Stock Packaging vs Custom Packaging Differences

Stock packaging and custom boxes are two of the options available, especially if you are running an eCommerce store. However, some may be confused about the differences between the two and which ones are ideal for their business. 

A stock package is basically a ready-made box where you just have to affix your company name or sticker label. This is mass-produced, inexpensive, and is available in large quantities. The downside is that stock packages have a limited flexibility style, and they come with a standardized side. 

Some companies may exclusively use the stock packages to translate more into savings. Overall, this makes better financial sense than choosing the custom and tailored packaging. You will see various examples of these on beverages, vitamin jars, sauce bottles, canned foods, and protein powders. The labels may be custom printed, but they are made up of stock wrappings. 

About The Custom Packaging 

Other businesses may want to go the extra mile and go with the custom-made packaging with their parcels. If you are interested in making your product stand, you might want to visit customboxworks.com for more information about these boxes and see how you can get started with them. These are all the wraps that are tailored to your customers’ needs, and they come with bells and whistles. 

The unique sizes are made explicitly so the products would perfectly fit. For this to work, you need a structural engineer and an expert that will create the “DNA” or the blueprint of the packaging according to your brand and company needs. They use various printing plates and cutting dies as tools to ensure a more professional finish. 

Overall, the process of getting tailored boxes will be costly, and they need a significant amount of designing and planning. Prototypes are usually required, and they are tested before mass production begins. They are approved by the owners, and the tools get started to work. The customer service and communication level involved in the process is higher than buying stock boxes. 

Some of these companies will require a minimum to start the project. Costs and fees are used for machinery, and there is a minimum volume required before you can work with them. The whole process involved several parties, especially if this is the first time that you are trying this. Units of packaging may require a minimum of 100, so it is going to be worth it for everyone involved. 

Various types are available for business owners, like poly bags, stand-up pouches, rigid boxes, and folding cartons. Aside from containers, bottles, tins, and jars, all the boxes are excellent for retail stores, and they are generally used as an alternative to packaging to get the job done. 

Why Do Other Entrepreneurs Use Stock Boxes? 

There are many of reasons why entrepreneurs or small businesses opt to use stock boxes including:

• Many of the start-ups don’t have the budget to fund this venture yet 

• Some are testing the current situation in the market and see if this is going to be worth it 

• Shortage in production, primarily if the manufacturer caters to others 

• May require trade show samples before they order 

• Subscription boxes are often the trend, and they don’t require many details 

When buying only a small quantity, know that the stock packages will be better and more cost-effective than their other counterparts. You can also acquire them faster whenever you run out and want to place an order. This is going to be a more viable packaging strategy if you are just starting your customers’ reactions to your products. 

On the other hand, the custom-made packaging is eye-catching, and this is important if you want to get an edge over your competitors. They will give your customers the right message and communicate to them that they are special. This may mean an increase in sales and revenue, and you will also have a better fit for your products. 

Most of the excel material will involve the packaging itself. You can compensate for this with the help of colored paper that’s cut into pieces resembling a nest to have a more presentable product. The better fit will keep your product safe, and they are also going to mean that you’ll have to pay lower costs for shipping. 

Usually, the custom packaging is not for people who have light wallets for shipments or are faint of heart. The entire process requires a lot of resources, focus, and planning. This is a project that business owners need to get involved in every step of the way, and a more significant commitment is needed to be successful. 

After all the hard work and resources, the custom boxes will give your brand a more professional appearance during merchandising,  shipment, and unboxing. This will make a difference in store shelves, and they will actually look more appealing. When you have made a massive return on investment, this is something that you should consider purchasing in high volumes. It communicates to others that you care about the details in your business and take pride in your products.

Top 5 Small Business Shipping Tips

Did you know that the way you ship your products could have an effect on your business? 

At every step of their interaction with you, your customers are judging your services and creating an image of your brand in their mind. That definitely includes your shipping services. 

But, it can be tough to know how best to ship your products as a business. What do your customers want, and what do they definitely not want with product shipments? 

Take a look at our small business shipping tips to find out more. 

1. Offer Various Delivery Options 

Most people want a choice when paying for shipping services. If you can offer super fast delivery, definitely do - most people want their purchases very quickly - but don't make it the only option. Add a regular delivery too for a little cheaper, and basic delivery services that might take a while but are budget-friendly. Even if you think you can get all of your packages out super fast, not everybody wants to pay for that, so keep your options open. 

2. Take into Account the Destination 

If you're wondering how to save on shipping, remember to change your prices based on the destination! It's a good idea to not offer prices until customers have entered their delivery address. An automated system will then calculate their delivery costs based on their postcode, making sure you're not losing money when you ship across the country. 

3. Stick to a Budget 

Small business shipping costs can be reduced by sticking to a budget and knowing some little tricks. For example, you can buy boxes for wholesale shipping if you have the room to spare in your home or studio. You should also make sure to keep your packages as flat and small as possible to cut down on costs and check places like Facebook marketplace for cheap reusable materials, like bubble wrap. 

4. Choose Eco-Friendly Materials 

It's not all about how to save on shipping, but also how to make sure your brand comes across in the best way when your customers receive their items. One tip is to pack in eco-friendly shipping materials, like cardboard or a biodegradable, plastic-alternative. Consumers are becoming more eco-conscious every year, and offering packaging that's good for the planet could be a big selling point! 

5. Hire Help 

If you've got tons of shipping boxes and you're struggling to get them out quick enough, be sure to hire help. Making sure your packages get where they need to be on time is worth the extra cost! You can even ask friends or family to help every now and then in return for a meal at your home or a drink! 

Use These Small Business Shipping Tips As Inspiration 

These small business shipping tips won't work for every brand, but use them as inspiration to organize your own system. Once you've got an efficient shipment system set up, you'll be good to go! 

If you enjoyed this article on smart small business shipping tips, be sure to find more money-saving tips on our website. We publish a wide variety of helpful articles on shipping, packaging, logistics, supply chains, warehousing, ecommerce, retail, and much more.

8 Packaging Trends Every Entrepreneur Should Follow

Around 82 percent of entrepreneurs never doubted that they had enough experience or education to be successful in the business. 

This kind of self-confidence is crucial if you want to succeed. Yet, there are also times when you need to take listen and learn from other people.

You may already have an awesome idea for a product. But, if you down sit up and take note of the importance of packaging your product, you'll fail.

You need to learn quickly that packaging trends can have a huge impact on whether you attract customers or not.

Keep reading below to discover the most important product packaging trends which you need to keep track of. Let's go!


1. Packaging with a Cheeky Smile

If you want your packaging to stand out on the store shelves, making prospective customers chuckle and laugh can help a lot. Everyone needs cheering up sometimes.

Of course, most packaging is quite serious. You normally simply want to explain to consumers that it's extremely important that they buy your product. They can't live without it!

Yet, marketers have also explored the benefits of adding a sense of humor to the packaging. This could be right for your product!

Can you make a joke on your packaging? Are there any playful images you could use? If your product is fun and carefree, then your packaging should probably be the same.

But, making jokes on the packaging is a risky business. If it goes well, it could pay off big time!


2. Care for the Planet and the Environment

If you haven't already heard about the looming climate crisis, then you must have been living in a cave until now.

Many businesses are rushing to appeal to eco-conscious customers. There is a growing number of them!

The environment is affected by everything from the product to the packaging. You need to take into account what happens to your product's packaging after you have sold it.

Ask yourself questions such as: Can it be recycled safely? Is your packaging made from recycled materials?

It's good for business too!

Over 66 percent of customers are willing to pay more for sustainable brands. The percentage of younger people is even higher than this.

By investing more money in your packaging to ensure that it's environmentally friendly, you could add value to your product.


3. Less Is More for Many

Minimalist style is very much in vogue at the moment. Keeping your packaging as simple as possible may be the right choice. You can also effectively convey your brand as a clean and efficient product with a simple design. 

Compare how the Apple brand has developed over the decades. The Apple logo from the 1980s looks extremely dated and cluttered now. By contrast, the contemporary design is simple and effective.

Eager to learn more? You can read more about the benefits of minimalist packaging in the Business section of our site. 


4. Vintage Designed Packaging

Do you have a product which plays on people's nostalgia for times gone by? You can also inspire your customers with vintage packaging.

This can include everything from the materials to the patterns on the packaging. You may be able to add a contemporary twist to a traditional design.

For example, are you selling artisanal cookies? You can draw inspiration from the handmade style packaging which was used by independent bakeries years ago. 


5. Open Window Packaging 

Who wouldn't want to peek inside before they buy? We know we would!

Packaging with an open transparent window is especially popular among customers. People want to be able to see what they're buying.

You should know that this type of packaging can be expensive to manufacture. Don't get us started on the recycling problems as well!

Giving your customers a window into your product is a surefire method of building trust. This is the end of the experience of taking the product home to be disappointed.


6. Black and White Is Always Classic

The black and white combo never gets old when it comes to designing packaging.

There is something so powerful about bold white lettering against a black background. The same goes for a stylish black font over a plain white canvas. 

There are no distractions with this style. If you want to display your product in a timeless fashion, don't look beyond the black and white packaging.


7. Packaging with a Message of a Worthy Cause 

Do you support a worthy cause? You can label your community or social projects on your packaging. 

Up to 85 percent of consumers say that they have a more positive image of a product if the company supports a cause that they care about. 

Therefore, promoting a cause with your packaging can be good for business and society. For example, tell the customer about why you give 1 percent of your profits to a particular cause. 


8. Pastels Are the Pallete of the Day

Colors are an essential component of expressing your brand's message. Colors come into the trend as quickly as they leave.

You may have noted that pastels are all the rage at the moment. It used to just be that pastels arrive around springtime, but now they're everywhere. This could be the Instagram influence on the marketing world of packaging.

Nevertheless, you may want to jump on the pastel train with fluffy yellows and delicate pinks for your packaging design.


What Are the Latest Packaging Trends?

Marketing trends in packaging are constantly changing. You need to keep track of these changes if you want to make a good impression on your customers.

Even the best products need great packaging to make sales. You can pick from one of the above packaging trends to promote your product on the shelves.

Why Packaging for Products Matters

Never judge a book by its cover.

That’s the lesson we’re all taught from childhood, right? Well, it turns out we didn’t exactly commit that particular lesson to memory!

For instance, 70% of consumers agree that packaging design impacts their purchasing decisions.

People see the packet, judge it, and decide whether or not to buy what’s inside as a result. It’s amazing when you think about it. You could have the best product in the world. But poor packaging can render it a commercial failure.

Simply, looks matter. As it happens, there are all sorts of ways that product packaging makes a difference.

Want to learn more?

Keep reading to discover 6 further reasons why the packaging for products makes all the difference.


1. Brand Differentiation

Think about the last time you went shopping online.

Chances are you headed straight over to Amazon, Etsy, or any other online retail store.

You typed in the item(s) you were looking for and hit enter. What did you see?

Chances are you were hit with endless search results relating to the product you wanted.

It isn’t like a physical retail store. Here, the shelves may be stacked with a few choices. There may even be upwards of a dozen options. It can seem a lot. Still, though, there’s something manageable about that.

The internet suffers no such limitation. There are sometimes thousands of options to choose from.

It’s becoming harder for companies to differentiate their products. This is where the packaging comes into its own. With so many options, decision-making comes down to finer margins.

Aesthetic, well-designed, beautiful packaging help brands stand out from the crowd. In saturated niches, that’s all the more beneficial.


2. Brand Recognition

There’s a subtle difference between brand differentiation and brand recognition.

Packaging plays a role in both.

Think about Apple products. The packaging we all know and love inevitably shares many of the same characteristics. No matter the product, Apple packaging is almost always similar.

It’s sleek, modern, and minimalistic. There are no bells and whistles. The colors are neutral and contemporary. The boxes fit and house the products perfectly. They slide and glide and function just as smoothly as the products themselves.

This recognisability can work wonders for sales. It promotes exposure and familiarity. It facilitates brand differentiation.

Imagine browsing the aisles (virtual or in real life). On a long list of similar products, it’s often the most familiar brand that gets the sale. Consumers know it, like it, and trust it.

You can see many companies that prides themselves on designing high-quality packaging in the e-commerce golden age we're currently in.


3. Marketing Boost

Packaging can play a major role in marketing endeavors.

After all, it’s essentially free marketing for companies.

That product is going to be packaged in something. It may as well be packaged in a way that’s brand-related and serves to expand the company somehow.

Some companies include carefully worded, hand-written notes of thanks. Others put freebies inside, along with the actual product. Almost every single business will (and should) include their contact details, website URL, social media handles, and so on.

It’s all additional exposure that can promote your brand to people who’ve already made a purchase. Packaging can provide that extra impetus for converting a one-time customer to a lifelong fan.

Sometimes, your packaging might even go viral. If you’ve done something particularly clever, thoughtful, or generally remarkable, people will notice it. Then they’ll share it. Before you know it, word of mouth is spreading like wildfire. You’re the company on everyone’s lips.


4. Impact Buyer Mood

Packaging plays a direct role in how consumers feel about your product.

That much should be clear from the statistic we included in the intro. Packaging directly impacts someone’s willingness to make a purchase.

There are many factors in operation here.

One of the most notable is color, which is known to impact human behavior and mood. Think about it. We naturally associate certain colors with particular things.

Red is a prime example.

In western society the color red packs connotations of anger, negativity and the need to stop. None of these responses are conducive to making sales! Now, that’s not to say that red could never be used in product packaging. It’s simply one instance of how color can play a role in buyer perception.


5. Sales Boost

Everything we’ve mentioned so far feeds into this point:

The right product packaging can boost sales like nothing else. In some ways, it’s just as important as the product itself. A great product in awful packaging will never sell as well as it might otherwise.

A prime example of this can be found in the tobacco industry.

Countries around the world are clamping down on smoking. Attempts to stop people smoking have been happening for years.

We’ve all seen the awful images of smoking-related illnesses on the fronts of packets. Now, laws are being brought in that commit companies to selling cigarettes in blank packaging.

Remember how color is important? Blank packaging, in combination with horrible images, is cutting sales of cigarettes all over the world.

In other words, people have worked out how to use packaging in a way that limits sales. In this way, the right packaging can be used to stimulate them.


6. Product Protection

At a practical level, packaging plays a vital protective function too.

Customers don’t take kindly to having long-awaited products arriving broken in the post.

Packaging should look great, but protect the contents as well. We’ve seen how a good looking package can work wonders for your brand. Conversely, a package that contains a broken product can have a significant negative impact.


Final Thoughts on Packaging for Products

There you have it: all the reasons that the packaging for products matters.

To buy or not to buy, that is the question. And consumers themselves report that product packaging plays a direct role in their decision. The right packaging can stimulate sales; poor packaging can do the opposite.

As we’ve seen, this isn’t the only way that product packaging is so important. Hopefully, this post has highlighted the main reasons it pays to invest in this vital element of product sales.

Want more articles like this? Head to the Sales and Retail sections of the website now!