Packaging for retail products does so much more than just protect what’s inside. It also plays a huge role in catching your customers’ attention and influencing their buying decisions. This makes it a key factor in impacting your sales.
In this article, we’ll dive into why choosing the right packaging matters and how it can make a real difference for your business.
Why does product packaging matter?
Packaging plays a purely practical role of protecting goods, but it can also be a crucial marketing tool. In many cases, consumers don’t see your product until they open the packaging. This means that this outer element must do all the work—not only to ensure the product arrives in good order but also to market the item.
With this in mind, let’s look at the individual elements of retail packaging.
1. Protection
First and foremost, packaging must protect the contents so they arrive at the customer in perfect condition. It should be sturdy enough for this purpose and stack together easily for transportation.
Whether your product is delicate or durable, the packaging needs to be designed in such a way that it can withstand the journey from the warehouse to your shopfront, or directly into the customer’s hands. The packaging should not only be sturdy but also resistant to external factors like moisture, pressure, or heat. On top of this, it’s crucial that the packaging is easy to stack and transport, ensuring no damage occurs during shipping.
2. Identification
Customers should be able to easily see your product. Most shop display shelves are crowded, so using instantly recognisable colours, logos, text and messages is one way to stand out. Even when selling online this is vital, as buyers can easily overlook non-descript product packaging when scrolling through multiple items.
In an increasingly competitive retail landscape, your packaging needs to stand out and catch your customer’s eye. Even when selling online, clear and bold branding is essential, as customers are often scrolling through dozens (if not hundreds) of items at once. A well-designed package should indicate the quality of the item inside and signal your brand values and personality (more on this below), hooking the attention of your customer.
Thoughtful design can make all the difference.
3. Brand awareness
This impacts both those who are already aware of your products and those who are only just becoming familiar with the brand. Clever design should grab attention, impart key messages and exude the personality of your company.
Remember, your packaging is more than just a simple container for your product. It can also act as a communication tool. A clever design that integrates your logo, company colours and brand voice can capture attention while also conveying your company’s values and personality. This can help to create a lasting impression on your customers.
It should also be noted that modern consumers, especially Millenials and Gen Z, care strongly about the environment. Therefore, choosing eco-friendly packaging is important for your business, as it may decide whether a younger customer purchases your products. Packaging that uses sustainable materials, such as biodegradable plastics or recycled paper, not only appeals to these consumers but also reduces your environmental footprint.
So whether it’s through eco-friendly materials, innovative shapes or quirky, bold designs, packaging should tell a story that resonates with your target audience and reinforces brand loyalty.
4. Ease of use
Packaging should be easy to open. Nothing is more annoying than struggling to unwrap a product, so consider this carefully. This also extends to size and uniformity, both of which will have a direct impact on shipping costs.
Today’s consumers value convenience and practicality. Overly complicated packaging can frustrate customers — simple, intuitive designs make for a better customer experience, which in turn reflects positively on your brand.
How the correct packaging design can increase sales
According to research carried out by Ipsos, 7 out of 10 people say that product packaging influences their buying choices. The way an item is presented creates that all-important first impression, and it’s often what makes someone pick it up off the shelf.
Once you’ve captured their attention, the next step is making sure the packaging provides enough information to convince them to buy. With so many options out there, you have to get creative in how you deliver key messages. Pictures, colour, infographics and fonts all need to ‘pop’ – delivering vital purchasing information in just a few seconds.
You should also consider the unboxing process. With luxury items in particular, beautiful boxes and unwrapping are all part of the purchasing experience. The ever-growing number of social media videos sharing the unveiling of a new product shows just how much people value this element of buying. These shares, likes, comments, and follows are also an important part of organic growth, as they promote brand awareness and generate sales.
How to choose the right packaging for your products
Considering all the above, what are the most important elements when choosing the right packaging and design for your retail products?
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- Know your audience: Market research is key to knowing your customers. Determine your target market, know what they expect, understand what they want… The more work you put into this, the easier it is to get the packaging right.
- Get the practicalities right: Your packaging should make sense for your product. It should be easy to produce, provide value for money, protect the product and only contain the elements required.
- Compliance with any packaging regulations: Depending on your field, there may be various rules and compliance issues that your chosen packaging must conform to.
- Brand personality: The design should perfectly match your brand personality. Are your products traditional, modern, quirky, or humorous? Whatever they are, this can be communicated in many ways, including the shape, colours, text, font, and more.
- Your budget: Of course, this will play an important part in brand design. It will also be somewhat driven by your target market. Luxury items demand similar packaging, whereas the other niches can opt for something a little more economical.
Start designing your perfect packaging
Partnering with a good printing and packaging company is essential to ensure you get the design right the first time. Remember, the design of your packaging can impact whether or not a customer chooses your product over the competition’s.
“The opinions expressed by BizWitty Contributors are their own, not those of BizCover and should not be relied upon in place of appropriate professional advice. Please read our full disclaimer."
