If you ship glassware, china or other fragile items, you know how nerve-wracking it can be to send them into the rough-and-tumble transit world. Once they’re out of your control, anything can happen.
But there are steps you can take to protect them and your sanity. You might call it the “wrap, box, pad, seal, mark” approach. It seems pretty simple, but it’s actually a little more complicated than it sounds. Continue reading “How to Ship Glassware Safely” »
Simply put, industrial packaging keeps products safe on their way from the producer to the next point on the path to a consumer—say, from a ballpoint pen manufacturer to a retail store.
Retail packaging makes the product attractive to the consumer using compelling design and strong messaging. In other words, the primary reason for industrial packaging is to protect. For retail packaging, it’s to sell.
Damaged goods don’t sell, and they cost manufacturers time, money and goodwill.
So what can be done to protect products once they leave your facility on their journey to the consumer? Continue reading “15+ Must Have Industrial Packaging Materials” »
“It’s what is inside that really counts.” Although we often say this about people, some manufacturers and distributors think the same way about product packaging. They pore over every product detail, and then ship it out in whatever box that is available, without any thought to protection or presentation. Ignoring custom shipping packaging, however, can have a negative impact on your brand and your bottom line.
Why You Need Custom Shipping Packaging Supplies:
There are lots of people who will see your package, so why not use it to make a positive brand statement? If your product arrives damaged because the packaging did not perform its job, your company loses time in customer service and wastes the effort of sending a replacement.
And this doesn’t take into consideration whether that person remains as a customer, or how many other people they tell about their “lousy” experience!
What They Are:
There are two sides to custom packaging. One is the packaging itself, which needs to be constructed specifically for a particular product to protect it during the shipping process. A well-constructed package also makes a positive impression when end consumers first receive it.
The other side of custom packaging is what it says to everyone who handles it. Your package may be handled by delivery people, sales people, warehouse workers and many others before it gets to the consumer.
Use every chance to make a brand statement with digital printing on the outside of your box. What can this strategy do?
Which Packaging Supplies Should Be Customized?
Some of the many ways to customize shipping packaging supplies include:
Although tape doesn’t get a lot of attention, it can cause a lot of problems if it doesn’t hold the box closed. Once you’ve got the right tape strength for the job, print a logo on it to increase brand awareness.
In addition to outside printing, the construction itself is crucial. You can order a special thickness for a custom-printed corrugated box that will keep your product safer. Custom retention packaging or foam packaging will protect sensitive products from shock and vibration.
Custom partitions keep multiple products inside a box from bumping into each other and becoming damaged. Combined board or corrugated flutes can be customized to provide the necessary level of protection.
These provide corner integrity with capacity from light to heavy duty. They can be printed with “Do not double stack” to further prevent crushing.
Additionally, you’re custom shipping packaging supplies provider can ensure product safety with an edge crush test — making sure your box will not be easily damaged in transit.
Glassware, wine bottles, and delicate electronic items are best protected by custom molded pulp trays or air cushion packaging, which creates a secure, resilient barrier between your product and its shipping container.
Although stock packaging has its place, you should definitely use custom shipping packaging supplies to make sure your products look their best and are properly protected whenever possible.
Not sure what to customize for your business? Talk to one of our packaging experts!
When choosing product packaging materials, there is more to consider than just what looks good.
The reality is, there are all sorts of inspections, regulations, and compliance requirements to consider before you ship your product. Failure to follow these with your packaging can mean money and time wasted, and a bad reputation for your business.
We’ve compiled some of the most important considerations for your packaging, including ones that are often forgotten.
If you are shipping overseas, for example, familiarize yourself with the regulations. Non-compliance may result in product returns, shipping delays and extra costs for inspections and/or repackaging.
This may be a little tricky, and we’d be glad to help you out. Just get in touch with one of our responsive customer service representatives.
Local shipping departments (USPS, UPS, etc.) will have information on product packaging material requirements. such as labeling requirements.
Each mode of transportation subjects shipments differently, and each mode may have different levels of environmental exposure, physical forces, and re-handling.
To reduce damage due to transportation, storage and handling, determine the product’s susceptibility to water, sunlight, temperature, and physical stress (i.e. compression, impact, vibration, surface contact, etc.).
Shipped products are often inspected upon delivery for quality conformance and accurate shipping count.
For example, when receiving more than one item the recipient may prefer bulk packaging so that he/she can easily open the package for inspection.
Freight rates and air parcel, for example, are typically structured on a weight/measure basis.
Dense cargo is billed according to the actual shipment weight, whereas lighter cargo is billed according to the volume displaced. Reducing the packaging profile can reduce costs.
No matter how scanty the supply chain, most products will be stored and/or handled multiple times. To increase viability, incorporate bar-codes, radio frequency ID tags, and/or GPS technology in the product’s packaging.
Reusable packaging can lower total costs and improve sustainability.
It can also be an added value for customers who are environmentally conscious, and will thus be more inclined to buy from your brand.
EPR reforms make manufacturers responsible for a product’s entire life cycle. Some companies include return packaging and/or shipping with their products, so consumers can easily return items.
10. Ask For Help
Keeping all of the aforementioned rules, regulations, and guidelines straight can be a lot of work. Partnering with a shipping supply vendor who can help explain all of the compliance considerations and craft your product packaging materials and shipping supplies perfectly to align with them can be key in saving your business time and money.
We’re happy to help walk you through any questions you might have.
Source: Inbound Logistics
Packages often live hard lives. They are jostled about by machines and conveyor belts. People toss them on trucks, or stack them to unreasonable heights without worrying about crushing what is inside.
If it is your precious product inside that package, you might have a big problem on your hands.
So, whose fault is it when a product arrives broken or damaged? Some responsibility lies in the transportation process, but most fault can be traced directly to poor product packaging — meaning, it’s actually your fault.
Protective Packaging Saves You Money
Fortunately there are a number of protective packaging products that can keep your fragile merchandise safe — saving you from having to send the product again, wasting countless dollars (and hours) in the meantime.
Products that arrive in good condition make a great first impression, keep the customer happy, and avoid return problems. Best of all, packaging can even be customized to meet your exact product shape and shipping requirements.
How do you know the best way to keep your product safe? We’ve outlined the best custom shipping packaging supplies to keep even the most uniquely shaped products from breaking.
Retention Inserts & Suspension Packaging
You’ve heard of the benefits of suspension bridges – they absorb a lot of weight and movement with minimum materials. Imagine if the same concept could be applied to protecting delicate electronic items like laptops and smartphones, or easily breakable items.
Instead of surrounding your product in an avalanche of eco-unfriendly “peanuts,” it is gently suspended and secured between two pieces of high-quality protective film — almost as though it is resting on air.
Customers don’t have to dig through packaging that wastes your money and makes a mess for them. When they open the box, their purchase is instantly displayed and easily accessible so they can experience immediate enjoyment.
If you customize your retention inserts and suspension packaging, you can ensure they fit your product perfectly — eliminating any risk of damage.
Custom Foam Cushioning
Let’s say your product has a unique shape or a number of delicate parts that need to be separated and held securely. This shipping challenge calls for custom foam cushioning, where an exact mold is made of your products and then transformed into a gentle foam cushion that safely envelops and displays each individual part.
The foam can be created from a variety of materials and endlessly crafted to meet your exact product needs. Your end user simply removes your product from its protective nest and gets right to work.
Air Cushion Packaging
We’ve come a long way from using linens or paper to protect items during shipping. Now we can simply create a series of cost-effective air “pillows” that are joined together to create a shock barrier between your product and the outer packaging.
Air cushioning is perfect for light-weight or delicate items, products like toner cartridges, or for products with a number of smaller parts or compartments such as tool kits or make-up collections.
Custom Molded Pulp Trays
Fragile items such as wine bottles or glass wares need an extra level of protection that can only be provided by a custom molded pulp tray. Although they are light-weight and cost-effective, they provide a high degree of protection for the most delicate of shipments.
Custom molded pulp trays are made from recyclable materials, stack easily in your warehouse, and are ready and waiting when you need them for larger shipments.
Custom Box Partitions
Nothing is worse than opening a box only to find that the contents have collided with each other and broken. This common shipping challenge can easily be avoided with the use of custom box partitions — which keep shipments from coming into contact with each other.
They can be corrugated or chipboard, and customized for size and thickness.
Are you shipping a product that is so unique, you still don’t know the best way to protect it? Give us a call! We’re always happy to walk you through your protective packaging options, and guarantee to keep your product safe.
In business, the “elevator pitch” is crucial – a story, anecdote, or explanation of a product that can be delivered in the time it takes an elevator to reach its destination.
In the B2C sphere, your packaging and presentation become that elevator pitch — and the harder they are to see, enjoy, or understand, the harder you’ll have to work to sell your products.
You need to design and budget for custom floor and counter top displays that not only capture the eye, but the imagination of your customers as well. So how can you make that happen?
If your goal is for your in-store displays to capture the attention of customers, they need to be unique; customizing your displays is one of the best ways to accomplish this.
But, the world of customization inherently means there are endless options, and it can be complicated deciding what and how to customize in the way that’s best for your business.
We’ve put together some areas to focus on for custom that should give a good starting point for standing out.
If you were asked which soda had a red and white label, and which had a red and blue one, chances are you’d know them instantly as Coca-Cola® and Pepsi®, respectively.
Color is familiar and appeals to consumers of all ages. Color can also easily convey your brand identity and company message. Want to convey natural, wholesome, and eco-friendly? Go for a vibrant shade of green. Want people to feel happy or cheerful about your product? Vibrant orange or lemon yellow will do the trick.
It’s also one of the easiest ways to get “bang for your budget buck” when it comes to planning, creating, and placing displays – a brightly-colored display works as a billboard that summons attention while holding your product.
While you won’t be able to Frankenstein some jumper cables to your custom floor and countertop displays, you can certainly equip them with a battery pack or plug.
Moving components, lights, sound, music, and light sensor triggers ensure that your display places itself actively in customer perception, rather than waiting passively to be noticed. Some stores tend to be naturally quiet, making sound a particularly useful tactic.
Some enterprising companies are even fitting their displays with holding frames for tablet computers, which display a commercial or explainer video whenever a customer walks by.
Designing modular displays that can be quickly and easily set up directly from a shipping box means that your products will always be shown in the best light. The more complex and complicated a display is, the greater the risk of a component breaking or becoming lost in transit or storage.
Looks are only one facet of a great custom display – make sure it can stay looking attractive and professional, even if a few customers decide to invade its personal space, or a curious passing child gets a little grabby.
Your display tells your story when you can’t be there to do it in person – make sure it has the voice you want to represent your company!
Ultimately, well-designed custom floor or countertop display should be:
Want some help figuring out the ideal custom floor or counter top display? We can help!
