In the last two decades, the revolution of online, direct-to-consumer (DTC, D2C) packaging sales has disrupted the marketplace. As more consumers opt for the “buy now” button over the store shelf, businesses, large, small, and start-ups, must adjust their systems in order to keep up. And to have an edge over the competition, they must innovate all the more, especially small businesses.
There's no going back and it’s safe to say that the DTC model is not a passing fad. While the “Amazon Effect” has certainly made online shopping the norm, resulting in vanishing malls and brick-and-mortar shops, people are looking for more direct, personal experiences with companies and their products. According to Bringg Logistics, “. . .almost half (48 percent) of manufacturers are racing to build Direct-to-Consumer channels, with almost all of them (87 percent) seeing these channels as relevant to their products and consumers.”
For the consumer, it’s not just about getting a box on their doorstep while wearing pajamas. It’s about feeling connected with direct-to-consumer packaging!
DTC packaging sales have changed the supply chain in significant ways. Companies that have sent large shipments to retail shops for decades are now finding themselves scrambling to send smaller packages out to individual consumers. As a result, manufacturers are connecting with more business partners and more closely communicating directly with transportation companies and delivery fleets while increasing their number of fulfillment locations, all this with direct-to-consumer packaging!
These are exciting, yet difficult changes. As businesses focus on the old metrics that made their company successful in the past, they find themselves falling behind despite their best efforts. Evolving processes, shifting deadlines, and changing consumer expectations and relationships as the individual replaces the retailer, can add up to a certain level of static that needs a quick change!
But there’s a good side to so many changes. According to a 2015 Forrester report, “an overwhelming 72% of brand manufacturers believe that ‘building a closer relationship directly with the customer’ is a critical benefit of DTC.” In other words, today’s uncharted territory can become tomorrow’s profit.
Here’s why: when transitioning to ecommerce with a direct-to-consumer product, a business must differentiate itself from the pack as they find a pathway into the current industry. One of the most direct and cost-effective ways to differentiate is through direct to consumer packaging with brand packaging and distribution, this by working with a packaging partner, "a packaging company near me", so to speak! By targeting delivery, packaging, and the entire unboxing experience directly to the consumer (DTC, D2C) , the business has more control–and the ability to offer a personal touch, not to mention working with a professional design team that offers unique and custom designed packaging solutions.
With increasing direct-to-consumer packaging expectations, you need a product that looks, feels, and delivers differently. We understand ecommerce packaging and the need for your customers to have a memorable unboxing experience and a dramatic moment of reveal! According to an Amazon study, over 52% of customers that had a positive unboxing experience with their online order, ended up buying from the same online store the next time!
For more information about how you can improve packaging and fulfillment to meet the demands of today’s–and tomorrow’s–consumers, get with a packaging partner and contact us for a packaging audit. Be sure to click here and see how Smilo Baby Products changed their world! Keep in mind Ashtonne provides ideas and solutions utilizing innovative packaging for direct-to-consumer packaging (D2C, DTC) with custom boxes, POP Displays, retail packaging, eCommerce packaging, printed stock boxes, and even wholesale shipping boxes, whatever we identify to meet your needs and exceed your expectations!
Not ready to change your packaging quite yet? Click below to stay in touch and follow our informational blogs and emails, and know we will be ready whenever you are! Keep in mind, Ashtonne Packaging is a "packaging company near me". On the other hand, if you are ready to make a switch and change your future and avoid the pitfalls other companies have, schedule a meeting with us and get this going now, especially with the push for direct to consumer (DTC, D2C) packaging!