The Benefits of an Inventory Management System

Whether you are in the retail or CPG industry, inventory management likely takes a great deal of time. Keeping track of stock, maintaining accurate counts, and making sure that you have enough product to meet demand is tough in and of itself. But when coupled with the need to also keep track of and store packaging, this can become even more difficult. There are no two ways around it – you need to package your product – but do you actually need to store that packaging on-site? Maybe not. 

Not many packaging suppliers offer inventory management systems, but if you are looking for a way to deal with your inventory issues, this is definitely the way to go. There are a number of very important benefits to a packaging inventory management system - the biggest benefit being space. No matter how big your warehouse is, there is always the need for more room. If your packaging is being stored on-site, but you require extra room, things either get shoved into every available nook and cranny – making further product inventory far more difficult and perhaps leading to avoidable damages – or are housed off-site (which means more monetary output). An annual audit can also help to identify any opportunities to streamline and consolidate your packaging process, thereby resulting in less inventory and cost savings.  

Make and release. What happens when you work with a packaging company that creates boxes or packages, but once the construction process is complete they are shipped to you and you need to find a place to store them – here is where that space issue we just mentioned comes into play. Instead, find a company that will make your custom packaging and house it for you until you need it. Releasing your product on an ‘as-needed’ basis means that you don’t have to worry about housing stock or ever running out of it.  

Automatic or prescheduled release of inventory. Don’t want to cut things too close, even with a just-in-time delivery system? The right supplier can offer you an inventory management system that preschedules your releases based upon your tracking records. This means that a steady stream of product is ready when you need it. And, if business picks up, just adjust the schedule to fit the growth of your business. 

Having everything, all in one place, makes business so much easier, so why not apply this theory and practice to your packaging supplier. Find a company that can offer you creative and unique designs, innovative construction processes and an inventory management system that offers make and release. Stop worrying about space – let someone worry about it for you! 

For more about an inventory management system for your packaging supplies please contact Packaging Technologies Inc. by calling 1-800-303-5883.

Retailers: Does Your Product Marketing Strategy Compete?

The changing face of retail is a topic that seems to be getting a great deal of attention these days – and for good reason. Many significant changes have taken place over the last few months, and many of these changes have made adaptation a necessity. These are two of the biggest – how do they impact you and how can you compete? 

The entrance of Target on the retail scene. People love a deal, and Target boasts about its low prices, continually drawing in customers. And other big box stores are still going strong so how do you compete? Your marketing strategy needs to take this change in stride, making use of current product marketing trends like design and sustainability to keep customers coming back for your product versus something from the competition.

The growth of e-commerce – with millions of dollars a year being done through online sales, this is a big change that presents challenges for both brands located at mom and pop shops and online retailers. The ability to shop online, at any time, is a very enticing prospect for consumers – something that can be detrimental to brands. So how do you compete? Much like you would to deal with those bog box stores, you need to ramp up your product marketing strategy. Once that customer enters a store, your product packaging needs to influence them to purchase, and having enticing and interesting packaging is one of the best ways to do this. 

What if you are an online retailer - how do you compete? Sure, the fact that online sales continue to rise is great for online retailers, but this also means more competition. Even more challenging – for those retailers that only sell online, your chance for recognition decreases because you don’t have a store on the ground. A good way to deal with this is by shipping out your products in branded packaging, rather than just a plain, brown box. Thanks to the number of people who handle your package en route to the customer, there are many great opportunities for recognition here.  

With the major changes taking place in the retail industry in Canada, it is only smart to change and adapt with the times. Trying to ignore this evolution will only work to your disadvantage in the end, leading to extra time and money to catch up.  If your product marketing strategy can’t compete, it might be time to consider making some changes of your own. 

For more about intelligent product marketing that meets the needs of today’s ever-evolving economy please contact Packaging Technologies Inc. at 1-800-303-5883 or visit us online at www.ptibox.com.

Trends in Product Packaging Branding for 2014

With the New Year officially here, it is time to turn the focus on your New Year’s resolution. This year, instead of just having a personal resolution, why not make a business one too? There is no better time to change things up than at the beginning of a new year. And why not make some changes that reflect some of the most popular trends in the packaging industry to really make a difference.  

To help you out we’ve compiled a list. Here our top product packaging design experts offer you the top 3 trends for 2014. 

Top 3 Trends 

o   Think Outside the Box. Plain old boring boxes seem to be on their way out – packaging designers are really getting creative when it comes to designing something that stands out from the crowd. Whether your packaging takes the shape of your product or the symbol of something related, it is far easier to create interest and engagement with something thought-provoking and appealing than with a regular, run-of-the-mill box. Transparency is also coming in strong – people like to know what they are buying, so what better way is there to show them than by creating a see-through aspect on your package? 

o   Bland is Boring. A lackluster design is not going to attract attention, so why are you still using one to promote your product? Stop! Combining a variety of different elements to create a design that actually speaks to your customer is just a smart way of doing things. One of the best ways is to use colour. Find out what different colours mean to customers (‘colour psychology’) and implement this knowledge. That being said, white is making a come-back. When done properly, white can be quite the attention catcher – but it needs to be done right. Quality is another way – try something new such as flexoprint PrePrint to ensure high quality colour distribution and avoid ridges caused by after-assembly printing. 

o   Going Green. Sustainability continues to reign supreme in the packaging world and 2014 won’t be any different. Using plastic and  unnecessary extra packaging to house your product will quickly turn customers off, so consider downsizing your packaging and going with a company that uses biodegradable and recycled materials (as well as one with an earth-friendly production process). 

This year, don’t get stuck at the back of the pack. Ramp up your bottom line by considering a revamp of your current product packaging design and incorporate some (or better yet, all) of these industry trends. 

For more about what’s happening in the packaging world and how a simple change can mean big results, please contact Packaging Technologies Inc. by calling 1-800-303-5883.

Buyer Insight – Intelligent and Effective Packaging Design

No matter your industry, product packaging design is a crucial factor in garnering sales. For example, the next time you are at the supermarket, think about why you made the choices you did. What influenced your decision to buy? Then think about how your packaging accomplishes the goal of influencing buying decisions. Will buyer insight actually help increase your bottom line? We think so. After an in-depth examination of several buyer insight studies, here are some interesting (and incredibly common) results regarding the influence of product packaging design. 

The psychology of colour. There are countless studies out there that confirm the fact that colour plays a major role in purchasing decisions – so it therefore should also play a major role in your packaging design plan. When shopping, people make, usually unconsciously, connections and associate certain colours with certain feelings, knowledge, etc.  Here are just a few: 

o   Green – natural or eco-friendly

o   Black – high quality

o   Pink – girls or women

o   White – pure

o   Red – romantic or exciting

If your current packaging doesn’t take into consideration what your colour scheme accomplishes, it might be time to head back to the drawing board. 

The shape of your packaging also plays a role. Think about the shape of different products you purchase on a regular basis. Do any of them stand out? Are their shapes recognizable even if the branding is not there? We are thinking here about a certain chocolate bar with an interesting mountain-like shape. As mentioned with colour, people make associations, and when a product’s packaging is exciting, different or interesting, they are more likely to buy it than a similar product in a regular-shaped box. 

Sustainability is also a major player on the buyer influence field. People are far more earth conscious than they were even ten years ago, and so when presented with the option to buy a product with earth-friendly packaging versus one without, the majority will automatically pick the one that won’t be as harmful to the environment. Don’t just take our word for it: a recent study done by Packaging World found that, when presented with the option to choose between two products (in this case, cereal) - an eco-friendly packaged product and one not-so-eco-friendly, the eco-friendly option beat out the other option 6-1. That’s a pretty significant number – and something that should not be ignored. 

There are various other design features that should be taken into consideration when you set out to develop a concept for the perfect package, including font and letter sizing, branding, images, etc. Don’t just treat the packaging as a house for the product – make use of buyer insight and design a package that will get results. 

For more about optimal packaging design please contact Packaging Technology Inc. by calling 1-800-303-5883 or visit us online at www.ptibox.com.