Retail ready packaging solutions combine the aesthetics of design with the practicality of commerce. Think about how packages are arranged on the shelf of a supermarket or department store – if packaging doesn’t work around spatial limitations or can’t stand up to the wear and tear of daily shopping, businesses will lose customers, as well as revenue from shrinkage.
Packaging experts broke retail ready packaging into five distinct necessaries. Let’s examine why each consideration is as important as the last.
Customers should be all smiles when they handle your packaging.1. Easy to identify
This one’s a no-brainer – if customers can’t tell what your product is or does, why would they spend money on it? However, it’s not just about the shoppers. Retailers must know exactly where they should store and display your products as well to optimize sales.
2. Easy to open
An Ask Your Target Market survey found 62 percent of shoppers might not continue buying a particular brand if the packaging was difficult to manage. To make things more complicated, designers must leverage access against their commitment to product integrity. Tamperproof, yet easy-to-open packaging is an art form, and a design masterpiece that includes both features can fetch quite an audience.
3. Easy to replenish
Chances are, packaged goods on a pallet have secondary packaging that separates them into bulk units – or at least, they should. According to the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, retailers demand manufacturers reduce overall packaging size as much as possible to encourage shelf efficiency in their stores. Smart secondary packaging takes up little space, helps retailers stock goods neatly and utilizes more of the shelf room a manufacturer paid for.
4. Easy to shop
In-store interaction with products matters to the entire shopping experience. Designs must satisfy a customer’s potential questions, like clearly labeled information regarding food allergies or whether batteries are included. Packaging should make purchasing decisions as simple and straightforward as possible.
5. Easy to dispose of/recycle
Finally, Americans threw out 254 million lbs of trash in 2013, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. About one-third of this went to recycling – the other two-thirds, a landfill. Sustainability has become a hallmark of this generation, and businesses committed to reducing their environmental impact through sustainable packaging solutions stand out as industry leaders. When customers know exactly what to do with used packaging after purchasing a product, they are thankful the brand they chose helped make the decision to go green easier.
