The delivery of products at home is one of the last phases of a long journey that begins when the customer visits your e-commerce. After all, when someone completes a purchase in a physical store, the relationship between him or her and the store ends there. However, when the purchase is made online, there is a whole chain that goes into action from the moment the purchase is completed until the delivery of the order to the recipient.
Many entrepreneurs do not stop to think about this subject, but paying attention to the shipping process and creating ways to positively surprise the customer in the delivery of products can represent a differential for e-commerce. In fact, there are many details that can be taken into account to take your online store to another level when it comes to valuing the customer experience. That’s what we’ll be dealing with from now on. Let’s go!
Start With the Basics
Before thinking about the unboxing experience (more on that below!), you need to master the basics of selling online. That is: if a person makes a purchase on your website, they expect to receive that product in good condition and on the indicated date, right? So packaging must be done carefully to ensure that the object will not be damaged during transport. So you need to use good quality packaging that is appropriate for the type of product you sell. If it’s a personalized package that has your brand’s identity, even better.
It is also important to choose the ideal carrier to take that type of packaging and hire the right freight to transport it. As you may already know, each carrier has its own protocols, and they offer different types of deliveries for different needs. Research well to offer the best cost-benefit to your customers.
Information Is Everything
If you’ve mastered the basics described above, let’s take it a step further. One of the most important details that you should pay attention to when we talk about product delivery is the tracking. To ensure customer satisfaction, it is of paramount importance that he or she is informed about the entire path that the order takes, from shipment to arrival at the agreed address.
Parcel tracking is beneficial for the business in several aspects, including:
– Helps control customer anxiety.
– Assists in building the good reputation of e-commerce.
– Enables quick actions in atypical situations, aiming to solve possible problems
– Avoid re-deliveries (which happen when there is no one at the address to receive the order).
The more information the consumer receives about the trajectory of his purchase, the greater the chances of him or her buying again in your online store.
Unboxing Experience
Do you know what an unboxing experience is? As the meaning itself suggests, worrying about unboxing experience means providing the customer with a differentiated experience when unpacking the product. But how can this be done? It is not necessary to spend a lot to surprise the customer. Small actions that demonstrate the merchant’s care for the customer already have a great positive impact.
A simple thing that the shopkeeper can do is write a small thank you note, preferably by hand, and leave it inside the package for the customer to find as soon as the package is open. Another idea is to use colored papers, or even customized ones with the brand’s visual identity, to wrap the order. In addition to beautifying the packaging, these papers can still be kept by the customer for personal use.
In addition, there are a number of other strategies that can be used, it all depends on each segment. Clothing stores, for example, might have a signature fragrance and spray it a little on the box before closing the package and sending it to the customer. Beauty supply stores can send samples or miniatures… The possibilities are many.
But why invest in unboxing experience? First, because this will improve consumer perception of the brand. Second, because it can encourage the customer to recommend your website to other people. Third, because many customers, especially younger ones, feel motivated to share on their social networks the good experience they had, thus generating spontaneous marketing.
Cardboard Boxes in Vancouver, BC Canada
Did you see how investing in unboxing experience in product delivery makes all the difference in building a positive image for your business? And, of course, it all starts with the box where your product is housed. We at Racer Boxes have decades of experience producing a huge range of cardboard boxes, with great prices, discounts for large purchases and fast delivery. If you would like to order custom boxes for your business, contact us by clicking here and we can help you.
After almost two years of pandemic, the consumer market was totally transformed. Before, many people who did not trust online sales channels were forced to migrate to digital media – and ended up discovering that they love shopping online. The phenomenon of one-click purchases was so great in this period that new technologies gained prominence and should reach an unthinkable scale in 2022. Those who do not follow this movement may be left behind. So if you have a business that doesn’t sell online yet, check out five arguments below that will gain even more traction this year.
How to Build Online Business – Cardboard Boxes for Shipping
1. Customer relationship
A trend that will be strengthened is the centralization of the customer database. More and more companies are investing in systems and technologies to identify consumer tastes and habits regardless of the channel where the purchase is made. Understanding the preferences of those who buy in your company to know how much and how to invest in each customer will help to serve you better, generating personalization and loyalty.
2. Live Commerce
Live commerce is a tool that went viral on the internet in recent years. Coming from China, it consists of sales made in live broadcasts, usually on social media. Products are shown and tested during a live video and are available for purchase in real time. A seller presents the products and the offers are usually available within 24 hours after the live presentation.
After choosing an item, the buyer is directed to one of the online sellers or even a website where they can complete the transaction. This tool was powered by online exhaustion – when people get tired of buying only online – and see live commerce as a fun shopping format and with a closer live approach.
3. Cross Border
The cross border, also known as “cross-border trade”, is the online purchase of products in other countries, especially China and the US. Until recently, international purchases were synonymous with delays of months to arrive and sometimes extra costs. But companies like AliExpress and Shopee came to compete in this market, investing massively in logistics and digital marketing, breaking this barrier and generating confidence in the consumer market.
So more and more people are buying in other countries thanks to these facilities. Therefore, the Canadian retailer needs to think of strategies to get around the situation. Among them are the bet on hyper local sales (in the same city or neighborhood, for example), to be able to deliver quickly, and the ease of return or exchange.
4. Express (Super) Delivery – Quick Commerce
Speaking of fast delivery, express delivery is a trend in the online retail scene. With big brands using this strategy, the consumer has responded with strong adoption. It is worth mentioning that this type of cost is not always worth it – because it is not usually cheap. To decide, companies must take into account the relationship between the investment cost to operate in this model and the increase in the average ticket or purchase frequency. If in your business this is just a luxury for a few customers, an additional amount may be charged per purchase for express delivery.
5. Assisted Sales
The conversational tool is quite efficient with the new sales channels, such as Whatsapp or chat. We will see more and more stores worrying about maintaining a smooth communication with the customer. It is widely used in assisted sales, when the seller helps the consumer in their purchase process, as is common in services. Creating personalized service combined with efficient operational support, fast and accurate service, conversational sales have everything to be a pillar of retailers going forward.
Cardboard Boxes in Vancouver, Canada – Racer Boxes Box Manufacturer
Do you have a company in Vancouver region and are you convinced that you need to sell more online? So please get in touch with us by clicking here. As our suppliers are local in Richmond BC, we were not impacted by the global price increase that packaging has suffered in recent months. We work with all types of boxes, from custom to boxes for produce markets, and we can help you with your demands in this regard.
Cardboard boxes, like any other material made from cellulose, absorb moisture from the environment. Therefore, you must always take into account the weather conditions that the box will face, both during storage and during transport. If you already work with e-commerce or do any type of delivery using cardboard boxes, keep reading this post. And if you still don’t, take the tips into account when building a stock facility, for example.
Does Humidity Affect the Boxes?
The higher the ambient humidity factor, the greater the loss of compressive strength of the corrugated cardboard box. Therefore, if you already know that your packages need to be transported at low temperatures, it is necessary to look for specific boxes for this – they usually receive a surface treatment that delays the effects of moisture on the material.
For normal temperature conditions (where there are slight variations in air humidity, but nothing extreme), the boxes are designed to resist well and protect the products that are inside them. When the conditions that the corrugated cardboard box will face are not known, we normally use 50% relative humidity as a standard. If we increase this percentage, the moisture retention rate would increase, causing, as a consequence, the loss of the box’s strength.
For illustrative purposes, below is a table containing the relation between the relative humidity of the air versus the loss of packaging strength:
– 50% relative humidity, there is no reduction in packaging strength;
– 60% relative humidity, there is a 10% loss of packaging strength;
– 70% relative humidity, there is a 20% loss of packaging strength;
– 80% relative humidity of the air, there is a loss of 32% of the packaging strength;
– 90% relative humidity, there is a loss of 52% of the packaging strength.
To make these numbers a little clearer, a box designed with a compressive strength factor of 1000 kilograms-force (kgf), being stored in a location where there is 90% relative humidity, will be impacted and its resistance factor will drop to 480 kgf, reducing the initially projected value by more than half, as shown in the table above.
In some productive sectors, such as the produce sector, there are recommendations that indicate the same condition described in our example of 90% relative humidity. In other words, if this is your field, you need to be even more attentive to this issue of humidity, always looking for proper packaging for your type of product.
How to Keep or Store the Boxes Well?
From a technical point of view, companies that manufacture boxes are already in charge of resistance and compression tests to ensure that each cardboard box protects what is inside of it. Those who buy the boxes must make sure to store them in a suitable place, which is not humid, and also to choose the best packaging for each type of product. Plants and vegetables demand a type of packaging, just as heavier objects demand stronger boxes – as we have already indicated here.
Cardboard Boxes in Vancouver, Canada – Racer Boxes Box Manufacturer
In all cases, if you are in the Vancouver area, please contact us at Racer Boxes. As Canada’s box manufacturer can recommend the best packaging for your type of product. Plus, as we have short delivery times (15 days), so you don’t need to have a large number of boxes stocked – you can order according to your demand and ensure that your boxes will protect your products and arrive in perfect condition to your customers. To request a free quote, please click here.
We talk a lot here about cardboard boxes, which are generally used for packing and mailing products. But depending on the type of product you work with, it is quite likely that you will also need another packaging – a folding carton box, normally used to pack food, cosmetics and even cleaning products, such as powder detergent, for example. Within this category, there are a number of box options. And it is precisely about them that we will be talking about today – in this way, we can help you find the best option for your product.
Folding Carton Boxes
All of the options we’ll introduce you to below are for packaging a range of products – from food to electronics. All of them are available in customizable sizes, with color printing that can also be customized. Furthermore, these boxes are very simple to assemble – it is only necessary to make the folds in the indicated places.
– Solid bleached sulphate (SBS)
This is a type of cardboard made exclusively from bleached chemical pulp. The result is a medium density material with great printing properties. This is usually the type of packaging used for high-end packaging, such as perfume or cosmetic packaging, for example. But they can also be used for food, like candy, or medical products.
– Solid unbleached sulphate (SUS)
This type of material is made from softwood pulp, which makes it a tear resistant material. It is widely used to manufacture cups or bottles carriers, electronics, food and even powder soap boxes.
– Folding Box Board (FBB)
Unlike SBS, which is often a higher cost material, FBB is cheaper. That’s because its manufacture uses less trees. It is also lighter – which also impacts shipping costs, if your company has an online store. This is the type of material commonly used for medicines, cosmetics and even for packaging for some types of food.
– Coated recycled board (CRB)
This is a type of cardboard made from 100% recycled fibers – it is usually layered with kaolin clay on top, which helps improve the quality of the print afterwards. It is a low tear-resistant material that is often used to package items such as cereal, pasta and other dry foods, tissues and napkins.
Folding Carton Packaging in Vancouver
If you are in the Vancouver area and need packaging, please let us know. We can help you with your needs and deliver orders within an average of 15 days. To request a quote, click here.
Did you know that most consumers prefer companies that work with cardboard packaging? At least that’s what a survey with 2,000 US consumers in 2020 indicates – it was made by Toluna, a company responsible for online opinion polls. Paper and cardboard packaging were voted the participants’ favorites, especially because of the possibility of composting (according to 69% of people), for being less harmful to the environment (66%) and for being easier to be recycled (51%).
In addition to cardboard, glass packaging was also frequently mentioned, especially because it offers the possibility of reuse (36%) and because it better protects certain types of products (29%).
Why Choose Cardboard?
In addition to the data presented above, this same survey also points to some issues related to consumer behavior. More than half of the participants (57%) say they are taking measures to reduce the consumption of plastic packaging. And most impressive: 36% said they avoid companies that ship products in non-recyclable plastic packaging. And nearly half of consumers – 44% – said they thought non-recyclable packaging should be discouraged via higher taxes.
In addition to the percentages mentioned above, the survey mentioned several attributes that made cardboard boxes considered the favorite material by consumers. They are: easy to recycle, lighter, easier to open and close, cheaper, safer, more practical, better for the environment, compostable, easier to store, better brand image and better product information.
And Those Who Buy Packages Online?
Consumers who shop online also prefer cardboard packaging – specifically 57%. In addition, another fact draws a lot of attention: 70% of consumers said they prefer their purchases to be delivered in packages of the appropriate size for the purchased product, neither large nor small. One more reason to go for custom-sized boxes according to the product sold.
What Does This Indicate?
The data presented in the survey indicate that packaging plays an important role in these consumers’ purchase decisions. In other words, the choice of packaging should be more than just a decision thought internally – it reflects the image that your company wants to convey to its customers. Environmental issues will continue to gain relevance in the coming years and consumers will increasingly be well informed and willing to make choices that are less harmful to the environment.
So, if you were still in doubt about the material for your company’s packaging, maybe these indicators are the necessary argument for choosing cardboard ones.
Cardboard Boxes in Vancouver
And if you need boxes in the British Columbia and Washington region, please contact us. We offer a variety of box types and custom sizing and printing options.
If you are thinking about opening an online store or even if you have a company that works with the delivery of local items (a grocery store, mini market or a bakery, for example), it is likely that the packaging of these items was one of the first items you thought about, right? After all, the important thing is to have cardboard boxes available in the right size so that the products reach their recipients intact, right?
Right! But this is not the only thing that must be taken into account. Did you know that there are different types of single wall boxes? And that you can also choose double or even triple wall boxes? Read on to better understand each option.
Flute Types and Their Characteristics
A single wall cardboard sheet is formed by two flat sheets and between them there is a corrugated sheet, called a flute. There are 4 types of flutes used in the market today, A wave, B wave, C wave, and E wave. In practice, these letters represent a reference for the thickness of the wall.
- A wave, for example, although very used in the past, is not the most common one today. It has a thickness of 5mm as standard.
- A corrugated sheet C has a thickness of 3.2 to 3.9 mm.
- In the case of wave B, the thickness drops to 3 mm.
- Wave E defaults to a thickness between 1.2 and 1.5 mm.
When we talk about a double wall corrugated cardboard sheet, two letters will be combined to specify its thickness, for example, the most used nowadays is the BC wave cardboard sheet (combining a single B wave wall plate, coupled with a wave plate C) causing their thicknesses to be added together: Wave C 4mm + Wave B 3 mm = Wave BC 7 mm. This can occur with other wave combinations, for example a BE wave.
Which Type of Cardboard Box Do I Need?
The strength of a cardboard box is determined by the material used in manufacturing the package and the box’s purpose for use. The thicker the paper – and the more waves it has, the stronger the box. In other words, to understand what type of box you need in your business, you need to assess both the weight of the products and the way they are stored (there are companies that keep products stocked in stacked boxes, for example). The heavier your products are, the more you need double or even triple wall boxes.
Racer Boxes Box Manufacturer – We Can Help Answer Your Boxing Questions
To find the ideal box for your products, average them using your last orders as an example – or even make possible combinations of what your customers could buy. Then just talk to your local cardboard boxes supplier, who will probably be able to guide you better as to the ideal packaging. If you are in the Vancouver area, please contact us at Racer Boxes and we can help you with these questions.
Did you know that it is possible to have your company’s custom cardboard boxes in just two weeks? Even with the high demand for corrugated cardboard – and higher prices as well – Racer Boxes has managed to keep its delivery commitment in two weeks, which is a very short period compared to other companies in the same area.
So if you are in the Vancouver area and need custom cardboard boxes – whether for online stores, produce boxes, garment boxes or others, please let us know. Ask for a quote by clicking here and we can help you. In addition, below we tell you better about the entire process until we get to the finished boxes.
How Is a Cardboard Box Made?
When we receive an order for custom cardboard boxes, we follow a pre-established production flow so that the product reaches the buyer within two weeks. To start with, we order raw materials and tools (this includes paper, steeldie and print plates). After that comes to us, we feed the flexo-machine the paperboard for printing, scoring and cutting. Then we feed the printed and cut board to the gluing machine – this same machine also folds the box in its shape. When it’s done, we pack and dispatch the boxes for delivery.
All the printing of the boxes is done in a personalized way, that’s why we had the printing plates made. If you’re curious about how box printing works, we’ve explained a little in this article.
Cardboard Boxes in Vancouver by Racer Boxes Box Manufacturer
Normally, our prices do not include the shipping cost. But we do offer free shipping to most of the Vancouver area on orders of at least $500. As we’ve explained here, if you have a place to stock your boxes, ordering in larger quantities can be very economical, as paper shortages have made prices soar. If not, we offer 30 days of warehousing from PO date. Talk to us and we can help you with your needs.
We are always talking about the importance of custom cardboard boxes for the marketing of a brand here in the Racer Boxes blog. That’s because using boxes with your logo and colors is a simple action, but it makes a good impression with customers. Furthermore, it is a way to reinforce your brand with your audience. But do you know how custom box printing works? It’s exactly what we’ll talk about in today’s post, where we’ll explain a little about flexographic printing.
Flexographic printing for custom boxes
Flexography is a rotary printing method. For this process, a rubber or photopolymer plate with an embossed image is used. The printing system is direct and made with fast drying liquid inks (water or solvent based). To obtain color, pigment or dye can be used. Inspired by woodcuts, the flexographic system is similar to a stamp, in which only the areas that are in high relief will receive ink.
Flexography is indicated for printing texts, photos and images on paper, corrugated cardboard, plastics, raffia bags, ceramics and much more. In other words, it is a very versatile way of printing that allows different jobs. In addition to the aforementioned advantage over the ability to print various types of materials, flexography has very fast drying. You don’t have to wait hours for the paints to be good. The risk of smudging, staining or spoiling the work is very small.
Custom Boxes in Vancouver
Racer Boxes works with flexographic printing in the Vancouver area. So, if you need custom boxes for your business, please let us know. We have two printers available that print in up to three colors and in a range of sizes. Printing plates are quoted separately, as production costs, based on the size of the artwork to be printed on the boxes. We can help you with your needs – we produce a wide variety of cardboard box types. To contact us, click here.
From 2020, paper is more expensive worldwide. And when we talk about paper, we are talking about both the paper used in the printing and publishing industry and the cardboard used for the production of boxes.
To give you an idea, the production of cardboard in the United States reached 124 billion square meters in 2020, according to the association of manufacturers. The year-over-year increase was 3.4%, equivalent to approximately 768 square kilometers of additional corrugated cardboard. Enough to cover New York City with plenty.
This increase in production is a direct consequence of the increase in demand for the material, which causes its cost to also rise. And that puts the profit margins of those who depend on the cardboard boxes in their business at risk. But what justifies this high? And is it possible to dodge it? That’s what we’ll talk about in this post.
Why are cardboard box prices increasing?
There was a surge in demand for packaging around the world and it was largely driven by the Covid-19 pandemic. This is because a trend that has already been consolidating and strengthening in recent years – online shopping – has intensified with 2020, a period marked by quarantines around the world.
What happens is that there is not always enough wood to meet market demands, causing both prices and delivery times to increase. Throughout 2020, there was also an increase in shipping rates between countries. For example, the cost of transporting a container from China to the United States used to be around US$ 2,500 in 2020. This figure reached US$ 6,500 in 2021, and could reach up to US$20,000 for express shipping. Estimates are from Fortune magazine.
How to dodge the high prices?
Even if the issue of increasing cardboard prices is global, it is possible to circumvent this scenario – or at least reduce its impact on your company’s finances. How?
Well, if cardboard boxes are an essential material for the day-to-day in your company (as it is in the case of online stores, for example) and you have the working capital to do so, negotiate larger quantities of packaging directly with your supplier. This way, you can postpone the transfer of these values to the final consumption for some time. If so, also assess your material storage costs to understand if the choice is worth it.
Another very important thing is to try to find local packaging suppliers. This is because the material that comes from another country, for example, has a higher transport cost (as we saw above). By negotiating with local manufacturers, you can get better values.
Cardboard Boxes in Vancouver
If you are in the Vancouver area and are looking for a cardboard box supplier, please contact us. As our suppliers are local, we were not impacted by the increase in global packaging prices. We work with all types of boxes, from custom to boxes for produce boxes, and we can help you with your demands in this regard. Please request a free quote by clicking here.
Cardboard boxes are among the most common types of packaging. They are widely used for shipping all kinds of products sold in online stores, are used in movings, are used as file storage, as a food box in produce markets and so on. And among its advantages, there is one that is increasingly important for the world today: they are an ecologically correct type of packaging, since they are practically 100% recyclable.
But do you know how the recycling process for cardboard works? That’s what we want to explain with today’s post.
Cardboard box recycling process
Collection is the first step in cardboard recycling. Recyclers and companies collect waste cardboard at designated collection points – warehouses, points of sale that generate waste cardboard, etc.
After collection, all material is measured and transported to recycling facilities, mainly cardboard mills. At this point, some types of cardboard are accepted, others are not. Raw material acceptance sometimes depends on how it was used or manufactured.
Classification step
Once the corrugated cardboard boxes arrive at the recycling plant, they are sorted according to the materials they are made from. In most cases they are classified into corrugated and plain cardboard.
Simple cardboard boxes are the thinnest ones, used for beverage containers or cereal boxes. Corrugated cardboard boxes are used in the storage and transport of goods. Classification is important as cardboard manufacturers produce different cartons and packages based on the materials being reclaimed.
Crushing and pulping
After classification, the next step is crushing and then pulping. Shredding is done to break the cardboard fibers into tiny pieces. Then, after the material is crushed into pieces, it is mixed with water and chemicals.
In this way, it is possible to break the fibers of the paper that transform it into a pasty substance. This process is called pulping.
Filtering, removal of impurities and de-inking
The pulped material is then taken through a comprehensive filtration process to remove impurities. The pulp still goes to a chamber where contaminants such as plastics and metals are removed through a centrifugal process.
The next process, de-inking, involves placing the pulp in a device with chemicals that remove dyes and inks through a series of filters and sieves.
Finishing for reuse
At this stage, the clean pulp is mixed with new production materials, then placed to dry on a flat mat and on heated cylindrical surfaces. As the pulp dries, it passes through an automated machine that removes excess water and forms long rolls of solid plates.
The cardboard fibers are agglomerated, layer by layer, to make a new cardboard sheet. This entire process saves energy and resources.
For all the advantages, use simple cardboard packaging and personalized boxes in your business. If you are in the Vancouver area, please contact us. Racer Boxes is a manufacturer of display boxes, customized boxes with offset printing, produce boxes and others. Click here to ask for a free quote!