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Packaging and E-Commerce: what Prospects?
Posted By Alex Samuel
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In Europe, online commerce or e-commerce has attracted more than 331 million Internet users and has sent more than 4 billion parcels in 2014. The United Kingdom is the state where this trend was the strongest with sales of 127.2 billion euros, followed by Germany (71.2 billion euros) and France (56.8 billion euros). The total amount of online purchases continues to grow, with a 14% increase between 2013 and 2014; this trend is expected to increase in the coming years.
There are many reasons to explain the growing consumer appetite for e-commerce. First of all, there is the "practical" and "easy" side of the act of buying online, which dispenses with all physical shopping in often busy stores. Then comes the promise of more competitive prices , with the ability to quickly compare different products, or the opportunity to buy the same product through a multitude of different platforms .
The exponential development of online shopping was particularly evident on the occasion of the last Black Friday (literally the "Black Friday", which takes place the day after the Thanksgiving meal), on November 27, 2015. At first simple commercial phenomenon organized in store in shopping centers, the event has in a few years greatly amplifiedto also concern e-commerce. During the week of Black Friday, consumer spending is estimated at £ 4.3 billion [1] for the purchase of discounted products, an increase of 44% over the same period compared to 2014. We We now know that buying online is a sustainable phenomenon, so what should online shopping sites do to offer their customers a top quality experience? What are the emerging trends for this year 2016?
Advertising directly on the packaging
In 2015, Amazon customers received their orders wrapped in bright yellow boxes customized with the characters of "Minions". This advertising format, which has made the link between the e-commerce giant, the Universal production studios and its subsidiary Illumination Entertainment is a first of its kind. It helps to generate new (advertising) revenue for Amazon.
We should witness the proliferation of very qualitative partnerships of this kind, which allow companies to share common values with the same target audiences. If this is done well a "win-win" scenario can really be put in place.
Advertising in packaging
The presence of a mark on a packaging for advertising purposes is not new, as almost all online sales sites already offer this option. However, printing the logo of a mark inside the packaging is much less common, largely because of its high cost: this form of advertising is considered the least profitable. A recent report by Dotcom Distribution Packaging found that 39% of respondents have already shared on a social network a photo or video of a product ordered online, and this right out of the box. In addition, 60% of respondents said they would be more likely to share a photo of a product upon receipt if it was sent in a "gift box" similar to the product wrapping in foam (more customized) rather than in a package traditional brown.It appears in the end that the cost-opportunity ratio of communication may well be changing. Packaging customization time could be further considered to create a more impressive and interesting online order receipt experience. If the "wow" effect works, customers may be inclined to share more photos of products purchased online.
Reusable packaging
Internet users are increasingly savvy consumers when it comes to online shopping: they are often looking for free shipping promotions and carefully studying the return schemes for items. In the footwear sector in particular, it is not uncommon to encounter the case of ordering two pairs of shoes, with the intention of keeping only the preferred pair - and returning the pair that they like the least. This practice has resulted in a significant increase in the demand for environmentally friendly packaging , in order to allow consumers to easily repackage their products without having to tinker patch the original box.
More adaptable packaging
Online sales sites have long been confronted with a shortage of supply in the packaging sector, which has adapted late to their specific needs. E-commerce sites have also been criticized for using poorly fitting and oversized packaging. However, with the emergence of smart solutions such as Sealed Air's Korrvu that employs a suspension and retention system that is suitable for a wide variety of shapes and sizes, retailers can finally use packaging more suited to their needs.
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