Packaging for Your Online Business: How to Package Your Products for Shipping

Whether you are in the manufacturing or the retail business, you probably already have an idea how much impact a neatly wrapped and properly packed product can have on your customers. But now that more and more people are shopping online, the products they buy have to go through other delivery channels before reaching customers’ hands.

In many cases, the products don’t get to the customers in the same pristine condition as when they were shipped. Sometimes, the products get damaged, which can cause major repercussions for your e-commerce business, such as the need to replace the product just to satisfy your customers. And sometimes, boxes get torn and opened in transit; just imagine how your customer would feel to receive a dilapidated package. Whether you like it or not, these things will reflect badly on you, not just on the courier.

So if you’re selling your products online, take time to package your products for shipping, which is far more constrictive than regular product packaging. If you can get away with just using bags in your stores, when it comes to packaging for shipping, using properly and thoroughly sealed boxes is the best option.

Given this, you may want to consider investing in automated packaging solutions, such as carton sealers or taping machines, as these can help you pack your products properly and more speedily so they can be shipped in excellent condition.

Packaging Investment Suggestions for E-Commerce Businesses

There are several types of packaging equipment that can help streamline the packaging process for the benefit of your e-commerce business. If your products need to be protected from moisture, such as books, stretch wrapping equipment will be handy. If your products break easily especially when exposed to physical impact, shrink wrapping ‘bubble wrap’ machines are certainly a must. If your products come in large sizes, such as electronics, case sealers and case erectors are important investments as they can really make a huge difference in protecting your products. And most importantly, since all your products have to come in sealed packages, a taping machine should be one of your first investments.

If you want to go the extra mile to impress your customers, you should also consider investing in your own labeling equipment. This will help you build a brand identity, something that is harder for online businesses to do. You may not have a storefront to display your brand name and logo in, but you can at least leave labeled boxes in your consumers’ homes. They will certainly help make a more lasting impression and thus provide added marketing benefits.    

And before you forget, if you ship items that are breakable, make sure to label all packages with ‘fragile’ to provide additional protection for the items inside.

Going All the Way

Now, even if you’ve invested in packaging machinery and do your best to present your products properly to your customers, you won’t leave a positive impression if your securely and neatly packed product does not get delivered on time. So as an added tip, make sure to choose the right courier service to deliver your products; nothing can ruin a perfectly good product than poor service. Unfortunately, in the e-commerce business, the service of your courier has a huge effect on you. 

As an e-commerce business, shipping is part of your product distribution process, so you can’t just deliver your products to the courier as is. You are still responsible for it until it gets to your customers. Since you don’t have to worry about the overhead expenses that go into maintaining an actual store, you can at least invest in better, more secure packaging for your products. 

Tobacco Packaging: A Different Kind Of Marketing

Smoking kills at least 400,000 people every year.  Quit now or be hooked forever.

A cigarette pack is the only consumer product that has a serious warning outside the packaging, yet a lot of consumers are still addicted to it.  People are very much aware that this product is not good for their health, has proven illnesses and diseases that comes with inhaling it but still is not considered as a prohibited drug or product.  In fact, different manufacturers are spending too much money in advertising this dangerous and harmful drug.  It’s ironic, don’t you think? 

Here are some facts about smoking and its ill effects:

1.     One out of two smokers will die from this addictive habit.

2.     Tobacco usage causes a variety of cancer, which can also lead to death.

3.     Smoking can also cause heart attacks and heart failures.

4.     Decreases level of oxygen in your muscles and inside your brain, making your heart work harder.

5.     Rotting of a lung, which is also called emphysema.

6.     On a lighter note, smoking causes bad breath.

Smoking is so far the most popular recreational drug used in today’s generation.  It comes in the form of cigarettes.  Did you know that almost one billion people in the world smoke?  Imagine the impact of inhaling these burned tobaccos to our health.  But surprisingly, it is still being patronized by consumers ages 10 and above. 

If you will check the packaging, it is already saying that smoking is hazardous and dangerous to your health.  Other brands would even joke about it as shown in the image on your left.  This consumer product has a unique packaging indeed.  They are already telling the consumers outright that their product can kill them but they are still selling these big time.  Is it the packaging? Or is it the actual tobacco that is so addictive that when you get into it, it’s difficult to turn from it?

Several tobacco manufacturers have played around with their packaging style.  They have their own gimmicks such as boxes that open horizontally, metal case cigarette boxes, slim sized boxes and many more.  They disguise a thing of beauty to catch your attention.

These tobacco products are being shipped to different parts of the world through corrugated boxes and sealed by a high quality taping machine to ensure that flavor will not be affected by outside contaminants.

Smoking is dangerous to your health.  But with the ever-changing packaging of this famous and addictive drug, sadly, it will still have its place in the market.

Protecting Your Produce With The Right Packaging

If you think that planting and harvesting your produce is the hardest part, well you’re mistaken.  Packaging and transporting is far more difficult and considered the most crucial stage of your business.  

Increase your sales by keeping your fruits and vegetables green and fresh.  Packaging plays a vital role in maintaining the freshness of your produce.  There are different ways on how you can package your goods and maintain its original state for a few days. A produce undergoes different stages as well, which cand determine the type of packaging that will suit the environment.  Here are different types of packaging materials for different types of stages:

1.     Sealed Cartons/Corrugated Boxes – This type of packaging is used primarily when transporting your harvest.  It provides better resistance to damages when manually handling the produce during transportation to markets.  It also protects the fruits from scratching each other and damaging the skin to keep it looking fresh in the market.

2.     Vacuum Packaging – This is usually the standard packaging when fruits and vegetables are already displayed in supermarkets and grocery stores.  This will lengthen the shelf life of the goods by reducing the level of both oxygen and nitrogen in the package.  Some films would require micro holes to avoid anaerobiosis.

3.     Nets – This type of packaging is used for root crops and other vegetables.  These crops would normally require more holes because if humidity is too high or oxygen level is too low, such crops will sprout.

4.     Wooden Trays/Crates – Commonly used for potatoes and tomatoes.  These crates have good ventilation and are relatively resistant to different weather conditions.  It is also widely used in transporting larger sized produce like watermelons.

You can use carton sealers and dependable taping machines to ensure quality of packaging and handling of your harvest.

Packaging is not only to ensure longer lifespan and safe transportation of your produce.  It impacts your marketing and your sales. 

Great Harvest + Right Packaging = Increased Sales

Benefits of Case Sealers in the Workplace

Case sealers are part of the case erecting and final sealing cycle. This type of packaging equipment can perform overlapping flaps or sequential folding and can be used for both top seal only, or top and bottom seal. With the flap folding function and platen compression, professional looking and perfectly jointed flaps are well-aligned for a more attractive finish. Case sealers basically operate by sealing product filled cases with the top flaps either with tape or hot melt glue.

Case sealers come in uniform and random functions and are also available in semi-automatic and automatic models. As the terms suggest, semi-automatic case sealers still need the assistance of an operator to function while automatic case sealers are operator free models. Case sealers are great investments in the workplace and here are just some of the reasons why:

Fully Automatic Random Highspeed Sidedrive (CSS)

1. Case sealers are made from stainless steel that can be adjusted.
2. Owners can adjust the proper height and width for increased productivity.
3. Whether you choose a semi-automatic or an automatic case sealer, both models automatically fold the flap then tightly sealing the case.
4. Highly economical.
5. Dual masts with dual lead screws are added for added stability and height adjustments.
6. Case sealers can seal boxes and cases in different sizes and types.

Fully Automatic Random Sidedrive w/ 4 Tape Heads of continuous flo action (CS4G)

With that in mind, case sealers greatly increase efficiency in the workplace by:

1. Reducing injuries for manually fed case sealers
2. Reducing labor yet increasing output
3. Tape waste is reduced as well
4. End product gets a more professional appearance
5. Material cost is also decreased, and finally
6. Case sealers create a professional-looking seal

And so when deciding to purchase a case sealer for your business, ask yourself if you want an operator-fed or operator-free case sealer. Also determine how many boxes should be sealed per production line per minute/hour. The carton sizes are also a factor in choosing the right case sealer as well as choosing between 2” and 3” case sealing tapes to seal the box. Finally, find out whether your business needs a top and bottom applicator, or just a top applicator.