Around half of UK businesses have not prepared for a rise in e-commerce deliveries which might affect the condition of their products’ packaging.
Half the firms surveyed (49.7%) have no plans in place to alter the design of their packaging to cope with the added wear and tear caused by deliveries from popular e-commerce sites like Amazon.
A WePack survey found that only 11.8% thought changing their packaging to a smaller size would help cope with deliveries, while only 10.7% considered using a stronger design.
One major problem for companies is that damage to packaging can lead to poor online reviews, leaving businesses risking major falls in sales.
Mick Clark, sales director at WePack, said: “Many large retailers now allow people to order online, so the strength and durability of packaging has become more important than ever.
“People also love to share on social media these days. This means personalised premium packaging with a strong design can be posted across a number of social media platforms. Unfortunately, the same can also be said for products that arrive with superficial damage to the box they’re in.”
Research by Dotcom Distribution has suggested up to 40% of consumers would share a picture of a product on social media if it comes in premium packaging.
Another study, from Citizens Advice, found that more than one in 10 people have received damaged goods when ordering online.
Clark added: “A few simple changes to the way your product is packaged could result in far happier customers when they receive their delivery. This has the potential of greatly boosting sales volumes in the long run.”
Source: Packaging News
