Nobody Wants to Deal With Bad Packaging

It's something we here at Packsize have been saying for a while now: nobody likes to deal with oversized/wasteful packaging. It's messy, time-consuming, and can sometimes be downright infuriating. Not to mention it shows a clear lack of regard for the environment. Well, the other day I felt pretty vindicated when a study by the company Hermes confirmed what we’ve been saying for years. A write-up of the study was published on LogisticsManager.com, which you can read here.

Among the key findings, we read that:

• 67 percent of consumers received a package described as wasteful and excessive.
• Nearly 33 percent would be less likely to shop with a company that sent them wasteful packaging.
• 70 percent of consumers believe companies should do more to minimize the environmental impact of online deliveries.
• Over 75 percent couldn't name a single company that was doing a good job at minimizing this impact.

So what are the key takeaways from these findings? Well, it's apparent that there is a large segment of consumers who want better packaging, and just under half of them want it badly enough that they might shop with someone else if their current company doesn’t react to their needs. But to me, the most telling statistic is that three out of four consumers can't name any companies who are mindful of their packaging.  

Basically, it looks like we have a marketing opportunity. Any time a segment this large has an unmet need, big points go to the innovators that fill that need. Companies such as Staples that have switched to Packsize have been able to take advantage of the great PR that comes with satisfying its customers—in addition to saving money and reducing its carbon footprint. In the March 2013 issue of DC Velocity, Rod Gallaway , vice president of logistics strategy, global design, and engineering, stated that the "number one feedback item [from customers] was the number of boxes and the size of them. We set out to find a solution that would address that as well as be friendly to the earth." 

After Staples integrated Packsize machines and softward into their fulfillment centers, Rod says "We clearly saw customer satisfaction metrics rise significantly. We have seen those rise as we continue to put the technology in place."  

To learn more about how Staples has integrated Packsize into its fulfillment centers, check out the DC Velocity article here.