When it comes to getting their products in the marketplace, the manufacturers or companies always look for the best packaging solution that can protect their products during shipping and placement process. However, the role of packaging is far beyond this aspect.
Packaging can be used effectively to enhance visibility, boost potential for profit and become a brand amongst the consumers.

What is secondary packaging?

It is a process of packing retail-ready products for shipping or palletizing them for retail displays. Savvy manufactures harness the benefit of secondary packaging extensively to achieve all three business goals mentioned above.

Secondary Packaging for Shipping

Most of the manufacturers hire professional packaging firms for the packaging of their retail ready products and adapting them for the shipping process. Considering the fact that the cost of fuel and transportation has increased noticeably, it is wise to select your partner packaging company carefully.

Focus on both the safety of products during shipping and the optimization of carrier space, which can be done by removing inessential packaging material from the shipment. In such case, use of folding cartons is recommended. Folding cartons can help you make the most of the carrier’s space and save you a large chunk of money on shipping costs. Finding a good cardboard folding carton manufacturer isn’t a difficult job. After all every smart and savvy manufacturer is aware of the fact that reducing the expense is as valuable as increasing the profit.

Cartons have long been the standard packaging for most of the shipment. Products are bundled, boxed, sealed and then loaded in carriers. This approach ensures good protection to shipment from all possible damages, but increase the cost and weight of the shipment which ultimately led the manufactures to the alternative packaging strategies.

For some products, flat cardboard trays or stabilizers and shrink wrap film offers the essential protection and lessen the overall weight of the shipment at the same time. This method is highly recommended for canned and boxed products. Moreover, it is also suggested for manufacturers who want to create branded display packaging for their targeted audience. Custom printed cardboard trays store the products during shipping and also function as a display on retail shelves, making the products stand out in a busy marketplace.

Secondary Packaging for Retail Marketplace

Secondary packaging for retail marketplace is one of the most widely used packaging services today. From outer pack of pre-wrapped candies to buy-one-get-two kind of multi-packs, secondary packaging has always been a very important element of preparing product for retail sales. When rightly used, it can increase product sales and improve brand recognition. Contemporary business models are promoting this form of packaging on a larger scale these days.

One of the latest trends in retail market secondary packaging is the bulk selling, which is beneficial for both manufacturers and buyers. Manufacturers can bundle their product for a big box style retail sale and this is the time when they can market their products via labeling, cross promotions and boosted visibility on the shelves; at the same time, buyers can save money by purchasing of products in bulk.

Bundled packaging of retail product also provides the manufacturers with an opportunity to drive more sales by offering bonus items to consumers along with bundled products. This tactic is mostly used to launch new product in the market, as it help product owners develop brand loyalty amongst their targeted audience.

Find your contract packaging firm today and leverage the power of secondary product packaging in reinforcing your brand.

5/7/2013

Transferring goods from one place to the other has given birth to a whole new industry. The development of e-commerce and online shopping websites has made it even bigger in the past decade or so. The protection of the goods during the transit is very important. Another thing that holds the equal importance is the packaging of the boxes. Printed Shipping Boxes have become a trend in tangible product transportation. Getting your company’s logo printed on the delivery box takes it to a new level and adds to its visual appeal.

While most of the time traders tend to print the name of their company on the delivery boxes, stickers are also quite popular among the packers. They are easy to use and can be stuck on the packages at the last moment. There are some points that you should take under consideration while negotiating with a packer and mover company. First thing is the quantity, the number of boxes you would like to get your logo or brand’s name printed on? The higher the number of boxes, the lower will be the price of printing per unit.

Second thing is the size and color of the logo. This is very important as it will affect the attractiveness of the package. If your logo is of brown color and is pasted on a brown cardboard, it will make it a little bit difficult for the people to be able to read the message. Similarly, if the logo is very long and contains too many words in a series, some serious adjustments may have to be made with the breadth of the box. If you discuss it with the box designers, they will provide you with a sample makeover look of the box and also different color samples which you may use to make the content written on the box more visible and appealing to the customer.

Printed boxes make a very good impression on the end user. If your company has developed quite an image among the consumers and is looking to create a trademark appearance, then using printed boxes for delivering the products will turn out to be a magnificent idea. There are several misunderstandings or misconceptions among the people regarding the custom made printed boxes. You don’t need to order a gazillion of boxes in order to get the printing work done, you can select as low as 50 boxes for an order as well. If you want your customers to be impressed with your product’s first look, attractive and bold printed boxes are the right thing for you.

Package Labels play a very important role in the shipping industry. When you dispatch a product to the client, the specific details of the transit can be printed on the box or attached as a label. The seller of the products and the customer can easily track the movement of their product. The consumer will not have to keep on emailing the service provider to check on the current location. He can just go to website and track down the current position.

4/30/2013

What Is A Folding Carton?

A Folding Carton is a type of container which is made of paperboard or corrugated material and hence, also known as paperboard folding cartons. Ideally, it is cut, folded, laminated, printed and then directly shipped flat to a manufacture or a packaging company, who has its own machinery to fold the container into its final shape for a product.

Here are the top 6 benefits of choosing paperboard folding cartons as a packaging solution for your products or brand:

1. Creativity That Makes You Stand Out

There are numerous styles and types of paperboard packaging. Packaging designers are highly creative in developing out-of-the-box folding cartons. If you look around, you will find a number of products leveraging the visual aspect of foldable boxes.

Additionally, paperboard material is more adaptive to advanced printing and digital graphics technology. Imprinting attractive graphics design on folding containers is much easier compared to other packaging solutions.

2. Green Branding Solution

Corrugated paperboard material is 100% recyclable, and so are the boxes made out of it. Technology needed to recycle paperboard folding containers is fairly affordable compared to that of other packaging material. It is easy even for consumers to recycle these packaging cartons. Opting for folding cartons for your product is a way to contribute to a greener environment.

Moreover, the scraps generated in the manufacturing of folding cartons can be reused after recycling, which ultimately helps in reducing the cost of these packaging containers in the market.

3. Reduced Transportation Cost

Folding cartons are usually shipped flat, as they can be folded to bring back in shape at the recipient’s end; this save storage space, which in turn helps one reduce transportation cost. Or looking from another standpoint, you can accommodate more products in the shipment.

4.Custom Solutions For All

Folding cartons feature great structure flexibility, meaning you can easily bend, cut, roll or fold them. And hence, they are widely used in automated and manual packaging product lines. Every folding cartons manufacturer in town is offering custom packaging solution these days and folding containers aren’t an exception to this latest packaging trend.

5.Enhanced Brand Visibility

Custom folding packaging containers provide outstanding brand visibility. If done right, it can boost product sales and enhance brand’s impact at the POP (point of purchase). Impressive graphic design on packages can increase the opportunity of repeat business. Remember, product packaging is far off the days when it was merely a means to store or protect product. Today, it is a major part in the marketing arsenal for businesses.

6. Versatility

Paperboard packaging industry is constantly changing and new printing technologies, machinery or equipment, and design ideas surface on almost every day. With today’s paperboard packaging technologies, your imagination is the only limit.

Food and beverages, electronics and other consumer product markets are the top sectors using folding packaging cartons for their products. So, do you agree that product success lies in packaging? If yes, choose the right boxes for packaging your products.

4/10/2013

If this is the first time you are buying shipping boxes, you might have a bunch of questions in your mind, looking for help in choosing the right ones for your needs. There are a lot of things to take into account while purchasing shipping boxes besides the size and cost of the boxes.

Here are the top 5 things you must consider while selecting shipping boxes for your products:

1. Size

The size of a shipping box is determined based on the size of the article that needs to be shipped. While selecting the size of the box, make sure that there should be no space left for the article to move inside the box once packaged. You will easily find corrugated cardboard shipping boxes available in many different sizes in the market. If your products fit perfectly in one of those sizes, you can buy them at a retail price from online stores. Or else, you may have to ask a supplier to create custom size boxes for your products.

2. Weight

The weight of your product is a crucial factor in finding the right shipping boxes. Corrugated shipping boxes are available in different strength versions. If your product is lighter, you may settle for buying single wall shipping boxes. And if your product is heavier, you may better buy double wall shipping boxes.

3. New Or Recycled

These days, packaging product suppliers and manufacturers offer both new and used (recycled) cardboard shipping boxes. The prices of new and recycled shipping boxes may vary considerably, but I would recommend you to purchase new shipping boxes to ensure the boxes are sturdy and durable enough to last all the way to their destination place.

4. Fragility

If your shipping products are so fragile that they can be easily damaged or crushed from vibrations and manhandling during the shipping process, you should buy heavy duty shipping boxes, available in all sizes. You may also use packaging box accessories like foam inserts and corner protectors to protect the products from all possible damages during transport.

5. Cost

Cost of shipping boxes varies considerably from supplier to supplier. Some supplies also price match their competitors, and some will bear their competitor’s price list. Compare the prices of various companies online over the web, and bargain for the lowest price possible. Remember, some product packaging supply companies charge an extra amount as a delivery fee. If you want to trim on delivery fees, find a local supplier of shipping boxes. However, never compromise on quality just to save a few dollars.

These are only a few of the important factors to consider while purchasing shipping boxes. You will find many other factors, tips and information of finding the right shipping boxes on the internet. Many professional companies are offering custom printed shipping boxes in a great variety of colors these days. If you want to create a lasting impression, buying custom printed shipping boxes is indeed a good idea. Hope these tips will help you find the right shipping boxes for your products.

3/29/2013

According to Wikipedia, packaging is an art, science and technology of enclosing and protecting products for storage, distribution, sales and usage. The process of product packaging includes the designing, assessment and production of containers.

Today, product packaging has come out as a separate industry in itself. Package designs are playing crucial role in making and destroying of brands. A sizable consumer products industry relies heavily on packaging designers these days.

Whenever you visit the supermarkets, malls, stores and any other places where products are sold, you will always see that the products are wrapped in a packaging container. Container may vary in size, shape and color, and these are the factors that help you locate your favorite brand or product in a blink of an eye.

If you are looking for a packaging design idea that conveys the right message in the right manner to your targeted audience, check out these 5 can’t-fail tips:

1. Don’t Wait Till The Last Minute

Creative product packaging establishes both physical and psychological bond with the consumers. The design of the packaging speaks about the product inside, the company that owns it, or brand as a whole.

So, if you have the right statement to be conveyed, don’t wait till the end of the product development cycle. Rather, start gathering good design ideas from the very beginning. Conduct a research on your target niche and find out what they want to see or what their requirements are.

2. Less is More

Sometimes, the companies overdesign the packaging in hope for it to stand out on the shelf, which ultimately result in a negative outcome for the brand. If you don’t want your packaging design strategy to back-fire, keep it simple, to-the-point and effective.

3. Be Different

As reported by FMI (Food Marketing Institute), the average supermarket in America has approximately 40,000 items on sale. That shows how tough is the competition for product owners. If you want to outshine your rivals on the shelf, you have to be different. Design a unique packaging that separates your product from its competitors and neighbors.

4. Bring Authenticity

This is what is inevitable in the ideas of great packaging designers and big brands. Your main purpose behind packaging is to grab attention of the customers, but this isn’t the end of the game.

Say, if you have portrayed an image of your product in the packaging carton which is nowhere similar to the original product. The customer won’t pick your product again, even if your packaging idea is the finest. Embrace authenticity in your packaging design; use custom printed package labels or imprint the company address or contact detail, so customers can reach you when needed; don’t over blow the visuals.

5. Add Some Functional Value

This is mainly application to ready-to-eat food products and other consumer products. In this market segment, you will see a number of products whose packaging isn’t just creative, relevant and informative, but it is functional as well.

But how do you do that? Well, you can create an easy-to-open packaging, imprint directions to use your products, and put an additional item or element that make it easier for the customers to use the product.

No matter if you want a design idea for small shipping boxes or consumer product packaging, hiring a professional packaging designer is a must today.

3/22/2013

Big Brands’ packaging are transforming

Pepsi, the king of beverages, modified the look of its can or bottles for only 10 time in the last century. However, this year, this world-famous soft drink brand is planning to launch a new can design almost every week. Kleenex, an international brand of facial tissues, bathroom tissues and many other paper-based products, used square and rectangular packaging boxes for 4 decades, and then moved to oval packaging boxes now.

Coors Light, a light beer product by the world’s seventh largest brewing company -Coors Brewing Company, bottles features packaging labels that become blue when the beverage is cooled at the right temperature. Have you ever used the kid’s special soap bottle by Huggies? It has an LED that is programmed to flash consistently for 20 seconds to help children know how long they need to wash their hands.

Packaging isn’t just to hold or protect your products

Companies selling consumer products are now investing a large chunk of money in marketing and advertising their products. With the fastest trend of the internet and over hundreds of TV channels, the businesses can’t afford to miss on product advertising. Packaging today has become an inevitable part of product branding and advertising.

The companies are using various types of packaging solutions to boost sales by grabbing the customers’ attention, who always take the decision to purchase the product at the last minute while gazing at the shelf in a store or a mall, be it online or offline.

Packaging is a powerful way to convey your message to your targeted audience. Gone are the days when companies can sustain their packaging designs for many years. Today, the marketing professionals give emphasize on a product appeal by launching new packaging style or type at a regular interval. – as said by the CEO of a renowned brand agency.

Consumers’ Demands Drive the Packaging Industry

Consumers have also showcased a major shift in their consumption methods. The smart users are now considering the visual appeal of the products available on the shelves. Advertising companies are using attracting packaging supplies to meet the purpose of their clients, the product owners.

Results of a survey conducted by one of the top ten packaging companies asserted the fact that end users today expect something new every time they enter the store to buy the products. The demand and anticipation of consumers change so fast that the companies need to refresh their packaging almost every year.

However, there are several other reasons why companies are shifting to new packaging solutions; some want to shrink the carton size and shape to best fit the products and save cost on shipping, some want to make the containers more functional to stand out in the market, and some want to contribute in environmental sustainability by using recyclable product packaging.

Using effective packaging products like custom designed packaging boxes, packaging tapes, package labels and POP displays, the companies can talk to their customers in the most affordable way.

The packaging industry is yet to experience a tremendous growth and transformation. You may soon find packaging bags with a nice aroma in it, or may be something else. Corrugated cardboard is one of the most widely used packaging materials.

2/26/2013

Are you looking for a comprehensive guide to folding boxes? Well, this is a kind of packaging box which comprises of a flat bottom that can be folded in any shape to exactly fit the item within. Often, these boxes together with foam inserts are used as a packaging solution to protect products during shipping.

Too Many Choices

Folding cartons are mainly suitable to package odd shape items or objects, which can’t be fitted in conventional square corrugated boxes. Printed foldable boxes are also used for gift wrapping. These boxes are available in many shape, sizes and colors. Material of the box is also a key factor to consider while buying packaging boxes.

Typically, cardboard corrugated boxes are used in moving and shipping boxes. They are available in all size and shape. The box thickness may vary largely; the thicker it is, the sturdier it is. So, you can make the right choice considering the weight of your items that needs to be packaged in it.

What sort of folding boxes you require?

You must have a clear idea of your packaging needs before you watch out for packaging solution in the online market. And if you are not able to find the best fit box off-the-shelf, you may find a good folding carton manufacturer in your city and get custom-designed boxes for your products.

Today, most of the professional packaging companies have their presence over the internet. Visit as many websites as you can, and check out their line of packaging products online. Compare the prices offered by different packaging suppliers. You may also check their online portfolio to view some sample of their previous work.

Integrate Packaging to your Marketing Campaign

The majority of packaging companies offer custom-designed and digitally printed folding cartons these days. Certainly, the price may go up for such custom packaging solutions, but it is worth investing in. Many world-famous companies or businesses are leveraging packaging to enhance their brand among their targeted audience.

Gone are the days, when folding cardboard boxes were used just to package products. Today, they have become an inevitable part of companies’ marketing and advertising campaign. Businesses use custom designed folding carton with their company’s logo and brand name to go viral.

Industries jacking up the sales of folding cartons

E-commerce businesses, food & beverages, and beauty & cosmetics are some major industries showing the largest supplies of folding packaging cartons. Remember, packaging or shipping box represent your brand. Thus, the selection of right packaging supplier is crucial to your business.

Cost Matters…But, never comprise on Quality

While buying folding corrugated boxes online, make sure that the company offer shipping service to your area or city. And the last but the most important is the cost.
Before sealing the deal with any folding box manufacturer, compare its price rates with its competitors in the market; take into account quality of products and customer service at the same time.

Following this guide while hiring searching your packaging partner online will certainly help you make a right choice. So, what are you waiting for? Get ready to move your products with the best packaging!

2/21/2013

The global packaging industry turnover in 2012 is estimated to be $460 billion, which shows the growing demand of product packaging worldwide. In addition, the latest market research performed by IPSOS public affairs in the USA reveals that over 34 percent consumers are demanding a change and more creativity in food packaging as well as in beverage packaging, which is quite higher than 24 percent consumers who categorized as price higher. Design, functionality and ease of unpacking have become an integral part of product packaging these days.

The packaging industry is seeking designers who can break the conventional styles and types and come up with new packaging solutions for the 21st century consumers. Many new companies have been emerging in the market to tap the maximum share of packaging cartons. Check out these 9 factors that will drive the packaging industry in the current year:

1. New Age Consumers Demands

   “Customer is king” – you might have read this sentence thousands of times and I am using it one more time here as the packaging industry isn’t an exception to it. The consumers are now focusing on the packaging of the products they buy. Many companies have already integrated product packaging as a part of their marketing campaign and relishing in profitable results.

2. Creativity

   Creativity in product packaging can help businesses enhance their market reputation. The large-scale enterprises have increased their investment in packaging and labeling of products for the current year. Innovation in folding packaging of the products will help the packaging companies set new milestones in the industry.

3. Social Media Integration

   Social media platforms will bring a number of opportunities for packaging companies throughout the year. The zero moment of truth will truly work for packaging industry in 2013.

4. Build Up New Processes

   The company will focus on preventive issues and risks in order to reinforce their processes to match the international standards of quality packaging.

5. Flexibility

   This is another major parameter that plays crucial role in the unprecedented growth of global packaging industry. Flexible packaging has become inevitable in the current markets.

6. Packaging that Speaks

   Yes, you heard me right. Some brilliant packaging designers have made smart use of packaging options available in the market and brought to the table highly interactive packaging that speaks volumes for the product inside it as well as about the company that owns it.

7. Reusability

   People are becoming more aware of the environmental issues and thus the demand of recyclable packaging solutions has increased by manifold in the current year. Thus, packaging companies are focusing more on corrugated shipping boxes and cardboard box accessories.

8. Digital Printing

   This has become a powerful tool attract the consumers and turn them into potential customers. With the continuous advancement in the graphic design industry, the packaging companies often come up with the new design and prints in the packaging boxes.

9. Clear Cuts

   Clear cuts and shapes of packaging boxes can raise the bars on quality and won trust of consumers. Advanced machines and tools are used to obtain clean design in shipping boxes.

Gone are the days of plain packaging. Now businesses are looking for custom packaging solutions and thus they prefer to hire professional packaging designers.

1/22/2013

Regardless of what industry you work with, there are scenarios when you need to mail, ship or store important papers, which can be any business document, banner, poster or any material. And this is when cardboard tubes come on the scene; these tubes are the ideal packaging solution for articles like blueprints, research papers and crafted item. These shipping tubes safeguard the merchandise inside it, optimizing the space, and leave a good impression on receivers.

Mailing tubes typically have removable plastic or metal caps at the end, so one can insert and take out the article easily. If you do a lot of mailing and shipping, mailing tubes, also called shipping tubes and postal tubes, are a must for you. These tubes are available in various sizes to best fit most of the merchandise items. The majority of the tubes used in retail packaging don’t exceed the length of 122 cm (48 inches).

Over a span of the last ten years, the market demand of the mail tubes has increased by manifold. Below are the major benefits of picking cardboard mailing tubes for your business packaging needs:

There is a size for every article!

Cardboard material is very easy to manufacturer. There are a large number of packaging companies that offer almost every size of tube containers. So, you can easily find the container that best fit your article size. If you want to ship some important business papers ensuring they reach the client without having a single crease on it, you are best to select a circular tube of the exact size.

Dream any shape

Typically, off-the-shelf mailing tubes are in cylindrical shape. But you can dream almost any odd shape and the professional mailing tubes manufacturers can make it feasible for you. The packaging companies offer custom-designed shipping tubes, or shipping boxes, to meet various needs of the customers and clients. To make the shipping containers look more attractive, you can ask the packaging companies to embrace a good printed design with your business logo and address over it.

Light or Heavy? It Isn’t a Problem!

Is your shipment light or heavy in weight? This answer will help you determine the type of the mail tubes to choose. Cardboard mailing tubes are available in combination of different materials such as plastic, glass and metal. For example: If you want to ship business document or any other thing of light weight, you may select cardboard shipping tubes with plastic caps.

In the contrast, if you want to package a heavy article, you may choose from a collection of cardboard heavy duty shipping boxes available in the market. Cardboard tubes with metal interior and metal caps at both the ends offer higher ruggedness and durability.

They’re just a click away!

Instabox offers top-quality cardboard mailing tubes at the most competitive rates. Buying shipping tubes online in bulk will help you save a large amount, as you will get them at retail prices.

1/16/2013

Manufacturers of Canada use a selection of containers and packaging materials to protect the products or goods from possible damages in manhandling and shipping. Some of the most common containers used in Canadian manufacturing industry include corrugated boxes, glass containers, metal cans, and set-up and folding boxes.

Over the last 10 years, there has been a tremendous growth in the packaging industry which is caused by many industrial parameters, mainly consumer demand of top quality packaging and exponential increase in freight shipping all around the world. The manufacturing industry in Canada is now spending a billion dollars in packaging and labeling their products.

As reported by Euromonitor International, Canadian consumers are now emphasizing on the closures of the products, be it food products, health or wellness products, or anything else, which implies that the future of the packaging industry is bright in the coming years as well. Plastic and corrugated cardboard packaging materials have reduced the cost of containers dramatically, without compromising on the durability of containers. And perhaps, this is another reason why manufacturers choose these packaging containers for their products.

The Carved Out Niche of Containers

More than 55% of the containers are used in packaging of food items and beverages. These two industries are growing at a fast pace, which in turn boosting the demand of plastic containers and corrugated boxes. Chemical, healthcare and garment industry are another three major industries in Canada that play crucial role in maintaining the bursting demand of corrugated containers in the market. There are many other industries in the country that invest a considerable amount in packaging products including textile, tobacco and coal.

Most Common Types of Packaging Containers

Plastic containers, corrugated box containers, metal containers, cardboard folding boxes, and glass containers hold 70% of the packaging products used by the manufacturers of Canada.

• Corrugated Boxes – They are in the spotlight since 1996. The industry of corrugated containers has showcased a tremendous growth in the last decade and today it has marked its place as one of the billion dollar industries of Canada. Corrugated cardboard boxes are available in a great variety of shape, size and colors.
  One can also find a packaging company that offers custom printed cardboard containers. With the advent of latest technologies and tools of graphic designing, printed corrugated boxes look more attractive. The corrugated cardboard material is recyclable, so boxes made out of this material can be reused and made available in the market at half the price of the new ones.
• Plastic Containers – From 9% in 1995 to over 20% in the last quarter of 2012, the share of plastic containers and packaging material has almost doubled in the last 2 decades. Due to its light weight, higher strength and lower price, plastic containers have replaced the metal and glass containers in many industries.
• Metal Containers – They are widely used in the food and beverage industries. However, in the last 20 years, the demand of metal containers has decreased noticeably.
• Glass Containers – Food, beverage and chemical products munch through almost all the glass containers manufactured in the country. However, the glass container industry is showcasing decay in the last ten years.
• Folding Boxes – The market share for folding box containers remain steady from day of its origin in the industry. Food industry consumes the largest share of set-up and folding boxes.

Instabox Canada has come a long way from its inception in the industry many years ago. In addition to a huge assortment of containers, they offer an extensive collection of box accessories for better packaging of the products.

1/11/2013