With online customers now paying more attention to packaging, eCommerce brands and retailers have started moving towards sustainable packaging solutions.
It is a fact that package optimization is challenging for e-commerce businesses and retailers because many factors have to be considered across the supply chains, such as transportation costs, protection, unboxing experience, fulfillment speed, and of course, sustainability. However, with the focus on packaging, there’s more drive for innovations to enable retailers and brands to drive costs from the supply chain and simultaneously deliver an excellent customer experience.
The ever-evolving landscape of the packaging industry – constant changes in supply chain needs and the introduction of new technologies – means that suppliers are tasked with keeping up to speed with these changes while meeting customer demands. In addition, as the importance of sustainable packaging dawns on the industry, brands now seek efficient packaging solutions to give their product a standout look and mark out the organization as one with sustainability values.
The increase in online sales and the constant evolution of customer expectation in today’s digitized world has increased the pressure on e-commerce businesses and brand owners to try and stand out.
The surge in online goods demand in the last year, especially because of the pandemic, has created new problems for people in the packaging industry. How will they meet these online demands without generating waste and contributing further to the current issues? How will they abide by the growing demand for sustainability while dealing with the increase in demand?
The increase in online sales and the constant evolution of customer expectation in today’s digitized world has increased the pressure on e-commerce businesses and brand owners to try and stand out. And one of the best ways to do this is by packaging. Packaging is essential for a business to grow profitably, deliver an excellent brand experience, and manage the complexities of the supply chain.
Most online customers want to see sustainability in packaging solutions, with more people becoming environmentally conscious. This is another reason why brands are moving from the unsustainable packaging solutions they’ve followed for years. Instead, they’re now designing and using environmentally-friendly packaging, most of which are from biodegradable, renewable, and recyclable materials. This opens the gateway to more sustainable packaging practices and the evolution of sustainable innovations heading into the future.
To aid sustainability and the growth of eCommerce businesses, here are the top 3 packaging innovations that they can adopt:
Better planet packaging
The better planet packaging innovation is one of the main drivers of sustainability in the packaging industry. This initiative ensures that we can reimagine a packaging solution that is more sustainable and also addresses the increasing challenge of packaging litter and waste that end up in landfills and the oceans. Furthermore, this innovation ensures that everyone within the packaging industry is responsible for responding to the challenges that society and the environment face caused by the industry’s unsustainable practices.
A packaging solution that is more sustainable and also addresses the increasing challenge of packaging litter and waste that end up in landfills and the oceans.
This initiative aims to reduce the amount of waste that unsustainable packaging solutions generate and prevent these wastes from ending up in the oceans and landfills worldwide. The best way to achieve this industry goal is to input their strength into biodegradable, recyclable, and renewable materials, packaging recycling, and design, coupled with the further development of innovative alternatives from leading experts in the industry.
Integrated packaging management
Other fulfillment processes resist proper optimization in packaging processes. Using an end-to-end approach for packaging management in the distribution center ensures that packaging integrates effectively with other processes in the supply chain. The management staff can be distributed across the center to ensure the alignment of package design with the transportation resources. This also provides the flexibility that needs to make late decisions depending on conditional changes.
The processes of fulfillment, packaging and transportation are closely connected.
The processes of fulfillment, packaging and transportation are closely connected. So, slight changes to the design and size of the packaging may bring about significant savings in other parts and not compromise on the packaging performance. Therefore, an end-to-end approach to product packaging considers the impact of each change on the whole process. This makes it easy to identify inefficiencies in the supply chain that require changes for more benefit.
Bulk dispenser refilling
Although it is similar to the consumer bulk buying in refillable containers, it is an entirely different packaging trend within the wholesale-to-retail market. This fast-growing trend, expanding into the USA, Europe, Canada, Brazil, South Africa, and Indonesia. It often involves the wholesalers requesting that retailers bring their containers for a refill.
This process often involves the wholesalers requesting that retailers bring their containers for a refill.
Only a few wholesalers have adopted this trend, and it is only used for relatively few products. However, retailers such as Waitrose and Asda already provide several products to their customers in bulk dispensers – mostly cereals, nuts, pasta, and other dry products – that need refilling. With the fast-rising growth of this trend, it’s only a matter of time before smaller grocery stores and general stores adopt it because it aids environmental sustainability.
Conclusion
Packaging can impact many other processes in the supply chain, including transportation costs and customer experience. Therefore, it is essential that eCommerce businesses can take an end-to-end approach towards their packaging process. Furthermore, having access to the latest packaging designs and management innovations would help the eCommerce brand deal with existing boundaries and develop packaging to improve sustainability, reduce cost, and give customers their desired experience.
Author Bio:
Jessica Chapman is a writing editor and one of the top essay writers at assignment help UK where she provides genuine essay writing services. She is from Chicago. She is into sport and politics and enjoys traveling.
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