What is Industrial Packaging?
Simply put, industrial packaging is all about protecting goods and products from its point of origin to the next. This of course is easier said than done. Industrial packaging entails protecting specific products from specific circumstances. For example, you won’t pack soda cans the same way you would pack champagne flutes.
Industrial packaging is not just about stuffing products into crates. It’s about customized protection. It’s important to take into account other external factors, such as weight, moisture, security, and even the amount of time the products will spend inside the boxes, both during transit and in storage. Each item that comes out of the production line needs to be packed in a certain way to ensure its integrity when it finally reaches its destination or intended recipient.
Customized Protection
Print packaging customized to exact specifications is a necessity. Especially with electronics, fragile items, and high-end luxury goods, the use of simple packaging is not enough. Adding extra protection to your products right from the get-go lets you reduce losses and enhance overall consumer experience.
While it may seem that the use of industrial packaging is an added expense, it’s important to think of it as an investment. By ensuring that your products are well-protected every step of the way in the supply chain, you minimize the chances of losing tons of money and wasting products.
Take wine bottles, for example. If not packaged well, the bottles can break in transit or the labels can rub off on one another. Once it gets to its destination, either it is tossed out, or bought by an unsuspecting customer who’ll immediately have a negative view of you and your business. The same holds true for other items that can get damaged, dented, or even wet during shipment. These problems can be solved simply by packaging your products the right way right from the very start.
The 3 Levels of Packaging
Unbeknownst to many, there are 3 layers of packaging in a product’s supply chain.
Primary packaging, also known as retail packaging, is what you ultimately see on the shelves. It is what is ends up being sold to a customer.
The secondary level is packaging with sales in mind. Shipping boxes in this level are usually custom printed with branding already.
In the secondary level, the lines are usually muddled between. Sometimes the shipping boxes that came straight from the warehouse will do double duty to go to the next destination. Other times, these shipping boxes themselves end up in store displays.
The tertiary level is also known as transport and industrial packaging. Here, the focus in on protecting goods while in transit. Corrugated boxes are commonly used for transport packaging. Pallets of shipping boxes covered in cling wrap are a good example of how products are packed and protected before journeying out.
A New Normal of Packaging
Nowadays with the changing times, the lines between the packaging levels are slowly being blurred. Tertiary and secondary packaging, which are normally sight unseen for consumers, are already being used in retail. With the popularity of wholesale warehouse clubs, the retail experience of buying straight from shipping boxes has become the norm. Because of this trend, customizing transport and shipping boxes is necessary to be relevant and competitive.
Thinking Outside the Box
NextDayFlyers’ offers fully customizable corrugated boxes that can be printed on in full color, inside and out. You can design your box online, complete with a 3D render on how it would look like from all sides. Having a colorful and eye-catching shipping box from the very start of your product’s journey ensures that everyone who catches a glimpse of it will remember your brand.