Custom Packaging For Omnichannel Retail

The omnichannel retail environment is bigger than ever. For those with an omnichannel presence, it is just as important to maintain your presence online as it is to sell your products in flagship stores or retail chains. Your online brand cannot look or feel different from what you have in store and that holds true for everything from branding material to packaging boxes.

Delivering a seamless buying experience for your customers has become an important part of every brand’s mission. Customers want the same quality for products and packaging when buying in-store as when they place an order online and receive the products at home.

Is Omnichannel Retail Packaging Necessary?

Most brands agree that eCommerce packaging, when custom-made, can add a layer of flair and create a great impression on customers. In fact, 72% of consumers agree that their purchasing decision is influenced by the design of the packaging. After all, there is no physical interaction between the customer and online brands so it makes the eCommerce packaging speak for them. However, one of the most common questions we get as a custom packaging company is whether custom boxes can impact retail stores the same way they do eCommerce brands.

In a simple answer, yes! Retail packaging can be your secret weapon to making your in-store buying process better. Here’s an example to illustrate. Adidas recently launched a new pair of shoes in collaboration with Lego. Any customer who wants to purchase these shoes is likely to go into the store, try on a pair, and buy the right size. But the purchase experience doesn’t end there. The customer is only going to get a good look and feel for the product once they unpack it later. You want to continue to wow them and even add elements of surprise when this happens. Adidas went with a custom-designed Lego lookalike rigid box. This box is not only eye-catching but also helps customers identify the retailer in a matter of seconds without even having to look at the product.

Investing in custom boxes for physical stores is a tried and tested method that helps to make your products more visually appealing, increase word-of-mouth for your products, and ultimately bring your customers back for more.

3 Reasons to Go For Custom Packaging for Omnichannel Retail

Consumers view your packaging as an extension of your brand, so why not give them an unforgetting unboxing experience. One that makes them remember your company for a long time regardless of whether they interact with you online or offline. Custom packaging for omnichannel retailers can help them achieve this and more!

Building a consistent brand identity

Having similar brand colours and themes in your packaging, across channels, helps customers understand your company identity and creates a strong impression. Building a solid identity can aid in ensuring your brand is more memorable and that consumers come back to buy your products more often. In a survey by Dotcom Distribution, 52% claimed they would have repeated a purchase if your retail packaging or eCommerce packaging box looked branded or had a premium feel. This is something custom packaging can help you achieve.

Communication and marketing

Your brand story can be showcased on your custom boxes. This makes it easy for your customers to know more about your company and products without having to bombard them with information on your website or in your stores. Adding personalized items like thank you notes and discount vouchers can make your buyers feel like they are a part of your brand community. This might also encourage them to spread word about your offerings. In fact, 50% of people are likely to recommend your product to their friends if it came in branded packaging.

Marketing and communication need not take place solely using words. The use of different texture materials and add-ons such as foil stamping, stickers for your customers to use, and inserts that hold your products in place all convey the effort put into designing your packaging, which gives your brand an upscale feel. What’s more? Customers love sharing photos of interesting new things and your packaging might just make it on their social media. This will help attract more people and also create a sense of trust and credibility for your company.

Lower shipping cost

Aligning your packaging between your online and offline store can help you track your packaging costs better and even save some money. If you practice ordering packaging for both channels, you are reducing costs thanks to economies of scale and also gain more insights into your logistics and supply chain capabilities. Many omnichannel businesses have claimed that ordering packaging collectively drives warehouse efficiency and helps them keep a check on inventory.

What Kind of Boxes to Opt For

Now that you have an idea as to why you need custom packaging for your omnichannel brand, let’s move onto the process of planning your packaging design. Ideally, you want boxes that can work for eCommerce packaging as well as retail packaging. This makes it easier to handle ordering of boxes, inventory and logistics.

Mailer boxes

Mailer boxes, though usually recommended for subscription box brands or ecommerce stores, are also a great choice for physical store displays. Mailer boxes can be left open with the product laid inside in a physical store. For eCommerce brands, the corrugated nature of these boxes makes it a great choice for shipping. Lane Eight, a sustainable shoe brand, is using mailer boxes to package their products. Their shoes are also packaged in the same boxes when bought in their flagship stores.

Rigid boxes

Rigid boxes are an excellent choice for packaging heavier items and more delicate ones. Since these boxes are generally made of thicker paperboard, they offer extra protection and rigidity to your packaging. They also give your packaging an element of luxury and make for a great product reveal. For example, Bareaya is a sustainable and plastic free disposable razors brand that sells its products both online and in zero waste retail stores. Bareaya decided to go for a separate base and lid rigid box with a custom insert fitted inside.

The custom inserts not only hold the products in place during shipping for online orders but they also make for a great retail display of the boxes on a shelf.

Display boxes

Display boxes are paper-based boxes that are perfect for retail display. Display boxes can come pre-glued or un-glued depending on the use. SETBAR, a vegan nutrition bar company chose to go for display boxes making it easier for retailers who buy their bars to display it in store. The unique feature here is that these boxes are collapsible, which means you need to simply 'pop' the box into place for it to take shape. This saves time otherwise spent gluing and fixing the box.

Folding cartons

Folding carton boxes, also called product boxes, are made of paperboard and are primarily used to package individual products such as perfumes, candles, etc. These boxes are easy to store as they are foldable and lightweight and also perfect for a shelf in any store. Candles of Light, an all-natural perfumed, luxury home goods brand, packages six of their beeswax tea light candles in a folding carton box. Not only is this method of packaging saving them shipping costs but it also easy to ship as is or stack up in a store for customers to easily pick up.

Tray and sleeve box

Tray and sleeve boxes, also called drawer boxes, provide a great unboxing experience. Essentially, the tray of the box slides out from the sleeve to reveal the product. These boxes work great for lightweight items whether being sold online or in physical stores. Ninety Second, a Hong Kong based brand that sells perfumes is a great example of a brand that uses tray and sleeve custom packaging for omnichannel retail.

New ways of buying and engaging with your consumers is pushing brands to be more creative with their brands and what it has to offer. If you want your omnichannel brand to stand out from your competitors as well as provide the same quality purchase experience between customers who buy online and those that visit your stores, it is important that you invest in your packaging.

About the Author:PackMojo is a custom packaging solution. Our mission is to empower businesses with the tools to elevate their brand and create impactful first impressions. We make it easy for businesses to get affordable, high quality, custom packaging. Through our platform, users can get instant prices, order in low volume starting from just 30 boxes, and have their orders delivered anywhere in the world.