The Power of Mailer Boxes in the e-Commerce Industry – 4 ways your brand can benefit from customizable packaging
WHAT IS A MAILER BOX?
A mailer box is one of the many types of paper packaging. It gets its name from its ability to be posted through the mailbox, however today mailer boxes are available in a variety of sizes. They are also often referred to as shipping boxes or cardboard boxes depending on what use they are intended for.
Typically, these cardboard boxes are made of paperboard or corrugated cardboard (printed or unprinted) that not only protects the contents during transit but also ensures a presentable appearance for the parcel that the end consumer receives.
The mailer box can be inlaid with box inserts, foam padding, or liners, each of which can further enhance the functionality and presentation of the cardboard packaging.
While the mailer box itself is only just one category of corrugated boxes, this category can be further divided into different mailer box styles including:
- Straight-tucked
- Reverse tuck-end
- Tuck-top
- Adhesive tear-strip
Custom Mailer Boxes and the E-Commerce Industry
Cardboard boxes have always been an important aspect of product-based industries simply because every single item or pack of items needs to be packed for transportation. Even for the simplest of supply chains i.e., the movement of product from factory to retail store or from the factory to the end consumer, custom packaging is required.
Cardboard boxes are lightweight and can be developed in an array of shapes and sizes which means that you can literally develop a custom cardboard box for anything that you need to sell or store.
The corrugated process adds even more reliability and value to these boxes. Corrugation, which is essentially the construction of a wave pattern between two paper walls, gives the paperboard its strength, leading to sturdier corrugated packaging and finally much better protection of the box’s contents.
The level of corrugation is measured in flutes (A – E), each of which signifies the thickness of a single sheet of paperboard – this construction of the corrugation packaging sheet is…
*drum roll*
…also customizable.
This means that when you’re looking to customize a box, you can even select how thin, thick, single-walled, or double-walled you want the cardboard to be.
Benefits of Mailer Boxes for the E-commerce Industry
E-commerce refers to business taking place over the internet. When a brand develops its online store and separates online operations, it has essentially penetrated the e-commerce industry.
As the internet has become much faster and much more accessible across the globe, e-commerce has also become an important component of the global economy.
Platforms such as Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and Shopify have further added to the growth and importance of e-commerce. However, unlike in physical stores where a customer can directly experience and pick a product and then simply take it, delivery of products via e-commerce requires effective and reliable packaging solutions.
This also provides the marketing a unique opportunity to engage with their consumers. Whereas in a physical store, a consumer will experience the vibe, layout, merchandising, and atmosphere of the store, through the e-commerce channel, the consumer can experience the unboxing of their product which can put a huge smile on their face.
When you customize a box, keeping in mind your brand and customer, you can come very close to delivering a special customer experience.
Over the years, customized cardboard packaging has contributed significantly to the e-commerce industry and within this sector, mailer boxes have most definitely been the hero.
Corrugated mailer boxes or shipping boxes provide a cost-effective and durable mechanism for transporting the products in a box that also allows for marketing and branding opportunities and last but not least is also environmentally friendly.
Each of these benefits for the e-commerce industry is explained below.
i. Ease of Packaging
The e-commerce industry is extremely fast-paced and therefore requires the assembly lines and the packing processes to be convenient, easy, and straightforward.
Enter à custom mailer box.
Mailer boxes are preconstructed through die-cutting and creasing. The box is foldable, and the construct typically does not require any additional adhesives to keep it in place.
A custom box manufacturer will ship the mailer boxes flat which means that a lot of packaging can be stored in a small warehouse.
The final box itself has negligible weight, making it easier for the packer to lift, pack, and store the packaged box.
ii. Marketing & Branding Opportunity
Custom mailer boxes can be made in a variety of materials such as kraft board, bleached whiteboard, oyster whiteboard, and kemi whiteboard.
Once the die lines for the mailer box’s structure, size, and print design have been finalized, the paperboard undergoes the printing process. At this stage, you can choose between offset or digital printing – each with its unique pros and cons but will provide you as an e-commerce brand, with extensive branding opportunities.
An e-commerce brand can leverage the power of packaging to set a theme, tone, and overall feel of its products. An e-commerce brand misses out on the opportunity of experiential marketing that physical stores can benefit from. However, through custom mailer boxes, this experience can be somewhat delivered to the customer’s doorsteps.
Mailer boxes also provide a wide variety of options within the area of marketing & branding. For example, you can choose kraft paper and design/logo printed in muted colors or gold foiling for your CBD brand.
Or you can go for spot UV over a matte print to highlight certain elements on your box.
And these are only two of the many add-ons you can customize your mailer box with. You can find out more about add-ons for custom mailer boxes here.
Mailer boxes also allow e-commerce businesses to enhance the unboxing experience, which is also then shared on social media for product promotion and content, overall making custom packaging an essential part of marketing and branding for e-commerce.
Related Article: https://themailerbox.com/Blog/how-custom-mailer-boxes-can-serve-your-brand/
iii. High Cost-Efficiency
All industries in the world but e-commerce especially have become hypercompetitive. There is a large range of product substitutes available at competitive prices. In such a market, maintaining cost efficiency and therefore profitability is vital to the survival of the business. This is another area where corrugated custom packaging generally and mailer boxes especially play an important role.
The cost-efficiency to functionality ratio that mailer boxes provide is unparalleled in the e-commerce industry. They provide one of the most competitive prices per unit for any packaging style.
The ability of mailer boxes to be shipped and stored flat also adds to their cost effectiveness.
iv. Better Environmental Sustainability
The world is moving fast towards global trade, a higher number of transactions, and faster deliveries of products and services. Amidst all of this, however, there is also a growing concern for environmental sustainability.
As a business that is benefitting from operating on earth, environmentally conscious decisions must be taken to reduce impact wherever possible.
This is another area where cardboard boxes support the e-commerce industry. Cardboard boxes such as mailer boxes are constructed from recycled paper and are 100% recyclable after use. This means that corrugated packaging exists in an almost circular economy.
The benefits of packaging that are reaped then are a positive addition to the overall global markets.
How can an e-commerce brand develop customized corrugated packaging?
As an up-and-coming e-commerce brand, you might find yourself in need of custom packaging. While you can pick more convenient and cheaper ways to deliver the products such as in taped polybags, you will not be doing any favors to your brand by doing that.
Custom mailer boxes are the heroes of the e-commerce industry for a reason. A brand can massively improve its awareness, recognition, and overall brand image by investing time and energy into developing the perfect packaging.
For this, however, you need a reliable custom packaging manufacturer, one that not only has packaging structure engineers but also a talented design team. Somebody like The Mailer Box can provide you with both effectively.
If you’re a small brand, also try to look for free-of-charge elements such as free shipping, free design consultation, and free 3D mockups/sampling of your boxes. All these elements will help you understand the final packaging better and also help keep your business costs in check.
Ayesha Khubaib
Ayesha has a diverse experience in areas of marketing and management. Over the years, Ayesha has been involved in the packaging sector in various capacities and now aims to share packaging market insights with her readers
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