Is it Too Early to Start Thinking About Christmas Packaging?

In short, no! Now’s the time to add Christmas packaging to your festive to-do list.

We know what you are thinking, how can we think about Christmas packaging when we haven’t even unpacked the summer holiday suitcases yet? Christmas will be here before we know it and when it comes to ecommerce packaging, especially bespoke designs, it’s always best to allow more time for your orders to be fulfilled before we head into the busy months.

Bespoke Christmas Packaging

At any time of year, packaging plays a vital role in consumer purchasing behaviours. 72% of consumers say that product packaging design influences their purchase decisions. Christmas is a time to add to the spirit of the season when it comes to your packaging design. It’s a great opportunity to unleash your creative imagination and stand out on the shelf from your competitors.

Electronics are the 2^nd top-selling product across major categories on Amazon at Christmas. There are millions of products that sit under the electronics category which all need the correct packaging to protect the products (and soon to be gifts) on their journey to the store or warehouse. Being fragile and often expensive means damage could be caused in transit through mishandling or bad packaging. Returns, replacements and customer dissatisfaction can be avoided. Our team can help add your packaging to the good list this Christmas with a strong cardboard packaging solution.

All That Glitters Isn’t Gold

It’s true. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but not when it comes to waste. There’s a huge peak of packaging waste during the Christmas period, so removing any unnecessary packaging is a great way to help reduce the issue. You could take an extra step and include information in the packaging design about how consumers can recycle your packaging or state the recycled content.

Now we have that covered, there’s no reason to not add a sustainable twist to your festive packaging, such as making it smaller or creating a bespoke design to fit more products onto one pallet. 54% of consumers take sustainable packaging into consideration when selecting a product, so this year it should be at the top of your list.

Did you know 227,000 miles of wrapping paper is thrown away each year? Whilst companies may not wrap the boxes they send, there is a lot of other unnecessary materials that can be removed. Polystyrene, bubble wrap, plastic tape, and film are troublesome materials that are ending up in our landfills. Luckily, we have an extensive range of sustainable alternatives that can help you to remove waste and minimise plastic.

Stocking Up for the Christmas Rush

With the packaging shortages we faced in 2021, it’s crucial to not take any risks when preparing for the upcoming busy period.

If this year is anything like last, market sectors such as toys and cosmetics will sell record high numbers of products this Christmas. The toy market gathered strong momentum last year with £1.7 billion of sales ringing through the tills in the 12 weeks leading to Christmas. The cosmetic industry is also set to hike its sales, with a 9% increase in-store sales in the 13 weeks to the end of October 2021 compared to 2020. Protective packaging is a must. It’s important your packaging can withstand The North Pole conditions and delivery through a chimney.

Retailers and supermarkets will forecast that they need to increase their stock amount, so they aren’t left with empty shelves before December has even started. Looking at previous data can help you stock up on the packaging you predict you will need most, to keep up with the high festive demands.

Return-Ready Christmas Packaging

Is your packaging return-ready? Data shows more presents than ever are being delivered by post through eCommerce. Online sales in the UK in Christmas 2021, reached £17.618bn, which was an increase of 36.1% higher than in 2019. Buying gifts means they aren’t always right, and the customer might need to return or exchange them. Return-ready packaging can make the returns process easier for you and your customers by:

• Creating a better shopper experience
• Decreasing reverse logistics costs
• Complimenting your sustainability initiative

‘Tis the Season!

Christmas shopping seems to start earlier every year, so don’t wait until December to get your Christmas packaging sorted, even if you aren’t in the Christmas spirit yet.

Our team will give you expert packaging advice if you are looking for a completely bespoke design, something more sustainable, or just to talk about your stock management. We’ll find a packaging solution that jingles all the way. Get in touch!