E-commerce has changed logistics; Ģ����Ƶ can help companies get up to speed more quickly.

As more products become available for anyone in the world to buy anything from anywhere with the click of a button, the demand for robust packaging solutions to get those products safely to a final destination also rises. E-commerce packaging demand is forecasted to grow 15% year over year through 2025 as existing businesses expand and more new ventures are launched.

As one of the largest suppliers of corrugated packaging in the U.S., we’ve seen the e-commerce trend introduce a whole new customer segment. Companies new to this market will quickly realize that packaging is one of the most important foundations of their business, and they’ll need to craft the most effective and efficient packaging strategy.

We have decades of experience helping companies develop packaging solutions that enable them to reach their business goals. Here are some common scenarios.

Less Isn’t Always Best

For example, it might seem logical to assume that reducing the number of box sizes used to ship products would be more efficient. Better to use only two sizes for all your goods than contend with ten, right?

We guide our customers through decisions like these, bringing to light other considerations. Reducing the number of box sizes can mean using boxes that are too large for certain products. A too-large box with additional filler inflates shipping costs per box—often snowballing into much larger sums than sticking with right-sized boxes.

Rapid Growth

Rapid growth can be an entrepreneur’s dream, but growing quickly can expose vulnerabilities.

Ģ����Ƶ is often asked to help rapidly growing companies who are increasing order volume due to growing e-commerce demands. Using an approach from several months ago may not fit today’s needs. Be prepared to be flexible, nimble, and vigilant about monitoring shipping costs and changing your packaging strategies.

Marketing-Oriented Packaging

Custom packaging can expand your brand presence and help create a unique customer experience in-store or upon receipt at the front door. Going custom means there are a wide array of choices available to create your dream package. It’s important to understand all of the options and the impact they will have to both operations and marketing goals as well as to the bottom line.

Ships in Own Container (SIOC) packaging serves double duty performing as both the informative and highly graphic primary package but durable enough to also be the shipping container. Sounds perfect, right? But if done incorrectly, the outside graphics can raise the risk of front porch theft. The quantity and frequency of your packaging purchases can also impact costs as well as how often you plan to change graphics. It’s best to have a clear forecast before embarking on the custom packaging design journey.

Need help solving ecommerce logistics and shipping conundrums? Contact us.

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While e-commerce sales had already seen a dramatic upswing between 2018 and 2019, the recent shutdown orders for non-essential brick and mortar retailers due to COVID-19 have created a greater surge. Social distancing is pushing more consumers to shop online, including many who had never done so before. According to Adobe Analytics, between March and April 2020, daily online grocery sales spiked 110%, electronics sales climbed 58% and even online pajama sales were up 143%.

The pandemic has accelerated consumers’ adoption of digital commerce. According to Nielsen, just 4% of grocery sales in the U.S. were done online in 2019. However, 51% of shoppers reported placing an online grocery order in the four weeks ending April 7. Among those, 33% made their first-ever online grocery order during that period. Indications are that this is not a temporary phenomenon. It is anticipated that for many consumers, these new habits could become permanent. In addition, consumers who were forced to try a new brand because their preferred brand was out of stock may switch long-term. And those who learned how to cook because dining out was not an option may continue to do so. Their new-found love for convenient home cooking has driven businesses within the meal kit segment to expand operations. This growing demand is expected to double revenues in this segment year over year.

E-Commerce Provides a New Opportunity for Your Brand

Even though consumer buying habits have been significantly impacted by the events of the past few months, the opportunity still exists to differentiate your brand by utilizing functional yet stylized variations of your packaging to create a unique experience with each reorder to help keep consumers intrigued.

Brands and retailers that already had a strong e-commerce strategy in place were best positioned to survive the recent shutdown. They have a highly efficient supply chain that excels at managing inventory, providing superior logistics and delivering outstanding customer service. They also differentiate their product and protect it with the right packaging. While the average shopper may not see it, behind the scenes, graphics designers, packaging engineers, marketing managers and logistics experts use their expertise to develop innovative packaging solutions that get the products once purchased at retail directly to your doorstep.

The most important goal of packaging is to protect items so they arrive without damage. Damaged goods hurt the producers’ bottom line and the shippers’ credibility. The right packaging also supports your brand message and contributes to the customers’ experience with the brand. With the recent growth in online sales, brands have the unique opportunity to interact directly with their consumers and make their product stand out through their packaging. Ģ����Ƶ can help you develop an e-commerce packaging strategy that is focused on positioning you for success on your journey to a “new normal.”

The Rise of Shipping DTC Brings New Variables Into the Mix

More and more brands are choosing to sell and ship directly to consumers (DTC) via their own e-commerce sites or through a third party like Amazon. Doing so most often requires a change to their packaging strategy. When products are shipped to retailers to place on shelves, they most often ship upright on stacked pallets. These pallets may make their way around the world but will only be handled a few times in very predictable ways (by forklifts and other machinery).

However, when packages are shipped DTC, we need to account for more variables. Those boxes are handled individually and will most likely be jostled, dropped, tossed and stacked in various orientations on their journey to your customer. In addition, “shopper-owned carts,” which include different items that are expected to arrive together, pose another challenge. For example, a box of pancake mix packaged with a jug of detergent is the sort of variability that increases the chance for damage. At Ģ����Ƶ, we will work with you to develop solutions that mitigate the effects of transit and the “random basket of goods.”

Innovative Packaging Can Help Deliver on Your E-Commerce Goals

Looking to the future, we expect the rise of DTC shipping and shopper-owned carts to continue. We also see an increased need for innovative “Ships in Own Container” (SIOC) solutions, which reduce over-packaging and labor “touches.” We are actively developing effective SIOC solutions that incorporate value-added features that allow for storing and dosing/serving of your product.

You also need to consider how you can promote your brand through your packaging. Unfortunately, the growth in home deliveries has provided more opportunities for “porch pirates” to pilfer your product at your customers’ doorstep. So your package needs to strike the perfect balance between being discreet about what it contains and providing your consumer with a unique unboxing experience. A partnership with Ģ����Ƶ will offer you options to brand the inside of your box and give you access to our patented designs to help you meet your specific e-commerce objectives.

If you would like to talk with one of our packaging experts to discuss solutions for your e-commerce packaging needs, please fill out our inquiry form.

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At Ģ����Ƶ our cake packaging experts have been servicing the bakery industry for many years. Our premier bakery packaging is perfect for wedding cakes, graduation cakes or any decadent dessert cake. The cake boards are specially coated to keep the cakes moist and fresh longer, and our boxes are strong enough to stack. Keep reading to learn more!

Cake Boards

Just ask the contestants of the hit TV show The Great British Bake Off or the purveyors of viral cake decorating videos—cakes are having a moment.

With more cakes bought in stores and bakeries than ever before, there’s never been more variety in shape, size and color.

But there is one common element that most share: a corrugated disc slipped beneath the cake that acts as a moisture barrier between the cake, the air, and the box. And if the disc came from Ģ����Ƶ, it’s layered with a proprietary coating to ensure oil marks don’t transfer. Cakes stay fresh longer, ready for candles and celebrations whenever the party starts.

Taking the time to provide a perfect cake board is just one way we go farther to find the packaging solutions our customers need.

Window Pane Cake Box

After you say “yes to the dress,” you have to say “yum to the crumb”—getting the cake right for the big day is essential.

When wedding cakes or other special-occasion tiered cakes end up damaged—or iced with the wrong name—it’s stressful for the customer and expensive for the bakery, which will incur the cost of refund or replacement.

That was the problem one bakery customer came to us to solve: Reduce the number of damaged cakes. If customers could see a cake and verify it met their expectations without opening the box, it would make inspection easier and reduce accidental damage.

Ģ����Ƶ’s expertise allowed us to create a windowed corrugated box to give cake customers peace of mind and a piece of cake.

To speak with one of our packaging experts, please fill out our inquiry form.

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When people want to show love, they give flowers. It can be roses for Valentine’s Day, tulips for Mother’s Day or get-well-soon daisies.

But in a world increasingly driven by e-commerce, these flowers must travel further and faster than ever before. Getting them there with their beauty intact is no simple task.

Poor packaging can harm this delicate and perishable product. That’s why our boxes, designed by veterans of the floral industry, are structured so they can handle the weight, water and refrigeration methods needed to safely transport your flowers.

In addition to being durable, we also ensure that our packaging looks as good (or almost as good) as what’s inside. Our designs allow boxes to easily transition to in-store displays for every season and holiday, with minimal labor.

It is crucial that flowers arrive in pristine, sellable and marketable condition. In the retail environment, the delicate flowers may not end up being transferred to an entirely new display, so our boxes are engineered and designed to be ready for display with no extra effort.

Whether it’s packaging for supermarkets, mass marketing or e-commerce, we offer centralized purchasing options for the whole industry. Our sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging is crafted to be as efficient as the flowers are beautiful. This maximizes packaging performance as flowers make their way to loved ones around the world.

To speak with one of our packaging experts, please fill out our inquiry form.

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From potatoes to mattresses and everything in between, at Ģ����Ƶ we’re your heavyweight packaging champs.

Serving small, midsize, large and enterprise customers alike, we ensure that each one of our bulk bins and large format boxes are designed to provide protection and reliability—no matter how far they travel.

Industrial customers rely on us to package their products which are heavy, large and sometimes bulky. E-commerce companies turn to us for intermediate packaging that allows products to be sorted and moved throughout distribution centers, while supermarket customers count on our bulk bins to safely and securely transport many frozen foods, produce, seafood and meat products.

Each product is designed with the function and reliability needed to withstand the rough and tumble nature of global delivery. Whether you’re looking to transport home appliances or fresh produce, we’re ready to take on any boxing challenge.

To speak with one of our packaging experts, please fill out our inquiry form.

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With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing many consumers to keep their vehicles longer than usual, along with an increased demand for used-car inventories, there’s been a steady increase in the need for auto parts. Ģ����Ƶ has an experienced, dedicated team focused on providing out-of-the-box solutions for the automotive industry.

“Ģ����Ƶ has a particular advantage when it comes to working with Tier 1 OEM suppliers,” says Ģ����Ƶ General Manager Chris Pannecouck. “Because we produce large-format palletized boxes, we can deliver many more possibilities for automotive suppliers.”

Ģ����Ƶ’s full-line facilities produce heavy-duty corrugated shipping materials, a necessity for automotive parts suppliers. These manufacturing plants specialize in triplewall corrugated that is significantly stronger than normal shipping boxes. Other specialties benefiting automotive OEM suppliers include:

• Large shipping containers
• ExportPack (preassembled packaging for overseas shipment)
• Multi-color printing
• Expendable shipping containers
• Custom builds and kit bundling
• Bulk boxes
• Hazardous materials packaging

Bulk-Shipping Design Team Focuses on OEM Solutions

The real differentiator, however, comes down to expertise, Pannecouck says. A dedicated bulk-shipping design team works directly with automotive OEM customers. Together, they quickly identify, troubleshoot and eliminate the biggest challenges facing bulk shippers—damaged goods, excessive shipping and material costs. The goal of the team and their innovative efforts is to protect automotive parts from the moment they leave the production line until they’re in the hands of the end user.

“Our three-person design team from the Plymouth, Michigan, plant drives competitive advantage for our partners seeking bulk or heavy-duty packaging,” Pannecouck says. “They have a combined 60 to 70 years of experience. If there’s a part on a vehicle, I’m positive we’ve designed an individual box or a multi-pack for it. We’ve seen it all.”

That’s not an exaggeration. Pannecouck can rattle off a long list of automotive parts the Ģ����Ƶ team has designed custom packaging for, from bolts to bulky wheels to heavy, awkward items like engines, frames, axles, exhaust systems and transmissions.

Custom Packaging and Shipping

The most challenging shipments often require custom hand-assembled packaging configurations. These kits include specialized pallet assemblies, wood corners for extra protection, wooden posts to support excessive weight and foam protection.

According to Pannecouck: “Many times we build and assemble custom box configurations in our warehouse before shipping to customers. That all takes a significant amount of time and resources. We feel this differentiates us in the marketplace. We even seek out customers who want custom packs for specific parts.”

Other Ģ����Ƶ heavy-duty and bulk packaging advantages include:

• Warehouse space for just-in-time (JIT) delivery
• Lighter, expendable alternatives for overseas shipments, replacing the need for returnable plastic containers or metal racks
• Bank builds—a “bank” of parts set aside for cars no longer in production
• A testing lab in Vernon Hills, Illinois, that conducts vibration and incline tests to ensure quality, safety and protection

In short, Ģ����Ƶ can design a bulk, heavy-duty shipping solution for automotive parts in any size, weight or configuration.

To learn more about Ģ����Ƶ’s automotive OEM packaging capabilities and specialties, please fill out our inquiry form.

The automobile OEM (original equipment manufacturer) parts industry relies on heavy-duty packaging to make sure materials arrive safe and undamaged. It’s the difference between a job done right or the loss of significant revenue, inventory and customers.

Ģ����Ƶ is often called in to troubleshoot when another supplier’s boxes have failed, providing packaging that reduces damage and improves efficiencies. That expertise has paid off in new customer relationships that are positioning Ģ����Ƶ as a leader in heavy-duty parts packaging for the automotive manufacturing and OEM industry.

Out-of-the-Box Solutions for OEM Suppliers

One example is the use of a sturdy packaging configuration well known in the meat packing industry, but completely new to the automotive parts industry.

“This design solution came about during a packaging audit we were having with our customer, who is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of automotive products for OEM and aftermarket,” said Sales Representative Daniel Brown. “Some of the company’s suppliers were having bulge issues with the heavy, dense parts they were packing. Occasionally, a box would fail in transit.”

The Ģ����Ƶ team included some of the most experienced problem solvers from across the company. One member with experience in the meat industry quickly identified a successful solution at a reduced cost.

“His experience with sturdy, octagonal boxes reinforced with Sesame Tape^® inside the liners was shared with the team,” Brown explains. “Octagons are not normally used in automotive packaging, but we tested the idea. There were no bulge issues or failed packs in our transit tests, so we introduced this new packaging solution to the customer. It has proven to be a great design for automotive parts, and we’re still using it to this day.”

Auto Manufacturer Selects Ģ����Ƶ as its Preferred Partner

Another example of Ģ����Ƶ’s success in the automotive industry is that Ģ����Ƶ was recently named the packaging supplier for one of the world’s largest auto manufacturers. It wasn’t easy; Ģ����Ƶ faced competition from about 20 competitors, many of whom exclusively supported the manufacturer’s supply base.

“After years of trying to secure the business through the manufacturer’s suppliers, Ģ����Ƶ was invited to make a presentation directly to the manufacturer,” said Jesse Kearton, who oversees the sales effort that has grown to nearly 100 Ģ����Ƶ team members, some working onsite with the customer.

“They asked us to tell them about our capabilities, but our immediate response was, ‘We’re very excited to do that, but can you tell us more about your needs?’ Looking back, it showed that Ģ����Ƶ is committed to focusing on our customers’ needs first. From there, we quickly identified specific solutions that made us stand out from the competition.”

Kearton and his team continue to meet monthly at their customer’s manufacturing facility, making sure they are providing value every step of the way. Today, the auto manufacturer has required all Tier 1 suppliers to use Ģ����Ƶ as their official packaging supplier.

“Our relationship with this client is built upon being very organized, very knowledgeable and knowing the customer’s business,” Kearton said.

If you’re looking for a heavy-duty packaging solutions partner with the experience to provide competitive advantage in your industry, please fill out our inquiry form.

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, the second oldest brewery still in operation in Florida, had a packaging problem—a good problem, one that comes with growth and expansion.

Brewing more than 28 different styles of beers, lagers and ciders. The Florida Brewery (TFB) packages its own products and co-packs for partners worldwide. To keep up with increasing demand, one thing was clear—more packaging options and new equipment were needed.

The challenge: Who could The Florida Brewery trust with expanding and upgrading packaging operations not only for today, but also with an eye to the future?

Sometimes things work out when you need it most. Challenged by packaging operations slowing down production, TFB’s CFO Stacey Oakley called on Mauricio Samaniego, Ģ����Ƶ’s (Ģ����Ƶ) field sales representative located in Winter Haven, Florida. Samaniego knows the beer packaging business well, and while working with another company, he made a positive impression with his ability to listen and present solutions that worked. It also didn’t hurt that Ģ����Ƶ Winter Haven is located just two miles from TFB.

“I thought, ‘let’s keep it local and reach out to our neighbors,’” said Oakley, project lead on the packaging expansion project. “Ģ����Ƶ is just down the street, Mauricio knows our business and our contract with our previous partner was up, so let’s talk to him. It all came together and worked out.”

Sustainability Drives New Packaging

Focusing on the can side of the business, the challenge of transitioning from plastic-top carriers to more sustainable carton packaging for all brands and co-packs drove a need for new equipment.

Samaniego met with Oakley, listened to her team’s concerns and developed a plan with the help of Ģ����Ƶ’s design, production and customer service teams in Winter Haven and San Bernardino, California. With a hands-on, personalized approach, Ģ����Ƶ won the business and began guiding TFB through packaging modifications beginning in November 2019.

Solutions included:

• Developing more sustainable cartons to replace plastic-topped can carriers
• Adding a new carton and tray maker on-site
• Revamping existing trays to maximize the efficiency of new machinery being purchased by TFB from Design Machine & Manufacturing (DMM)

Handling Pandemic Challenges

During normal times, Ģ����Ƶ collaborates with its customers on-site at its manufacturing and design facilities. During a global pandemic, that process proved impossible. Ģ����Ƶ’s strength of 100 well-connected facilities kept TFB’s packaging transition on schedule.

Instead of TFB staff shipping samples directly to DMM’s facility in Fresno, California, and visiting the plant to see the machines operate and oversee testing, Ģ����Ƶ’s team in San Bernardino streamlined the process. They developed the new package design, sent sample trays and shared the CAD files needed to set up the new machinery. The plant also replicated product runs, testing more than 8,000 trays on the new machine.

“Normally we’re flying to the plant and seeing the machines operate and doing the testing side by side,” Oakley said. “But obviously COVID changed how we operate. Luckily when we needed samples sent, Ģ����Ƶ was able to make them and send them from their facility near DMM’s in California. It all worked out great.”

The new packaging machine was delivered to the brewery on time in August 2020, and testing began on schedule. About 2,000 of each carton tray has already been tested—more than 80,000 trays total—and last month, the last test product for 12-ounce beer cans was complete. The new fully automated packaging operation was launched and will be fully up to speed by 2021.

Packaging Improvements = Immediate Results

TFB’s new packaging operation is already paying off:

• Labor costs have been reduced by full automation, eliminating the need for temporary staff.
• Waste costs have been reduced through efficiency and elimination of plastic tops.
• Capacity has been expanded, and more products and customers are being onboarded.

“We have a great relationship with Ģ����Ƶ,” Oakley says. “Their quality is better, and their responsiveness is fantastic. And the solution fit very well with how we operate, accommodating very large runs to smaller ones that don’t use much volume.

“It’s a large project to put in a new machine, get it situated from build to delivery and to work out the inefficiencies. But we’re ready for 2021 with what we need it to do.”

For Samaniego, he says this project’s success comes down to three Ģ����Ƶ strengths:

1. Guiding customers through packaging challenges painlessly
2. Leveraging capabilities of multiple Ģ����Ƶ plant operations so transitions are seamless for customers
3. Excelling at the “hard to do,” the main reason he says customers trust Ģ����Ƶ

To request additional information or to be contacted by a Ģ����Ƶ representative, please fill out our inquiry form.

Not all packaging vendors are created equal. To find the right one, it’s important to ask the right questions. Check out these four key attributes to solving your packaging problems.

It’s no secret that consumer trends are always evolving and having an impact on retail shopping. As front door, direct-to-consumer drop-off has replaced in-store shopping experiences, suppliers and retailers are adjusting to new online shopping and shipping demands. Ģ����Ƶ (Ģ����Ƶ) is prepared and ready to help retailers excel in this new environment. For the past two decades, Ģ����Ƶ has integrated package testing equipment into its creative design centers across the country. This forward-thinking investment has created a speed to market advantage that provides value to customers now more than ever.

“There are many reasons to test packaging, but customers ultimately want us to be faster and smarter,” says Carmine Bucalo, Director of Creative Services at Ģ����Ƶ. “That’s why we incorporate testing as part of the ideation process.”

A Local Approach to Better Serve Customers

Mooresville is one of the Ģ����Ƶ design centers with expanded package testing capabilities. With more than 120 package designers and many degreed structural and packaging engineers, Ģ����Ƶ’s design testing has accelerated production timelines for e-commerce packaging, retail packaging and point-of-purchase (POP) displays.

“A lot of the baseline testing is done right at the design centers,” Bucalo says. “We’re unique within the industry, because we have more engineers, more testing equipment and a decentralized process. This results in a higher level of service that’s designed to help customers get to market faster.”

In addition to testing at the design centers, Ģ����Ƶ’s Technical and Development Center (TDC) is the largest package testing facility in the industry. Engineers at TDC focus on research and development and on advanced package testing.

Meeting SIOC and ISTA 6 Requirements at Design

“The goal of package testing is to minimize the risk of products being damaged when they arrive on your doorstep,” says Judson Gibbs, Mooresville Design Center Manager.

He explains that Ģ����Ƶ has invested in integrated package testing capabilities to meet rising customer expectations for data analysis and package performance documentation. These expectations have been driven largely by Amazon’s “Ships in Own Container” (SIOC) requirements. These packaging standards have transformed package design from an art to a science.

“One of the biggest things we do for customers is reduce excess packaging materials while maintaining performance,” says Gibbs. “The goal of testing is to see the damage in the lab before you see it in shipping. If you don’t see any damage, it is likely you’re overpacking and overspending.”

All Ģ����Ƶ testing facilities are ISTA-certified and are growing our capabilities to meet Amazon SIOC standards, partnering with customers to meet Amazon standards to minimize packaging material and number of touches needed to get products to consumers.

“That is one of the reasons why customers choose Ģ����Ƶ,” Bucalo says. “Very early on, customers were excited when we promised them risk management and documentation to back it up. Our customers love that we add value through analysis. And they love to see risk management, because many have had disasters when they raced to get their products out to market.”

Overall, Ģ����Ƶ’s fully integrated design and testing capabilities meet these customer goals:

• Speed to market—Tests are conducted locally, providing more flexibility. Customers are often present during testing.
• Better communication—Customers work directly with the design team, streamlining communication and completion time.
• A full spectrum of testing capabilities—Typical tests include edge crush, compression, burst strength and puncture under specified temperature and humidity conditions, providing required retailer/e-tailer documentation.
• Collaboration and cost savings—Regardless of size, Ģ����Ƶ provides full testing and design services to all customers, resulting in production and manufacturing improvements or savings.

“If you’re going to invent packaging for the purposes of accomplishing certain performance criteria, you need to verify that before you go to manufacturing,” Bucalo adds. “In the same afternoon, Ģ����Ƶ’s design teams can ideate, design, make samples, test and deliver data back to our customers. We can quickly and effectively help customers drive products into the supply chain faster.”

Get e-commerce products to consumers faster with Ģ����Ƶ’s accelerated package design and testing.

To learn more, please fill out our inquiry form.

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