Choosing the Right Product Packaging

4 Steps To Product Packaging

Choosing the right product packaging isn’t as simple as just throwing a piece of plastic around the unit that comes from the factory and sending it out. Before a product can be packaged, it needs to be be assessed for regulatory issues, the cost of shipping it to the store, how to best protect it both in shipping and on the shelf, and how to maximize its attractiveness to the end consumer. Given that packaging adds considerable weight and bulk, doing it right minimizes its impact on your product’s profitability.

Step One: Managing Regulatory Issues

The first concern is packaging a product is making sure that it meets legal requirements. Products for export to Canada and Mexico need to meet those country’s laws vis-a-vis the language of the label. Some industries and communities have waste reduction requirements that call for less resource-intensive packaging to have less waste while some products require additional security in packaging to prevent tampering.

Step Two: Receiving Requirements

The requirements of the final recipient define much of how the product packing will be conducted. Your 3PL provider should be able to obtain the necessary standards for packaging size, hardware for hanging or display, and labeling and visibility requirements. For instance, if a given retailer has a premium on shelf space, large clamshell or blister packs may be inappropriate and a shrinkwrap solution would be the most appropriate choice.

Step Three: Designing for Transportation

Product packaging is a balancing act, especially if the products need to be shipped long distances from where they are placed into their final packaging. While many packaging options are extremely light, they can also increase the bulk of products, negatively impacting the cost of shipping. On the other hand, packaging that is too small may fail to adequately protect the product in shipping while also limiting its appeal on the final store shelf.

Step Four: Product Appropriate Packaging

Once all of these nuts-and-bolts concerns have been handled, the packaging designer’s eye turns to creating a package that is most likely to help the product sell. The first step is to choose a shape that both highlights and protects the product. Irregularly shaped items usually are best served by a blister package that can protect them. Clamshells are good for smaller items that need additional size to stand out on  the shelf while also being easier for customers to open. Shrinkwrapping, on the other hand, is small, light, cost-effective and very appropriate for products that already ship in an attractive box and may just need to have a country or vendor specific UPC code added.

Product Packaging Options

Clark Logistics has the ability to design packaging for just about any product. We can work with you and with your customers, if necessary, to display and protect the item. In addition to clamshells, blister packages and shrinkwrapping, we can also pack the product into ready-to-use point-of-purchase displays. This option lets us take your product from receipt to the customer’s hands with no work on your part or on the part of the receiving retail store, other than setting out the POP display.

To learn more about Clark Logistics’ packaging and other 3PL services, please contact us. We have experience working with a wide range of clients and can design the right solution for you.