Secondary packaging - what is it needed for?

It is not only digitization that has had a lasting impact on economic life. For many years, a paradigm shift has been taking place that is affecting many areas: namely, the responsible use of resources. In this regard, environmental protection has taken on a central role.

Competitiveness is partly dependent on sustainability. In the future, customers and consumers will specifically choose products that are sustainable. What significance does this have for you and for your business activities? It's best to start thinking about the issues of the future now.

In this respect, secondary packaging takes on an important role. Secondary packaging protects important goods from damage in transit. Among other things, this ensures that warranty claims are retained. The topic of sustainability must not be neglected either. There is an exorbitant demand for secondary packaging, especially in wholesale operations. Consequently, it is important to handle resources responsibly.

Would you like to be part of the paradigm shift? Below you will learn everything you need to know about secondary packaging and sustainability. The following topics will be covered, among others:

• Importance of secondary packaging in the industry
• future challenges for companies
• Correlation between sustainability and competitiveness
• Industries that are particularly dependent on secondary packaging
• Reasons for not using packaging materials.

What is secondary packaging?

Secondary packaging plays an important role, even if the wording does not suggest it. It is the outer packaging - also called sales packaging - that protects the product and promotes it at the same time. Primary packaging, on the other hand, is not visible and is intended to protect an item from damage and impact. But why does secondary packaging have a special role?

The external design of the secondary packaging determines the sales success. Here you will find slogans, product information and other visualizations that are intended to encourage purchase. So you don't just have packaging that protects the product. At the same time, you can use secondary packaging to increase brand awareness.

What does secondary packaging do?

The secondary packaging material fulfills, among other things, pragmatic purposes, namely the superficial protection of the product. It is the optimal complement to primary packaging. Products that are of high value can be adequately protected in this way.

With this you can ensure in large warehouses that no damage occurs. Secondary packaging can be categorized. There is packaging material that is predestined for the transport route or for storage. Furthermore, there is packaging that is used for presentation and sales purposes.

Thus, secondary packaging can also be part of a marketing strategy. Viewed in isolation, packaging is a small strategic measure. However, if you look at the big picture, secondary packaging is an efficient way to create incentives for customers to buy.

A lot of work often goes into designing outer packaging. Designers and marketing strategists conceive sales-promoting packaging that stands out. The packaging is designed to meet the needs of the target group. This is to strengthen customer loyalty. Furthermore, a unique selling proposition (USP) is created in order to set oneself apart from other competitors.

Along with this, it is desirable to also focus on sustainability.

Only packaging materials that come from a closed material cycle will be competitive in the future. Consumers are increasingly paying attention to the origin of packaging materials.

Sustainability plays just as important a role as the quality of the product. Consequently, you should choose suppliers who meet or even exceed environmental standards.

Where is secondary packaging used?

 

There is a wide range of possible applications. You can use secondary packaging flexibly, according to your needs. As already mentioned, there are approximately four categories of secondary packaging material. These will now be presented in more detail so that you can get a better idea of the areas of application.

Secondary packaging is used extensively in retail, across all sectors. Business is booming in online retailing in particular, so demand for secondary packaging has increased. The corona pandemic has given online retailing a boost.

As a retailer, you can use it to package multiple orders and have them delivered to the end consumer. This saves additional cardboard boxes, which would also reduce the environmental impact.

Well-known online retailers use secondary packaging specifically as an advertising medium. The online giant Amazon is world-famous for its secondary packaging, which depicts a smiley face. It creates recognition value and strengthens customer loyalty. But it's not just online retail that benefits.

There are a variety of other industries that rely on outer packaging. Stationary retail specifically works with packaging materials to showcase products. In this regard, there are seasonal cardboard boxes that match the respective time of year. During the Christmas season, secondary packaging can be found that is printed with Santa Claus motifs or other Christmas motifs, among other things.

With packaging, you can thus make products stand out from the crowd to create incentives for purchase. Even everyday products, such as milk or sausage items, often come with secondary packaging printed with motifs. As you can see, the sky's the limit. You can use the packaging material flexibly. Possible areas of application at a glance:

• Use in online trade
• Use in stationary trade
• Product protection in warehouses
• general use for marketing purposes
• Transport of medical devices

The secondary packaging material, thanks to its versatility, has already become a standard for decades.

In which industries are secondary packaging particularly common

Digitization has had a noticeable impact on purchasing behavior. Nowadays, numerous products can be ordered with just a few clicks. That's why secondary packaging has become an indispensable part of online retailing.

It doesn't matter whether the customers are from the commercial or private sector. Repackaging is an essential companion that ensures that products arrive safely.

Secondary packaging is also widely used in the beverage trade. It minimizes the risk of breakage so that economic failure is avoided. In this respect, water and beer crates are among the secondary packaging.

Crates can be used to transport glass bottles safely. The crates cover a long distance in the process. Whether in the warehouse, in the truck, or in the customer's car, they offer continuous protection against impact. In contrast, manufacturers use outer packaging to underline the high quality of a product. These can be goods from the upper price segment.

Watch and jewelry manufacturers often use metal outer packaging. It leaves a serious and luxurious impression on the end consumer. Along with this, the secondary packaging symbolizes the value of the product. Secondary packaging can therefore be kept by customers to be used for later transport purposes.

When is secondary packaging superfluous?

Ultimately, there are not only advantages for you when it comes to using outer packaging. There are some cases where it is the better option to do without. Currently, the retail industry is in a state of upheaval, so that in many sectors the question arises: Is there still a need for outer packaging?

Set an important example with your company or as a customer by using packaging materials responsibly. How to do it? Here is essential information that will help you make the right decisions.

Environmentally conscious people attach great importance to avoiding certain circumstances. In everyday life, you have certainly come across consumer goods where the manufacturer has used - or rather wasted - vast amounts of packaging material.

Would you like a little taste? On supermarket shelves, you can find vegetables that are shrink-wrapped with foil. Here, the outer packaging makes no sense. It neither protects the vegetables nor serves marketing strategy goals.

Furthermore, in the past there were fruits - avocados - that were packed not only in foil but also in cardboard boxes. From a marketing point of view, it would be a good idea if it did not represent a significant burden on the environment.

The packaging material can take on grotesque features, so that responsible consumers are already annoyed. In this regard, customers reported coconuts wrapped in a plastic film. Of course, the suppliers could have safely dispensed with the film.

As you can see, customers have long been sensitized to the issue. Thus, retailers and suppliers should meticulously check whether outer packaging is actually required. The consumer can also exert an influence. After all, the offers are geared to the demand of the buyers.

Particularly as a retailer, it is important to exercise special caution. In the age of social media, photos of unnecessary packaging spread like wildfire. Along with this, there are even reporting apps that customers can use to report products.

Therefore, it is inevitable to deal with the topic in detail in order to avoid damage to the company's image. Sustainable marketing with natural packaging is not a fad. Only companies that move with the times and take appropriate measures will gain in attractiveness.

Conclusion

The way companies handle packaging materials has a decisive influence on the purchasing behavior of end consumers and much more than that! Ultimately, you can not only let your business idea fall on fertile ground.

In doing so, you make an important contribution to the environment. The ecological footprint should be taken into account just as much as the economic interests of your company. Consumers are also increasingly opting for a lifestyle that takes the ecological footprint into account.

It is the interaction between traders and consumers that makes it possible to make economic life sustainable. How can you take the first steps? - It's up to you to make sustainable choices based on your starting point.

Check your company for unnecessary packaging material. When considering future marketing strategies, weigh the cost-benefit factor, including the environmental footprint. Is it worth investing in printed cardboard if it doesn't really add value beyond the sales strategy?

Ultimately, you as a consumer and as a retailer can make a decisive contribution. Careful use of resources is the foundation for a clean world. Even small changes can achieve initial successes, which sends an important signal to society.

 

You need more information about secondary packaging? Feel free to contact us!