Unpack the future of e-commerce #2 – Summer 2021

Consumers care about e-com packaging, and brands are aware of this. The unboxing experience is often their first tangible contact with the brand and the purchased products and thus is an essential part of the overall buying experience for many consumers. With e-com packaging, consumers are also responsible for recycling the packaging, while in traditional brick-and-mortar sales the transport packaging is hidden behind the store and is never even seen by the final customer.

Besides the obvious sustainability and consumer experience, e-com packaging needs to function well during filling and transit. Having efficient packaging that works well during order fulfillment is key. Efficiency is essential not only to be cost-effective, but also because consumers expect more-or-less instant deliveries – having an efficient DC that can ship out parcels quickly even during peak seasons is vital.

BillerudKorsnäs started looking at e-com paper mailing bags around four years ago. In those early days of our e-com work, we conducted several value-chain studies, following parcels all the way from DC’s to the final customer, and then, to simulate returns, back to the DC’s again. It turned out that handling of the e-com packages in many cases was rough and challenging. Thus the paper mailers need to be very strong to ensure low breakage levels and good performance.

Different materials offer different properties such as strength performance, environmental performance, efficiency in converting processes, etc. For instance, paper mailers need to be strong to avoid breakage and to survive rough handling in an e-commerce value chain. Together with you we take a closer look at your processes and packaging solutions. Based on this analysis, will we identify the right material and performance parameters for your e-commerce packaging.

From years of experience developing and testing different types of packaging solutions in our laboratory, we know that the size of the packaging in correlation with its contents is essential when it comes to packaging performance. The right dimensioning of a package and hence the degree of filling is the key to a carefree distribution chain. Another positive side effect is that you will ship less air in your package. The right-sized package will take less space during transport and will consume less material. This will create both environmental and economical benefits for your business.

When it comes to design, you might be working with different solutions – from premade bags to automated bagging and fully automated processes. Different markets have different prerequisites when it comes to machine availability, packaging processes, and consumer demands. From our collaborations with the major machine manufacturers and key converters in the industry, we know about the possibilities and limitations in the different markets and with different machine designs. At our lab or in collaboration with our partners, we will be able to simulate, prototype, and test all of the viable variations for your business case. Through this we can identify the ideal paper solution for your products and can support you in switching from plastic to paper.