How to Create a Memorable Unboxing Experience

04.04.22

In the past 2 years, roughly $1 in every $5 spent in U.S. retail sales has come from e-commerce and that number is still growing. With such a significant share of total commerce coming from e-commerce, packaging and the unboxing experience is becoming increasingly important. A great unboxing experience can drive customer loyalty, make a good first impression, and tell the story of your brand. So…how do you create an unboxing experience that your customers will love?

MINIMAL PACKAGING

Nothing ruins an unboxing experience more than overly-packaged products. When a consumer gets a package that they are excited about, the last thing that they want is a bunch of unattractive, unnecessary packaging in the way. Not only is it annoying for the consumer, but also over-packaged products create a large amount of waste, diminishing sustainability efforts, and they can increase costs for companies.

A major component of a memorable unboxing experience involves utilizing just the right amount of packaging. In other words, the minimal amount of packaging should be used while ensuring that the product is secure and protected from damage or interference. One way to accomplish this is by bundling multi-item orders prior to final packaging, which can be accomplished with a banding machine, such as the ATS US-2000. Bundling products prior to boxing means that just 1 box can be used for several products, reducing overall waste and resulting in a better unboxing experience. For another great example of minimal packaging used effectively, check out Amazon’s Frustration Free Packaging programs.

ELIMINATE VOID FILL

Similar to the negative effects of over-packaging, having void fill such as packaging peanuts, paper, or air pillows, can make a mess and become a nuisance, detracting from the unboxing experience. Void fill also increases the overall waste produced by the packaging solution, causing the solution to be less environmentally-friendly. 54% of consumers take sustainable packaging into consideration when selecting a product, so anything that makes your packaging less sustainable could potentially cost you business.

Void fill can be completely eliminated with banding. Rather than using void fill, products can be banded to corrugate inserts, preventing the product from moving around inside the box during shipment. Check out this video to see how it works:

MAKE YOUR PRODUCTS LOOK GREAT

Another major component of creating a memorable unboxing experience entails thinking about how the products are presented. If done effectively, consumers may want to share your packaging solution, resulting in free marketing for your company. Considering that user-generated content is 42% more effective than branded content, spending the time and money to create an attractive product presentation could lead to a quick ROI. Making your products look great by considering the layout of the products within the box, considering the colors used throughout the packaging, and using consistent branding. Check out this example from Fabrica de Texturas, a Madrid, Spain based textiles company:

Image courtesy of Fabrica de Texturas

USE UNIQUE MATERIALS

Finally, using unique packaging materials can help your packaging solution standout while also creating a memorable unboxing experience for the consumer. However, considering the high demand for sustainable packaging, whatever packaging material you do choose should be recyclable, compostable, or even reusable.

Image courtesy of Notpla

Notpla is a company that makes packaging that is designed to disappear after use, eliminating waste. The company’s namesake is the material that they use, which is made out of seaweed and plants. The material can be used to package small pouches of liquid that can be consumed along with the liquid. The company is growing quickly and looking for more applications with their material, so keep an eye out for them in the e-commerce space.

From using just the right amount of packaging to ensuring that your products are presented perfectly, there’s a lot that goes into creating a memorable unboxing experience. However, with a bit of thought and investment, you can create that experience for your customers. To learn more about e-commerce packaging, follow Gina Barrieau, our e-commerce expert, on Instagram @unboxingecommercepackaging and explore our e-commerce packaging solutions here.