Packaging and delivery best practices that retail businesses must follow

Retail businesses are complex because there are a large number of operations to manage. The current pandemic situation has made things even trickier as traditional stores have been forced to switch to online deliveries and curbside pickups to stay operational.

Apart from the logistical challenges, these models require you to invest a great deal of effort into packaging. You need to make sure that the packaging material and designs are good enough to keep the products safe in transit and deliver an optimal customer experience as well.

Although there is no magic formula to find a perfect solution, there are some best practices that you can follow to ensure the best outcomes. Let us list the ones that retailers can implement to ensure customer satisfaction with packaging and delivery. 

Maximise the consumer’s experience 

Always bear the consumer in mind when you choose the material and design for packaging. The prime focus should be to deliver the products in perfect condition, just the way consumers would want to receive them.

Damaged products can lead to a bad reputation for your business and you will probably lose the customer for good. Even if you replace the product to retain them, you will end up sustaining considerable financial losses.

Another aspect relating to customer experience with packaging is safety. Opting for a safe design without sharp corners and edges help. Similarly, you need to make sure that the material you choose is safe from the hygiene perspective as well.

Focus on strength and durability

Clearly, a majority of retail sales are going to involve online delivery and curbside pickups in the new normal. Strength and durability emerge as the key considerations for choosing the packing supplies for ensuring safe transit. It is valuable to assess your product line and decide the kind of packaging that would work for them.

Obviously, the weight and volume of products would affect the ease of tearing. So it makes sense to look for materials that can support the products while they are in transit. After all, you wouldn’t want to make a bad impression on the customer by sending them a torn package.

Present a conscientious structure

Another best practice for retail packaging is to pay attention to the structure and design. Start by avoiding odd shapes and complicated packaging because the average consumer prefers simplicity. Be mindful about the dimensions too as buyers expect packages that are neither too big nor too small as they get tough to handle and unbox.

Moreover, the sizing should align with the product size so that the quality and integrity of products aren’t compromised, whether you are delivering food items, personal care stuff, clothing or anything else. Even if you want to make a visual impact with the packaging, remember that buyers value functionality more than anything else.

Following these packaging best practices will surely give your retail business the competitive advantage it needs. Make sure that you never go slack with the packaging because it matters to consumers as much as the product within.