Top Shipping Products and Supplies of 2020

As a result of the global pandemic that took place during 2020 and beyond, we all know that there has been huge changes to the way our economy is running. With so much financial uncertainty going on, people are wondering what sort of things are happening to our economy. Whether it be about inflation, interest rates, gas prices, or government regulations, there has been a lot of controversy about where the future of our country is headed. To add to the various changes, the nation-wide shut down of millions of brick and mortar storefronts caused a great commotion in our economy and markets. Ecommerce has now become one of the most popular ways to do business and a lot of people are trying to get in on the action. As someone with years of experience owning and operating my own eCommerce businesses, I feel the need to transfer some of knowledge to the general public of eCommerce seekers. One of the biggest things I learned is about the actual packaging of your products you sell.

Figuring out what kind of industry you want to be a part of is super important when starting your eCommerce business. There are lots of different business models when it comes to eCommerce and picking one that’s the right fit for you is critical. However, buying your shipping and packaging products will be determined by what kind of products you sell. Certain means of shipping and packaging are better than others depending on what your eCommerce business sells. Cardboard boxes are a sturdy, safe, if not generic way to ship your products to your customers with relative ease and convenience. However, it is true that shipping with boxes can be a bit more pricey, and shipping fragile or small items can make things complicated. After all, if you are running an eCommerce business, the package your customer receives is likely the only physical contact they have with your brand. It’s important for you to get it right! 

If you’re shipping using boxes, I highly suggest investing in some nice quality boxes. You’ll want ones that are sturdy enough to keep the package safe and still look nice to give your customers the best unboxing experience possible. Corrugated boxes work great for all types of products; just make sure you are picking the right size of box and are stuffing the box with enough packing material. Things like bubble wrap, packing peanuts, and other similar items will keep your products safer while they ship.

If your business is an industry that involves softer materials, like clothing or bedding, then you may not even need to worry about boxes. Poly bags are a great way to ship your products safely in a weather and air tight environment. Being relatively new to the commercial market and industry, poly bags are much cheaper and easier to manufacture than cardboard or any other type of box. We use these things for all types of shipping in my own eCommerce business, including clothes, face masks, and comforters. Again, I recommend using the shipping materials that best fit your business model and products! I hope this article was helpful to you. Remember, I am someone with a lot of experience in this industry and definitely know what I’m talking about in this area!

Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Packaging types

 

Packaging is a big part of every single brand, and it’s something that you send out to the different customers, or retailers that send it out to your future customers. You have to consider a few things though when you’re building your packaging. There are primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging options, and you must consider each of these. In this, we’ll summarize the different kinds of packaging to help you understand, and the best instances to use this. 

Primary 

This is basically packaging that preserves and protects various products, contains them, and also lets customers know of what’s within. This kind is great for direct contact and is also called retail or consumer forms of packaging. 

This is made up of various components, and you have to look for example at the packaging that contains the product. If you’re selling a package of juice boxes, the juice and the little hole to puncture are the main packaging. 

Secondary 

This is basically used for branding and logistics, an dis used to protect the products or bring individual products together. 

In the juices example for example, the box or the plastic container that holds all of these, or the cardboard that holds it in place are considered secondary packaging. 

It also can include the following:

• Boxes that contain the products 

• I display products 

• Shelf-ready packages 

• Retail-ready packages 

• Display units for a countertop 

• Packaging for gifts 

The secondary packaging is made up usually of corrugated cardboard, or printed cardboard its, and is the best way to show off creative branding for the most part. 

Tertiary 

This is the least common of the packaging if you’re going to display it, but if you’re going to be sending it to various locations, this is one of the most common types. 

They are used to handle and transport the units that you have. 

You basically see this when you’re transporting the products, but this is not normally seen by the consumer unless they’re opening the package that contains the package. 

Boxes, mailers, or anything that basically gets the package or products from one location to another is a fine example of this. 

There is usually some form of branding on these, but not all customers will see this. If the packaging is going to a grocery store for example, then the person who is buying it won’t normally see it. But some companies may not use tertiary packaging branding, since it’s not always needed. 

What to Consider 

If you’re considering any kind of packaging from one of these three areas, there are a few things that you absolutely must consider with this. 

First, you need to think about the most important parts of the packaging, whether it needs to be protected, if it has to have the branding shown off, if you wnat to recycle this, or have any branding values on this. 

You should also look at the packaging value. You don’t want to get packaging that’s super expensive if it’s just going to be tertiary packaging for example. You need to also make sure that the packaging is as functional as I can be. 

Then there are delivery and transit costs. There are some that do weigh a lot more than some of the others, or how they take up the space. This is something that costs you so much more than the expenses for the delivery, and it can be a pain to navigate, so make sure you keep this in mind. 

Finally, make sure that the branding stays consistent, and also has a logo and colors that fit it.