How to Choose the Right Packaging for E-commerce or Retail?
In the early stages of packaging development, it’s crucial to determine how the product will reach the consumer—through a physical store or an online shop. Different sales channels impose unique requirements on packaging, influencing both its design and functional features. Choosing the right packaging solution and creating a thoughtful design provides customers with a pleasant shopping experience and reinforces brand trust.
Retail Packaging: Attractiveness
If a product is sold in a physical store, it needs packaging that stands out from the competition. In a retail setting, packaging is the first impression a consumer notices. Positioned on a shelf among similar products, the packaging must be eye-catching and convey the brand’s values. This makes the visual aspect of the packaging particularly significant.
When creating packaging for retail, we consider making it more challenging than average to open. This small trick reduces the chances of shoplifting. Additionally, sturdier packaging prevents honest customers from removing products from the box out of curiosity.
E-commerce Packaging: Durability
For products sold online, the packaging must endure a longer journey and multiple handling stages (e.g., sorting centers). The primary focus of e-commerce packaging is security, ensuring that the product arrives intact.
While designing e-commerce packaging, it’s important to avoid excessive material use and overly flashy designs. Although customers don’t make purchasing decisions in front of a shelf, the packaging is the only direct touchpoint between the brand and the customer. A plain black bag or brown cardboard box won’t suffice—a touch of branding is highly recommended.
Even though the packaging’s main purpose is to protect the product, it should also be easy to open and reseal. By law, customers can return an item within 14 days of receiving it. With resealable packaging, customers can reuse the original packaging for returns, offering both convenience and sustainability.
The Shared Goal of Packaging
While retail and e-commerce packaging are designed with different considerations, their shared goal is to provide customer satisfaction when receiving a new product. If you’re contemplating creating suitable packaging for your product, start by considering how and where the consumer is most likely to receive it (via physical stores or online shopping). The right packaging choice and thoughtful design ensure that the purchased product reaches the customer exactly as it was sent out.
At Ecoprint, we take these distinctions into account when designing packaging. If you sell products through both retail and e-commerce channels, contact us—we also offer some interesting universal solutions.