How to Get the Best ROI on Your Packaging for Shipping
Imagine this: you’ve ordered something online and you can’t wait for it to arrive. The day finally comes but…the product inside is broken. Instead of being able to enjoy your product, you now have to deal with the lengthy — and annoying — return process. Unfortunately, products arrive damaged all too often, costing businesses thousands of dollars per year. The great news is that you can avoid this costly mess with the right packaging for shipping. Investing in custom solutions can help you reduce your average return rate and increase the number of happy customers. Below, we’re highlighting a few tips to get you started.
Tip 1: Understand Your Product’s Needs
When creating packaging for shipping, the first thing you need to do is understand your product’s needs. This involves evaluating what kind of packaging durability you need, along with additional packaging material demands, and more.
Fluting and Wall Structure
Corrugated packaging offers a range of flute sizes and wall structures, which helps you balance strength with cost-effectiveness. Understanding what kind of durability you need will lead to a better ROI for your custom packaging solutions.
For instance, there are five different types of flutes: A, B, C, E, and F. A-flute will be the thickest, providing the best cushioning and vertical compression strength for fragile products. F-flute is at the other end of the spectrum, offering the thinnest option. F-flute is very rigid and will most often be used for small retail packaging and other specialty products.
You’ll have to choose the appropriate flute(s) for your product, then pair it with the right wall structure. Single-wall is the simplest design, with one layer of corrugated fluting sandwiched between two liner boards. Next comes double-wall, which has two layers of corrugated fluting and three liner boards. Finally, there’s triple-wall, which consists of three layers of corrugated fluting and four flat liner boards. Single-wall will provide adequate protection against damage, while triple-wall may be more appropriate for extremely fragile items.
Confused about which option is right for you? Our team can help you decide.
Additional Packaging Materials
Is your item fragile? If so, you may need additional packaging materials inside of the box to prevent damage. This is where shipping foam comes in handy for items like electronics and glassware.
Typically, foam will be made of either polyurethane or polyethylene. Polyurethane is a flexible yet durable open-celled material. It combines softness and quick recovery with dependable resistance to damage. It’s also a lightweight option, which can help you save on logistics costs. Polyethylene has a closed-cell structure which is perfect for dampening vibrations and protecting your most shock-sensitive components. This will be the best option for your heaviest and most fragile items.
Shipping foam can also be customized with anti-static properties to help keep your products safe against electrical discharges during the shipping process. An experienced packaging manufacturer can help you determine what’s right for your brand.
Shape and Uniqueness
If you have an oddly shaped or irregular product, tailoring your packaging can help prevent shifting and damage during the process. A reliable packaging manufacturer can use computer-aided systems to design a custom box that snugly fits your product. In turn, this lessens the chance of product damage and returns.
Tip 2: Optimize for Cost-Effectiveness
As competition grows within your industry, optimizing packaging for cost-effectiveness becomes an even bigger concern. While custom packaging may have a higher initial investment, it can help you improve your bottom line. An experienced packaging manufacturer can help you “right-size” your packaging to help you save on shipping costs. This means creating a custom solution to fit your product exactly, cutting down on additional shipping materials like bubble wrap or shipping foam. With more compact boxes, you’ll also be able to save on logistics costs.
Custom packaging may also encourage repeat purchases and entice new customers to try your brand, as well. When it comes to e-commerce, customers want to have a great unboxing experience. In fact, 63% of consumers say they are more likely to purchase from a brand again after having a positive unboxing experience. What’s more, your boxes can act as portable billboards throughout the entire shipping process. This may encourage new customers to order from your business.
Tip 3: Focus on Sustainability and Eco-Friendly Options
Consumers of all age groups are becoming more environmentally conscious. They’re looking for brands that offer sustainable options, and they’re willing to pay a premium for it. In fact, nearly 70% of consumers said they would pay more for a product in sustainable packaging. That’s why it’s so important to work with a packaging manufacturer that has sustainability in mind.
At Jamestown Container, we do everything we can to ensure our packaging is as sustainable as possible. All of our locations receive lightweight, recycled linerboard from the Greenpac Mill in Niagara Falls, NY. This facility has one of the lowest amounts of paper mill landfill waste in the country. Additionally, the mill operates without the use of fossil fuels, which reduces our carbon footprint.
We’ve also joined the Box to Nature program to continue our quest to make huge strides in the sustainability space. This initiative is led by The Paper and Packaging Board to help promote responsible recycling practices and enhance environmental sustainability.
And our work doesn’t stop there. For a full snapshot of our sustainability practices, see our dedicated webpage.
Work with Jamestown Container for Your Packaging Needs
When it comes to packaging for shipping, you don’t want to trust just anyone. The safety of your products is on the line. For decades, Jamestown Container has been at the forefront of shipping solutions, helping customers get the perfect option for their needs. Our high-quality custom packaging is capable of handling even the toughest jobs and can keep any item protected while adding a professional element to your package.
But our expertise doesn’t stop at making packaging for shipping. We also offer protective foam, retail packaging, POP displays, and much more. We can even manage your inventory with our eVMI program. Just scan the barcode on your boxes as you use them and we’ll have a real-time snapshot of your entire inventory. We’ll create and distribute boxes to your facility so you never run out. And if you’d rather outsource your packaging entirely, we offer contract packaging solutions.
Let’s Get Started
Ready to create high-quality packaging for shipping? Reach out to our team to set up an initial consultation.