions and The Packaging Company by your side, we’re sure you’ll have your most streamlined, successful and interesting year ever.
Happy New Year!
