Two new studies this week show how important packaging and labels are to customers in terms of their perception of a retail brand. And it also shows many retailers are still getting it wrong. Whether for function or promotion packaging can have a huge influence – especially when it comes to unboxing.
Now whilst I have to admit to loving the experience of opening a package and the excitement it brings I like to do it in my own private space. The concept of ‘unboxing’ – ie actually watching someone else open a parcel online is alien and a little voyeuristic to me. And yet it’s a huge influencer – even my ten-year old daughter is making her own unboxing videos and YouTube now features more than 60 million such clips.
Yet the second annual packaging survey from Macfarlane shows retailers are still getting it wrong, with one in five parcels either delivered in too big or too small a package and many retailers missing the potential for customer delight from a better unboxing experience.
Along similar lines a survey from Avery also suggests the power of labelling as part of the packaging and brand perception experience. It seems first impressions really do count.
In a market that is continually growing it’s the sort of thing that just can’t be ignored. Another story this week suggests that the tremendous growth the market is expected to continue to see will mean that a huge shake-up in trends and emerging technologies in last-mile delivery is inevitable, according to Pitney Bowes’ Parcel Shipping Index 2017.
As part of its contribution to the last-mile revolution Menzies Distribution has announced the purchase of the UK’s largest all electric fleet Gnewt Cargo in Central London.
Looking at renewable resources meanwhile the Freight Transport Association says that it welcomes the government’s announcement of a new feasibility study into the options for fuelling future HGV vehicles from rubbish in a bid to further cut emissions.
And finally this week we have news of DHL expanding its parcel operations to four more countries in Europe and the reminder that it’s now less than one month until the eDelivery Conference, held jointly with the InternetRetailing Conference, takes place in London on October 5. Make sure it’s in those diaries now!
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