Ben Ginesi, European sales manager – digital corrugated packaging at Domino, explains how eye-catching, branded e-commerce packaging, enabled by digital printing, can help firms stand out
Unboxing: why packaging matters
A recent Mondi survey into e-commerce trends and customer attitudes to packaging in Europe has shown the importance of packaging within the unboxing experience, with nearly two-thirds (61%) of consumers considering the shape, material, appearance, and personalisation of packaging. Detrimentally, over one-third of consumers (34%) would reconsider future purchases if they consider the packaging to have adversely affected a buying experience.
The unboxing experience also takes centre stage in another e-commerce segment favoured by younger generations: subscription services. Myriad subscription services provide regular deliveries of curated selection boxes, whose users cite enjoyment (44.4%) and convenience (20.1%) as the key deciding factors in choosing their retail product subscription.
The subscription approach enables them to try new products in a category they will enjoy – without the need to choose from an overwhelming number of available products. Subscription boxes and one-off hamper boxes – curated by trusted experts and brands – are now available in categories to suit the whole family – from beauty products to craft beer and artisan chocolate to children’s creative crafts.
Beauty boxes containing a mix of full- and sample-sized make-up and personal care products are particularly successful, as illustrated by the millions of beauty product unboxing videos on social sharing platforms. With this much exposure for the packaging and its contents, having boxes with a distinctive, memorable packaging design can be key to standing out from the competition and encouraging potential subscribers to take a closer look.
Digital printing: delivering unboxing with a personal touch
For the majority of small, home-based e-commerce sellers, partnering with a packaging provider using traditional printing methods is unlikely to be an option. Minimum order volumes are too high, and sellers often need more storage space for large numbers of boxes.
However, with digital printing, small e-commerce businesses and their customers need not miss out on the unboxing opportunity. With a growing number of service providers dedicated to digital printing, businesses of all sizes can now commission short runs of eye-catching, even personalised, packaging designs to suit their carefully curated e-commerce wares.
Digital printing for packaging offers low minimum order quantities at a reasonable cost, unlocking the opportunity for small businesses to build their unique brand and enhance the consumer experience with boxes as unique as the product itself.
Some sellers add finishing touches, such as digitally printed labels, to their packaging – this can be a low-cost option for creating their own branded e-commerce packaging. Even micro-businesses operating beyond the e-commerce sphere, selling their products at craft fairs and farmers’ markets, can benefit from the affordability and accessibility of digital printing for packaging.
Beyond personalisation, opting for non-generic, digital printed packaging also allows brands to unlock further benefits: including QR codes as part of the packaging design, for example, can help brands to drive traffic to their website, enhancing consumer engagement and prompting direct repeat purchases without the high selling fees common on many e-commerce platforms.
Taken a step further, the inclusion of variable data QR codes – an option only with digitally printed packaging or late-stage customisation – can enable one-to-one consumer interaction to nurture those all-important relationships and provide a stepping stone to secure future retail listings on other platforms.
Branded e-commerce packaging: an opportunity for converters
Converters looking to respond to the growing demand for branded e-commerce packaging should partner with a trusted digital printing provider who can support them in making the most of their investment.
Digital printing is an excellent option for branded e-commerce packaging. It is also increasingly used as a cost-effective option for producing short and medium runs of variable packaging designs, such as promotional, seasonal, and limited-edition retail packaging. Adding variable data such as regional language versions or serialised QR codes is a key application of digital printing for packaging and offers converters opportunities to engage with larger brands who, likewise, wish to capitalise on the hyper-targeted, personalised consumer trend.
With both the e-commerce and personalised packaging markets expected to grow over the coming years, now is the time to look into how digital print can support vendors in delivering the ultimate unboxing experience.
