eCommerce Packaging: 9 Ideas to Delight Your Customers

An e-commerce packaging is often the only physical point of contact a customer has with the online store. This means it’s a great opportunity for your brand to make a lasting impression.

The importance of eCommerce packaging 

A great ecommerce packaging motivates repeat business and encourages buyers to share their products on social media or leave a positive review.

Research indicates that consumers of luxury items are even more likely to share packaging on social media, with 38% stating that they have already done so.

On Instagram, the hashtag #unboxing has already been used more than 1.3 million times. Therefore, it is clear that opening packages is an experience enjoyed by many consumers and for companies, it’s a great opportunity to build brand image.

It is also crucial for retailers to stay ahead of the latest trends and consumer opinions. For example, there is a growing aversion to oversized and unnecessary packaging, while the preference for sustainable packaging grows.

Sustainability is more important for younger buyers, with 85% of people aged 18 to 29 stating that it affects their purchasing choices.

– Packaging for delivery: learn how to choose the best one

9 ideas for eCommerce packaging

Ecommerce packaging is a crucial element of your business marketing strategy.

Check out nine ideas from companies that think outside the box and get inspired!

1. Elegant interior design

The French beauty brand L’Occitane is well known for the thoughtful packaging it offers in its physical stores and online.

Customers open their plain brown boxes to be delighted by a bright yellow and white pattern, along with a thank-you note and yellow tissue paper.

The packaging is elegant and stylish, which reinforces the brand image and the perception of quality.

2. Cards with messages

Positive feedback is vital to the success of an e-commerce business, so take advantage of every opportunity to provide it. Ask your customers to leave a review of their purchase.

The cards can be used to communicate all kinds of messages, including thank you notes, other best-selling products from the brand, discount codes for a future purchase, and requests for reviews.

Important: If you’re selling on a marketplace, check their policies beforehand. On Amazon, for example, this strategy of asking for reviews goes against the site’s terms and conditions and can lead to your account being suspended.

– 6 reasons why online reviews are essential for your brand

3. Use recyclable materials

A great example of sustainable and attractive e-commerce packaging comes from the Italian brand Portrait Eyewear.

Their oddly shaped cardboard boxes are unique in form and function, eliminating the need for glue. This allows customers to flatten the paper and easily recycle the box after delivery.

The glasses case is also made entirely from recycled materials.

4. Make the packaging too pretty to throw away

The cosmetics company Natura presents its products in beautiful reusable and eco-friendly packaging. 

That eliminates the need for wrapping paper and also encourages customers to keep the boxes and reuse them for other purposes.

In an effort to use more sustainable packaging, the brand has also made its boxes more compact and replaced any plastic inserts with compostable alternatives.

5. Obtain FSC certification

Environmentally conscious brands use FSC certified and recycled paper whenever possible.

FSC is an internationally recognized forest certification system that identifies, through its logo, products resulting from good forest management.

If you want to attract a young, environmentally conscious audience, consider doing the same.

6. Invest in refills

With consumers becoming increasingly intolerant of unnecessary packaging, e-commerce sellers need to consider what they can do to reduce their own.

If the carbon footprint of your logistics cannot be reduced, perhaps your ecommerce packaging can.

The cosmetics brand Baims is increasingly using bamboo in its packaging and offers a refill system for many of its powder products.

Compact and durable packaging also helps to reduce shipping costs.

– How to reduce shipping costs

7. Send a surprise

Surprise gifts are always a good idea, and everyone loves them. Whether it means stickers, magnets, or free samples, adding a little something extra to your ecommerce packaging will surprise and delight your customers.

This e-commerce marketing strategy significantly increases loyalty and motivates repeat purchases.

L’Occitane is known for including a selection of free samples in its shipments, and the makeup brand Glossier doesn’t skimp on fun stickers.

8. Use custom-made tape

Using brown cardboard boxes is generally the most sustainable and economical packaging option for e-commerce.

That’s because they typically contain more recycled material than white cardboard.

This doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your visual identity. Try using customized adhesive tape or labels to leave your mark on deliveries.

9. Showcase your brand

Major brands communicate their voice and values ​​at every opportunity, including on their ecommerce packaging.

Consider how you can present elements of a marketing campaign or incorporate your brand into your deliverables.

Choose the right e-commerce packaging and reduce shipping costs

The visual design of your ecommerce packaging, as well as the materials used, has a significant impact on how customers perceive your brand.

To please the vast majority of today’s online consumers, it’s necessary to consider sustainability and exclusivity. 

However, this goes far beyond a purely marketing perspective. Choosing the right packaging is crucial for optimizing transportation.

Packing your products in efficient, space-saving packages is ideal for reducing shipping costs.

When choosing your e-commerce packaging, be sure to pay attention to shipping logistics to ensure a faster and more economical delivery to your customers.

Ecommerce platform, app Delivery365 works with express delivery, has tracking technology, its own online freight calculation system, and a database of hundreds of registered delivery drivers.

– What is Express Delivery and how does it work?

To learn more about our services, visit our website and understand why we are the best solution for your e-commerce business.