Are you a small business looking to develop or improve the packaging you use? We put our heads together and thought of 3 packaging considerations that you could find useful.
1. Review your priorities: What’s most important to your business?
The sustainability
We’re sure you know how important it is to do your bit for the environment. If environmental impact is a priority for you, you should consider the sustainability of your packaging.
Paper packaging should be your number one choice when it comes to going green. All paper is recyclable, sustainable and biodegradable! If you want to go one step further, you can use recycled paper and cardboard, which will help minimise your environmental impact.
We love paper void fill systems like FillPak TT, provide cushioning and use FSC certified paper – much more customer friendly than foam chips or plastic air cushions. You can even use gummed paper tape, for an eco-friendly sealing option.
Another sustainability consideration is how much packaging you use. If you use too much, you’ll annoy customers and increase your parcel weight and size. This in turn increases the CO2 emissions during delivery. Our experts can help you tackle this!
The cost
Keeping cost down is important to everyone, especially if you work for a small business.
If cost is your priority, you may want to go with the most basic packaging, but you should be mindful that the true cost of packaging comes from you whole supply chain, not just the unit price. To understand the true cost of your operation you need to review labour, storage, transportation, administration, customer experience and damages & returns.
If you speak to our specialists, they’ll be able to help you create solutions that enhance your bottom line. Check out this case study where we saved one customer £50,000 with one small packaging change.
The appearance
Your packaging should appeal to your target market and mirror your brand. For example, if you’re a luxury brand shipping high value items, the packaging you choose should reflect this. You could look at custom tissue to line your boxes and embossing your print.
For eco-friendly brands, using krait boxes and earth-toned colours would be more suitable. However you want it to look – we can help. Check out our bespoke packaging service for more information.
2. Review your postage costs
To keep costs down, paying attention to postage is key. How much will it cost to send your items? Click here to get our hand guide to optimising packs for Royal Mail postage.
3. Review the level of protection you need from your packaging
Are the goods that you’re shipping fragile or high value? Then protective packaging should be one of your top considerations. The nature of your product will determine the level of protection that you need and what is a worthwhile investment. Click here for our protective packaging guide.
One of our favourite protective options is Geami WrapPak for shipping ceramics, non-fragile cosmetics, food items and other houseware. Another is Airsac inflatable packaging – great if you’re dispatching fragile goods like wine, electronics and artwork. Investing in the right will reduce returns, save money and improve your customer experience.
Do you need some help?
If you have any questions about the above, don’t hesitate to contact us on 01902 496666, email us or complete our contact form and our team will be happy to help you!
