A plain brown box – these days, shoppers expect way more than that when they open a package they’ve been eagerly awaiting. After all, that is your brand’s first physical handshake with them. Pretty important, right? Especially when one of these orders may end up getting millions of views on YouTube and TikTok.
Now, you might be thinking, “Sounds great, but how do I make this happen? Invest in tons of boxes, ribbons, colorful wrappings, and other custom packaging materials?”
That’s a nice start; but packaging isn’t just about having attractive supplies on hand. Orders should also arrive in packaging that’s secure and fits well, without any delay (of course). Achieving this requires a lot of money, space, people, and tons of supplies at once.
That’s why packaging, just like other aspects of fulfillment that can be overwhelming, is often outsourced to 3PL providers who can handle it well and do all this customization jazz for you. Further, we explain the importance of custom order packaging for your brand strategy, and how to achieve this in the most affordable and effective manner.
Why is custom packaging fulfillment important?
People make up their minds about something in just 7 seconds. That’s not a lot of time to make a good impression, right?
But get this – 52% of online shoppers that receive their order in custom packaging say they are more likely to return to that same company for future orders.
1 in 10 also considers packaging as important as the brand itself.
Brands take this into consideration, statistics clearly demonstrates that: The investments in the eCommerce packaging market is expected to grow to an impressive $213.61 billion by 2032. It’s astounding how much impact packaging can have, isn’t it?
However, it is important to note that custom packaging is important for two reasons: protection and experience.
Protection is a main function
Packaging’s first job is to protect products during shipping. That’s why each product, regardless of its shape, size, or fragility, needs the right kind of protection, ideally tailored specifically to fit the product perfectly.
The right type of packaging minimizes movement during shipping and reduces the risk of damage. Materials should be chosen based on the product’s type as well – cushioning for fragile items and moisture-resistant packaging for perishables. In sum, you need to know a lot about packaging and have tons of supplies in order to make it work.
However, selecting and sourcing the appropriate custom packaging materials can be time-consuming and costly. Additionally, ensuring that each item is packaged correctly requires expertise and attention to detail. And the hardest is to track various packaging options for different products: not one but several types of cushioning materials, not two or three but various sizes of boxes.
This diversification requires precise inventory management to ensure that sufficient quantities of each type are available at all times. It also requires more storage space and coordination among staff to avoid errors. This all adds additional complexity to warehouse operations, making it a challenging aspect of fulfillment.
“Packaging can be theater, it can create a story”
People used to say that wrapping/shell doesn’t matter. Admittedly, though, it was before the social media era.
When there is a fierce marketing competition, packaging turns into something more than just a bit of carton and paper, but a powerful marketing tool to make your brand and products stand out. Accordingly, the more customized the packaging, the better it tells the story of your brand and its values, while most importantly reflecting the needs and values of your target audience.
Think of it as the difference between getting a gift wrapped in plain brown paper versus one in a beautiful, personalized wrapping. Both protect the gift, but the latter makes you feel special and excited before you even see what’s inside.
The greatest thing about it is that when people like something or it makes them feel special – they want to tell others about it. When word of mouth was used for this, it had a limited impact, but today, when people use YouTube and social media for these purposes, your brand’s popularity and sales can skyrocket overnight.
💡Last year, videos with “unboxing” in the title got 25 billion views on YouTube.
Obviously, above all, people search these videos to decide whether this or that product is worth spending money on: does the color of this lipstick look exactly like on a website; is this dog harness eco-friendly and safe for my pet, and so on.
However, none of us can deny that we’re also captivated by the overall experience and aesthetics of these videos – including the packaging and presentation. The devil is in the details, and when we see that every aspect of the product is flawless, from functionality to beautiful wrapping, we feel a better sense of trust and confidence in the brand.
Why 3PL for custom packaging fulfillment?
Now you see, customization is essential to the huge eCommerce packaging market. However, when pursuing catchy designs for your boxes it is still important to ensure that it serves its main purpose – protecting the product. Plus, as consumers become more eco-conscious, there’s a growing demand for sustainable packaging solutions.
This is why proper fulfillment is the foundation of this process. It ensures that the package not only looks great when sent out but also arrives to the customer in perfect condition. The more you want to customize your boxes, the more diverse SKUs need to be handled properly, further complicating the fulfillment process. This may necessitate a professional packaging fulfillment center to make sure your fulfillment is all at once – fast, correct and impressive.
A skilled 3PL provider like ShipTop can save you a ton of time and costs on logistics and packaging operations, as they have the required resources and materials on hand.
- Purchasing packaging materials in bulk, we get lower prices from suppliers, which reduces overall costs.
- We have established packing and shipping processes, meaning we can incorporate branded options for you smoothly and with no hassle.
- We handle the storage of branded custom packaging materials, which means you don’t have to worry about warehousing or managing excess inventory.
- We allow you to focus on core areas of your business, saving your time on logistics and packaging operations.
- Plus, our quality control measures ensure that your branded packaging is applied correctly and that all shipments meet your standards.
Custom packaging fulfillment options
When it comes to custom packaging fulfillment, the possibilities are vast. Everything depends on your vision and preferences of the audience you target. The question is only: “Can I customize my packages when working with a packaging fulfillment center”. Yes. Here is how:
Branded packaging
This type of packaging prominently displays a company’s logo, colors, and design elements. It serves as the first touchpoint with the customer, saying: “That’s who we are, these are our values and mission”. It is really important because it makes your products look professional and helps customers remember your brand.
Your team of designers can create a design for boxes, bags, or wrapping paper that aligns with your brand’s logo, colors, and design elements. If you work with a 3PL like ShipTop, you can communicate with their team to use this branded packaging when packing and shipping your products.
Protective packaging
Quality materials like bubble wrap, foam, and padded envelopes are used to protect a product. However, materials are not everything; the team must also be well-trained in packing techniques to ensure each item is protected. Additionally, if you sell extra fragile or uniquely shaped products (such as glassware or art pieces), you might want to create custom inserts or dividers tailored to the specific product dimensions for extra protection. All of these measures can be arranged and provided when you work with a packaging fulfillment center as well.
Tapes
Just like good packaging materials, using the right tape is crucial for ensuring your products arrive safely. High-quality packing tape is durable and reliable, reducing the risk of boxes popping open. Professionals know how to apply tape in a way that does not spoil the packaging appearance and provides additional strength where needed. For added security, special reinforced or water-activated tapes, like those used by ShipTop, can be used.
Marketing inserts
Customized packaging is a powerful marketing tool itself; however, adding marketing inserts can make it even more effective. These inserts can be thank-you notes, discount coupons, informative brochures, or even small product samples – each will make your customer feel valued and appreciated. Additionally, they can inform your customers about your brand by telling your brand’s story, showcasing your current and upcoming products, and keeping your customers connected with you. Moreover, offering a discount coupon for their next purchase is a great way to invite them back for more products.
Kitting services
If you’re selling a gift box that includes a candle, a mug, and some chocolates. Instead of dealing with each of these items individually, kitting services allow you to bundle them together in one neat package. However, it requires precise coordination in terms of fulfillment. It involves carefully grouping the items, packing them efficiently, and labeling them accurately – areas where the expertise of a fulfillment partner is particularly valuable. If it is a strange task for your business, for providers like ShipTop, it’s routine and typical to handle large volumes of orders without compromising on quality or speed.
Customizable gift notes
If you want to integrate the gift note into your packages, your packaging fulfillment center can ensure that the correct note goes into the corresponding package. Moreover, we can check if the personalization (name, message) matches the recipient’s order details and the gift note is placed attractively within the package.
Customization costs
Customizing branded boxes often increases costs, so partnering with a 3PL for custom packaging can be a smart choice.
By working with a 3PL partner, you can focus on how you want to represent your brand and only cover the design and printing expenses. Meanwhile, the 3PL partner takes care of the major expenses, including equipment, storage space, picking, and packing.
At ShipTop the price of customization is like this:
- There is no additional cost to ship a custom packaging.
- Our team works with you to create a custom pricing plan that meets your specific requirements.
- Once the pricing and customization options are agreed, there are no more fees or hidden charges.
Benefits of custom fulfillment services with ShipTop
ShipTop has expertise, tools and resources to help your brand stand out with eye-catching packaging that perfectly reflects your brand’s identity.
We allow for just about any type of custom and branded packaging (boxes, bags, custom tapes etc.) that you wish to use to enhance the customer shopping experience.
Our custom fulfillment services helped brands like Homebird, Nonny, The Peach Club, and many more to elevate their online orders and make them shine online.
To get started, just design your branded packaging, labels and inserts, and we’ll take care of the rest: from storage and assembly to shipping and quality assurance. Drop us a line to learn more about our expertise and other fulfillment services.
