Are you curious of what plays an important role in online shopping? Do you know which factor plays a crucial role in determining the success of e-commerce? The answer is sustainable packaging, in which e-commerce cardboard boxes is one typical example.
A study conducted by PaymentJournal in 2021 [1] on the analysis of the retail industry worldwide has identified several reasons motivating customers to return their order:
- For 60% of the studied cases, the reason is that customers receive their order not in an intact condition
- For 43%, customers just want to change what they have ordered
- For 30%, there is a mismatch between received product with the expectation of customers created by the description by merchants
- For the rest 36%, the causes are various: delivery error, or unanticipated or hidden delivery fees
One important point implied by the study is how online shops are able to significantly minimize the rate of product returns by applying a better-quality control to ensure products arrive at the hands of customers undamaged. The first control surrounds the product itself- While the second the shipment, that is using proper e-commerce packaging solutions. The solution must fundamentally be able to give protection to products during transportation from causes of damages, such as shocks and water.
Cardboard boxes are one proper e-commerce shipping packaging. Let’s dive into more details that showcase their ability to reduce product returns.
Cardboard boxes for e-commerce: Customization
Customizing cardboard boxes means tailoring each box to each product of interest. As a result, these boxes come in various forms and dimensions, also allowing for putting company’s logo and other interesting details about the company. Customization does not deviate from the original purpose of using cardboard boxes, that is to ensure products arrive intact. And so, these boxes are made of high-quality materials.
Merchants who opt for a customized cardboard box as their e-commerce packaging solution may be benefited in these 4 following ways:
- Brand perception
Customers of e-commerce evaluate a brand in two ways. First is by accessing its website. Second is their perception towards the order they receive. A brand is able to build a positive perception by putting logo on boxes containing their product, guaranteeing the reliability of the brand to invite customers to order again.
- Users experience
Unboxing is becoming one of popular e-commerce packaging trends. Customers enjoy their first interaction with their order once it arrives and may pay a good attention to how the packaging of their product looks and feels. By customizing cardboard boxes, merchant can capture the trend, accommodating things customers enjoy and enhance their online shopping experience.
- Product protection
The combination of particular form, dimension, and fabrication material based on product characteristic enables customized cardboard boxes to deliver the orders from customers in a good condition. This may make shipping a bit pricey, but at the same time it reflects the brand’s integrity – the stronger it is, the more trustful customers become towards the brand.
- Visibility and communication of a brand
Including company logo on cardboard boxes is also a way to communicate and advertise brand. Especially when the box has a particular design people who are not yet a customer can instantly recognize. For example, Amazon has successfully made its brand visible, making it easy for people to notice their boxes even if they are accumulated along with other packaging behind a reception desk of an office building.
Below are several examples on how to use customized cardboard boxes:
- For fragile products: use corrugated cardboard boxes for their cushioning ability to avoid products having even the smallest fracture
- For liquid products: use cardboard boxes made of materials resistant to humidity to keep the product quality during the transportation
- For luxury products: using luxury e-commerce packaging made of high-quality materials such as velvet or silk may represent the packed content
- For clothes: Use rigid cardboard boxes to protect the fabric
Cardboard boxes for fashion industry
Shopping clothes online is a popular e-commerce activity. Considering the various type of fabric, choosing the proper fashion e-commerce packaging is another essential thing merchants should do. The goal remains singular, that is to prevent damages, particularly wrinkles on the clothing fabric.
- For light fabrics: paper-padded envelopes are a good and economic option
- For heavy fabrics: such as jackets and coats, use rigid and resistant cardboard boxes
- For wrapping: for additional protection from abrasion, use transparent paper to wrap each clothing article
If cardboard boxes are too spacious: customized envelopes
For light and flexible items, cardboard boxes too often have excess size. Envelopes can be an interesting alternative instead. They can also be customized by adding company’s logo, applying a particular color, and including the image and description of the packaging content.
The envelopes also come with various types. For example, general paper envelope can be used to pack books. For fragile or valuable items, like accessories or digital products, it would be necessary to use a stronger and more protective packaging. Corrugated envelop is one example, another is cardboard boxes if the size is suitable. Both types of e-commerce packaging solutions guarantee safe and secure delivery so that products arrive intact.
When in doubt which one to choose – cardboard boxes or paper envelopes and which type, always consult the local regulation to make sure that shipping and e-commerce activities are in accordance with the law.
Self-assembling cardboard boxes
As the name implies, these boxes can assemble themselves. They are meant to be an easy and fast e-commerce packaging solutions that can reduce packing time, and therefore, the shipping duration. They are made of high-quality corrugated paper and customizable with brand logo and other details that customers may find useful or interesting. They are mostly used for packing small-to-medium sized products.
Conclusion
Choosing proper e-commerce packaging solutions can reduce the rate of product returns. One of them is customized cardboard boxes that protects product and at the same time communicates brand to customers.
