Category Archives: Product Packaging

Preparing Packaging Stations For The Holidays

Any holiday season is a time of hassle for businesses as they have to deal with an influx of orders. No company can formulate and implement a packaging strategy to fulfill orders during holidays. Anything to do should be done well ahead of time to avoid any implications of hastiness.

One of the ways to meet consumer demands before holidays is to turn a brick-and-mortar store into a distribution center. That’s where the concept of packaging stations comes in.

With holidays approaching, companies have to make necessary adjustments to their packaging stations to adapt to changed consumer behaviors.

Increase in volume

Holidays result in an increased volume of product orders. According to an estimate, most e-retailers sell 80%-90% of their product during holiday seasons. It means that they have to deal with an extraordinary amount of packaging work to fulfill those orders.

To meet packaging demands, first, you need to determine the amount of packaging material you need. For this purpose, you will first have to look at the amount of material you used the previous year. Then you will have to include an increase in orders and promotions. If you are a new business, you will have to look at the industry stats to determine how much material you will need.

Top-selling SKUs

Some products tend to become top-selling units during holidays. These products may be the ones you sell with promotions and offers. You can look at these SKUs to determine the amount of packaging material you will need during the holiday season. After determining the type of packaging you need, order for more than you need to avoid any shortage.

Bulk orders

Some people place bulk orders for several reasons. They will buy multiple units of the same product during holidays. Some companies also offer discounts and other perks on bulk orders during holidays. Consumers find it a good idea to get several units of such products ahead of time and send them as gifts during holidays.

When you see that people order one of your products in bulk, you have to make sure to use the right boxes or envelopes to accommodate these orders. Make sure that the product fits well inside the box or envelope.

Gift wrap

If you are selling a product that naturally fits in the category of a gift, you can offer special gift packaging for this product during the holidays. This way, you can make an additional amount of money on your orders without having any undesirable impact on your bottom line. This way of product packaging can help improve your consumers’ lives.

You can add a gift message to the packaging of such products to improve the consumer experience. If you want to add gift wrapping to the packaging process of one of your products, you will have to equip your packaging station with gift wrapping equipment. That will help your staff to deal with an influx of orders without slowing down.

Deadlines

While you will get most of your orders well ahead of the holidays, there will be last-minute shoppers coming in to purchase your products. Be ready to serve those customers as well.

Benefits Of Working With A Contract Packaging Company

The time of product packaging being considered an afterthought is long gone. Now, the packaging process has become as crucial as the product manufacturing itself. A significant reason for that is the rising trend of using product packaging for branding purposes. Product protection, however, remains the primary concern.

When you are packaging products, you have to pay attention to details. Working on these details allows you to tailor the product packaging right according to your specific needs. This process involves planning, designing, and ensuring the functionality of the product packaging. The packaging process specifically includes a careful selection of outer packaging supplies and void-fill. The supply chain-related aspect involves fulfillment and shipping.

In simple words, you will have to work on a lot of things to ensure an effective packaging and shipping procedure. Working on this entire procedure is hard for many companies. That’s where the concept of contract packaging comes in.

What is contract packaging?

Contract packaging refers to the concept of outsourcing packaging operations to dedicated packers. The top benefit of this approach is that it allows companies to focus on other aspects of businesses without having to worry about the supply chain. Packaging, fulfillment, and shipping are taken care of by those dedicated companies.

The packaging contract includes everything from materials to equipment to labor. These contract companies source materials and use equipment and labor for product packing. They then take care of the fulfillment and shipping procedure too. Their state-of-the-art systems and highly professional staff avoid downtimes and every other pitfall that can slow down a packaging line. It means your packages will be ready and sent to customers without delays or other problems. You can enter into a contract with a co-packer regardless of the size of your company.

Saving money

Packaging costs are quite a concern for most businesses out there. Working with a contract packaging company, however, can help you save a significant amount of money. You will not have to buy machinery to set up a packaging line and maintain a warehouse. You will not have to pay for labor work. All these savings can help improve your bottom line quite significantly.

Another way you can save money by working with a contract packaging company is that you will not be the one taking care of packaging line malfunctions and other technical issues. Co-packers can take care of downtimes and other issues expertly, ensuring maximum efficiency of operations.

Access to resources

If you are packing your products yourself, you may find it pretty hard to access all necessary resources. You will have to keep track of the industry-best packaging suppliers to make sure you never run out of quality supplies. Contract packaging companies provide you with much-needed relief in this regard. They maintain working relationships with the best suppliers in the industry, allowing you to focus on other crucial matters related to business development and growth.

Working with a contract packaging company is beneficial in a lot of aspects. You get your products packed and shipping to your customers more seamlessly.