Five Stages of Packaging to Ensure Sales Success
If you're manufacturing a product for manufacture and distribution, then you are also planning for its success. One sale leads to another, leading to major store locations, leading to huge deliveries across the country. Those are the outcomes.
But what about the hurdles to overcome as you scale that level of growth? When you find yourself saying, “Gee, I hadn’t thought of that”, you’re likely too late.
When it comes to product sales, packaging enters the picture almost every time, in multiple stages, regardless if it's retail, shelf-ready or wholesale packaging. Most people think about the box a product will ultimately find itself within, but there are other things to consider. And it’s important that you consider them now, and not when it may be too late.
Here are 5 things to think about as far as what types of packaging you’ll need at different stages of the game:
1. Product Packaging
Our first consideration is likely obvious. What is the customer going to open when they have the product in their hands? Typically, you’re thinking about branding and convenience, the unboxing experience, etc. But you also need to concern yourself with protection, ensuring the product remains intact in handling, storage, and transport. And, it’s important at this point to be proactive in thinking about the necessary information you’ll want and need to provide on the box. Things like labels and instructions may need to go on the outside.
You may also need to show legal requirements like ingredients, expiration dates, or usage warnings. Finally, be sure you are thinking through the customer experience
after opening the box. Be sure to have a plan for instruction manuals, warranty cards, and any other extras that will be expected available instantly after the box is open. As a bonus idea, start to think about gift packaging or combination packaging for your successful product’s next stages of growth, or to spur a new product launch. Click here for the blog post we wrote recently about branded gift and combination packaging.
2. Retail Packaging
Too often, a retail packaging strategy is ignored, or at best, not considered. You need to have a plan that will optimize the product’s presentation on shelves and assist in inventory management. You should be thinking about Display, Sizing, Promotional Information, and Durability in this important stage:
Display: Packaging should be visually appealing and designed to stand out on shelves.
Size and Shape: Must fit retail shelving systems andcomply with store guidelines.
Information: This should include promotional details, pricing, and any additional information to aid in sales.
Durability: Needs to withstand handling by customers and staff, including potential rough handling.
3. E-Commerce Packaging
Perhaps your initial product packaging strategy works here. If you’ve planned for a superior unboxing experience, and for a digital customer satisfaction process to ensure great communication with your customers, then you’ll do just fine in E-commerce. But, if you cut some budget for less sturdy packaging or a simple “off the shelf” approach, you may find yourself wishing you’d planned for E-commerce sales and distribution. Plan for this experience, if you’re planning for success on any level. 
4. Shipping Packaging
Wait! Didn’t we just talk about “shipping”? No, we talked about E- commerce. You also need to be thinking about the logistics of safe and efficient transportation from the warehouse to the retailer or consumer.
Four Considerations:
- Protection: Should prevent damage during transit, which may include cushioning, durable materials, and secure seals.
- Cost-Effectiveness: Balances protection with shipping costs; larger or heavier packaging can increase shipping fees.
- Efficiency: Packaging should optimize space to reduce shipping costs and improve handling efficiency.
- Labeling: Must include clear shipping labels, barcodes, and tracking information for
logistics management.
5. Secondary Packaging (for bulk shipping)
Finally, how will you handle large shipping opportunities and warehousing of your products? You may have a plan for your customer, and you may have a plan to ship to the store. But do you have a plan when you are shipping to a franchise of stores or a large quantity of products?
Specifically:
• Consider how your product and packaging will stand up to big skids and loaders, and multiple handling points along the way.
• Think about the strength needed to handle weight and quantity without breaking.
• Strategize for stacking and moving.
• Consider adding brand visibility, especially if it’s the outer layer seen by retailers.
Each stage of packaging is interconnected, and careful consideration of each ensures that the product is well-protected, compliant, appealing, and cost-effective throughout its journey from production to consumer.
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From a new idea to the next expansion, Ashtonne Packaging has been helping both large and small businesses launch new products and expand product lines with product packaging and display strategy, design, and development for over 15 years.
For more information and a friendly conversation about what you might need to improve your product packaging and display, call Ashtonne Packaging at 877-832-7720 or contact us here, and let’s set a time to talk. We look forward to it.
