How to Overcome 4 Biggest Challenges of E-Commerce Packaging?
The e-commerce market has been on the boom for a few years and there are no chances of it slowing down. E-commerce is an ecosystem that allows consumers and businesses to interact online either to sell or to buy and it has the greatest impact on packaging. Packaging is the best fit when it comes to online selling or extended supply chain, but there are challenges. Here are 4 different challenges in E-Commerce packaging and ways to counter them. SUPPLY CHAIN The biggest issue is the existence of a longer supply chain where arises an important concern of the mishandling of packaged material. With the number of third parties in the supply chain, comes secondary packaging cost to ensure breakproof and shatterproof packaging to keep the material safe. Businesses need to be very confident about the parties involved to ensure a robust supply chain with multiple modes of transport and storage means. Moreover, you can opt for PET packaging that eliminates the need for secondary packaging and cuts down extra packaging costs. MATERIAL WEIGHT Material weight is another concern as it comes with an important question as to how many products can be shipped and how would it impact the storage cost and freight charges? It really increases the packaging cost that’s the biggest challenge to deal with. Businesses can opt for lightweight packaging such as PET packaging in case of food and beverages that’s quite cost-effective and helps to ship multiple products in one go. PRODUCT INTEGRITY and SAFETY Throughout the E-commerce supply chain, the products are in the process of continuous movement. This process exposes the products to several conditions where packaging needs to have a performance to keep the product safe and secure from any damage. Businesses need to work on keeping the structural integrity and durability of the product intact. Strict monitoring would help to keep the process transparent and keep the product safe from any possible damages. DESIGNING and CUSTOMIZATION Designing and customization of packaging is another challenge that businesses face today. There are different types of products that require different packaging and finding an exact fit for the product is somewhat difficult. This is the reason that companies have to come with an option of customization. Moreover, a consumer may reject the product due to the design if it doesn’t have that attractive look that adds to the brand value. Businesses should work on designing the perfect packaging for their customers that fits their expectations and come up with more customized packaging which enhances the overall look. The design should be such that it communicates your brand value through specific colours and flowing graphics which focuses on the brand. Final Word The act of unboxing is a great experience and companies should work their way through these challenges to make it a pleasant activity for their customers. As packaging is prime in the circular economy, work on the sustainability factor by being less wasteful with the usage of less material. Author Bio: Shalu Jain, senior sales executive at DCGpac, is known for her industry knowledge and experience in overcoming complex challenges with innovative solutions. In her free time, Shalu prefers to read books, listen to music and explore new places. Read the full article