packaging

Direct Store Delivery for Retailers 

James StahlLeave a comment

As more and more demand and competition starts to increase, you may wonder if there are new ways to make the supply chain more efficient. Some people have looked to optimize this by improving this and shaving off some of the costs. 

Some retailers however may want to cut out the supply chain period and opt for what’s called direct store delivery. the problem with this, however, is that it’s not easy to put together nor is it considered the best option, but when you put this in correctly, it can offer some massive savings to your costs, and a host of other benefits that will help businesses get a huge advantage down the line. 

What is it and the Benefits? 

You might wonder what this is. Basically, this is when you have the manufacturer of something delivers directly ships it to a specific location, rather than using a distribution center to help do the job. 

The benefits of this is that it’s good for those who want something a bit more simplified, and it helps to offer the suppler the good that you need, and it helps reduce how much you’re going to spend, properly streamlines it, and overall is a better option. 

When to get this 

If you’re a supplier that does use fresh foods and perishables, the higher your expiration date risk and the shorter the shelf life of the inventory is, this can definitely be something that’s a challenge, and it ca be an opportunity for you to create something that’s been made so that you don’t have to worry about it being damaged 

This also is great for fragile items as they’re moved far less, and the perishables get to the shelves in a quicker fashion, which is something that a lot of grocery stores do use. 

It also is good for those who don’t want to spend the extra money to store the item in the warehouse, and it also reduces the different expenses that come with this too, and it can be something that’ll help with maintaining, renting, or even with staffing expenses, cutting down all of these. 

It also is good if you need something that has a lot of inventory turnover, and it can be something that you can have traveling directly from the suppliers directly to there. This helps it be availible, and it also has the highest turnover of the inventory, which is good for a lot of stores as well who have limited space. 

It also is good if you’re a business that thrives on proper customer experience. If you don’t want things to be out of stock and get people upset, it’s something to consider, as this can help get the items to them a lot quicker. 

The challenges 

That isn’t to say it’s all that easy. In fact, it can be a challenge. While direct store delivery does get rid of the labor and warehousing, because of the urgency, it can make the transit costs rise. It also is definitely someone who works with SKUs, and if you have to correct problems that are happening. 

It is something as well which can be a problem if you do DTC fulfillment. While you may have a micro-fulfillment facility, you’ve got to watch the inventory levels, since this can be quite expensive. 

Finally, it can sometimes be hard if you don’t have the personnel to maintain he stock. It can however be a good option if you need it to be shipped out fast, and if you’re working with fragile items, it’s a must to use.

Custom Packaging for businesses 

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Custom packaging is one aspect that a lot of people are looking at. It’s underestimated by many, but it’s becoming one of the most common types of solutions out there. The right packaging is more than just for products and the containers of such. It’s a much larger, more important role. Here, we’ll go over why you should use this, and some creative ways to use custom packaging. 

First impressions Matter 

First impressions are something that a lot of people struggle with. As humans, we’re naturally visual, so if you want to stand out, and really get people to wow over the product, the packaging is what people will see first and foremost, so if you want to stand out in a sea of boxes and such, this is how you do it. 

Makes them stand out 

This of course also lets you give them something to remember in a lot of cases/. People remember packaging that’s different, and they remember packaging that isn’t just the same old same old. Plus, you can also make them stand out in different ways that you can really enjoy. Logos, branded names, high-quality packaging, this is great for building the brand to a much further, better manner. 

Plus, it lets you inject your personality into the brand, something some customers struggle with. Branded tape, stickers designs for boxes, and also bolder designs do help to make the statements that you want to. 

Designing for customers 

If you’re not sure whether or not you should use custom packaging, think about how you can design for customers. Some of these products may require you to use certain items. For example, construction equipment may use a crowbar, so you want to pick the colors and imagery to fit the needs of the audience. 

You should also look at the way the product is shaped. Some people can fit products in any old box, but others are strange. And if you don’t want to make it bland and boring, you can get custom packaging that fits the box style that you need. It also is great for offering the proper balance between form along with function. 

If you’re going to create custom packaging, you also need to look at the fragile nature of the product that’s there. If you ship items that are fragile incorrectly, there is always a risk for possibly ruining the product before it gets there, as businesses and shippers are not as careful with the product. 

You want to make sure that the products are snug, have conditioning and air fill or other types of dunnage within this to help with this. You also may want to look at mailers and shippers to help keep every single item safe. Any bigger items will be put in products that are bigger padding such as air fill, crinkle paper, bubble wrap, and even Styrofoam inserts are also used in a lot of cases, but you should also focus on the budgeting that’s used there. 

You also will want to make sure that you give them a product that fits the packaging, as this can improve the shipping, reduce the costs of logistics, and also helps you make sure that you’re getting the correct size for the product. Custom packaging helps with this, as it can fit the product at hand, offer protection, and not look goofy or careless. This also helps to improve the value of the product, and also will improve shares on social media. So if you haven’t looked at the ways to fix branded packaging with custom packaging, do that today! 

How Flat Pack shipping is Revolutionizing Large Scale Logistics 

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Flat pack shipping is something that’s become the norm in a lot of shipping areas, to the point where more and more are using this type of technology for efficient storage and transit.   For a lot of companies, this novel change really enhances the packaging experience, giving you something to look forward to.

Here, we’ll go over all of the different ways flat pack shipping changes the game, and how large-scale logistics thrive with this kind of shipping products. 

The applications 

Lots of bulk goods are able to use flat pack shipping. With bulk items, you can put a lot of items in there, and it fits so much, without it being too much to ship. It’s great if you’re a wholesale goods store who wants to ship out more times, and something to consider. 

The other one is disaster relief. When disasters happen, more and more people need the help that they can get. With flat pack shipping, you can do just that, and so much more. 

Modular homes, which are changed and morphed in their own way, also thrive. These homes can be adjusted based on the customer’s needs, and they work wonders. Again, there’s a lot of great benefits to be had with this, and its worth looking into. 

The design Features of this Packaging 

With a flat pack, you’re able to make it with different technology that’s leveraged. 

Foldable panels are one of them. These panels can fold down or go up as needed to section off these items. It’s great, because many people enjoy it, as it gives them something useful to work with, and a whole lot more bang for your buck. 

Lightweight materials are another. The goal is a lot of items being shipped out right away, so having lightweight materials that are easy to ship out such items works wonders. 

Finally, you want to make the assembly easy. You have to work fast with this, and also need to adjust based on what you’re shipping out. Making the assembly mechanism easy for you to use is so important that some people even look for different ways to make this possible. 

Overall, you want it to be quick and easy for setup, and also revolutionizing the logistics as well. 

The Benefits 

There’s a lot of benefits that come with flat pack shipping. Transportation costs do get reduced, and for a lot of people, having flat pack shipping can be so much cheaper for you.

Carbon emissions is another. When carbon emissions are reduced, flat pack shipping also helps with this.   you’re saving a lot of money when you put the items in this, rather than shipping them in bulky, cumbersome boxes that will be a problem down the line. 

The Future Trends 

There’s a lot of future trends to be had with flat pack shipping. Flat pack containers that offer sensors for monitoring in real time is one of them. These sensors are smart technology, leveraging a lot of different features and various modes with this. Overall, it’s great, and for a lot of people, this type of shipping can be good for monitoring real time conditions. For example, if the product gets too warm or too cold, you can even leverage temperature technology. The sky’s the limit with this type of shipping, and is something that a lot of flat pack enjoyers like to utilize. 

Overall, flat pack shipping is the future, a means for you to get your items to the clients, and also enables faster, more effective shipping for everyone that’s involved. 

How to Reduce Waste Metrics that the Packaging Waste Analytics Tell you 

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Packaging waste analytics are becoming very popular with companies and consumers. Analytics are numbers, measuring many different facets. With packaging waste analytics, you track the material use of such items, any loss or gain of packaging, and consumer behavior on disposal or recycling.   It may tell you about how many people are recycling, and how many have tossed the items. 

Reducing waste is important for companies, and using analytics is a great thing. Here, we’ll tell you how to use this data, and why it matters. 

Sensors and Digital Twins in Shipping Supplies 

A lot of companies will add sensors and also a twin digitally paired with the physical package. Throughout the journey, from sending out to getting to the customer to even disposal, this can be followed, like a story. 

When the customer tosses the item in the trash, it’s recorded. On the flip side, when you are sending it out to the recycling center, that also gets recorded. 

It also will tell you if the items’ been damaged, any wear and tear on the packaging and whatnot. 

This tells you about how the item fares in transit, and also any inefficiencies that come with packaging transitions. 

Lifecycle Data in Packaging 

A lot of brands are also looking at the packaging lifecycle data. This tells you where it’s going, but also how many times the item gets reused. For instance, maybe your item gets reused five times before it’s tossed away forever, through the recycling centers. Others might tell you how many returns are happening, and the costs of those on the systems. 

Adjusting one’s design based on the levels of returns is good to minimize this. 

There’s also the disposal analytics, which tell you how ecofriendly your items are for disposal. 

Finally, you’ve got usage data, telling you all about whether or not the items just end up in a landfill at the end of the day, or something else. 

Tools for SMEs to Run Waste Audits 

Now, a lot of companies are curious about this, but how do you run waste audits with this data? 

Simple KPIs are one example. These will tell you if people are tossing their items, or if something else is happening. 

Apps are also used. Adjusting an app to fit this is but one example. They tell you, based on statistical and historical data, how many are currently tossing their items.

There’s also measurement methods, which will measure out exactly how much is being tossed away. 

Again, all of these come together, and with these tools, businesses can check from the comfort of their office or at the production facility, the state of things. pretty nifty, huh. 

Data and Design Thinking 

But data is only as useful as the designs that come from such data, right? 

That’s why, when you have this data, you need to translate this to proper design, in order to push for sustainability.

One example is that if you have a lot of returns, adjust the packaging for this. add some eco friendly void fill and other items. 

If the problem is not enough recycling, then the solution is you have to make sure that recycling’s made easy with these items. 

Overall, packaging waste analytics are tools which are used to help you do better with your packaging. But it all comes down to how you use it. packaging is only as good as the items that are inside, as good as your items are able to withstand the changes, so use the data correctly for great results.