Many companies hold off on even thinking about packaging until the last minute. Before you know it, it’s time to get the product on shelves and packaging becomes a rushed afterthought. It’s no wonder so many packaging suppliers are able to keep the lid shut on the five secrets below. Keeping quiet makes the supplier’s job easier — but it can cost your brand a ton to pick up the slack.
A more deliberate approach to finding packaging suppliers can prevent long lead times, poor deliverability, communication breakdowns, order errors, and squeezed margins. Go into your packaging supplier search armed with the facts:
1. The same old packaging won’t cut it.
The Sea of the Same is killing your company. For every creative and unique packaging solution that pops off the shelf and drives sales, there are dozens of brands that look just like the rest. “If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for me,” they seem to admit. Not only do these brands fail to stand out or differentiate themselves...they’re doing it on purpose. Leading innovators like Method Soap know that the Sea of the Same is a brand-killer.
Packaging suppliers are at least partially to blame. Many of them will try to sell you the packaging their company prefers to work with (say...glass bottles, or rectangular cardboard boxes with plastic liners). Consequently, you may not know where to turn for unique styles or fresh, new ideas that are getting big results in foreign countries. But packaging is the voice of your brand, so do yourself a favor and don’t settle for the same old stuff everyone else is using. Work with a supplier that is committed to innovation. Printed flexible packaging, for instance, is a newer niche that’s seeing rapid growth.
2. Hunting down extra Contract Packaging services is expensive.
There’s nothing more frustrating than discovering that additional handling is necessary once your fully packaged products make it into the U.S. You may be required to find solutions for processes like:
- U.S.-required labeling
- Shrink sleeves
- Assembly of displays (cartons, inserts, etc.)
- Custom palletizing
- Adding gas relief valves to pouches
- And more...
Don’t put up with it. Work with a custom packaging supplier that will pre-label and assemble everything for you for ten to twenty times less than the cost of a la carte Contract Packaging services.
3. Shipping is not your problem to figure out.
At least, it shouldn’t be! It’s not easy to find your own shipping company to get packaged products from the factory to your door. Late or damaged shipments are costly, and you shouldn’t be up at night wondering if your shipment will get here in time (and intact). Your packaging supplier should be handling this for you, with a 100% guarantee that the delivery will be on time and full transparency into the shipping process.
4. Getting the packaging is only half the battle.
Packaging a product is never as simple as a sign and done. It’s smart for your business to run audits, do inspections, read quality reports, schedule lab tests, make plant visits, verify packaging supplier certifications, check on environmental regulations, and more. That’s a lot to handle for some retail packaging supplies—but it doesn’t have to be. Your packaging distributors or packaging suppliers should be prepared to help you out with these things or even do it for you.
5. Global packaging suppliers do it better.
Recent trade tariffs inspired a lot of companies to start sourcing their products and packaging domestically. The problem is that domestic factories have hit capacity, backup factories have hit capacity, local-only supply chains are struggling, and lead times frequently exceed 10-12 weeks. Meanwhile, global packaging sources in countries like China have lost a ton of money and are now ready to aggressively pursue that lost business.
Sourcing from packaging suppliers that maintain overseas offices in countries like China, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, or Israel can give you a major competitive advantage. Global packaging suppliers slash costs and keep your supply chain diverse and reliable. Work with a partner that has the ability to source both domestically and abroad, and uses this security to offer a 100% guarantee on quality and your delivery date.
Keep these five simple secrets in mind and you’ll save on costs and accelerate lead times while also sourcing a more innovative, higher-quality product.
