Lowe’s Introduces Personal 3D Printing

When it comes to product packaging, keeping up with the latest innovations and packaging trends is critical - we all know this. Relying solely on methods that worked 10 years ago may cause you to lose out to the completion or get lost on the shelf. Staying informed and knowing exactly what improvements and advances have occurred is a great way to remain relevant.

Lowe’s Innovation Lab, the innovation hub of Lowe’s Companies, has recognized this, and recently introduced 3D printing in one of its California locations. With this technology, customers can recreate items using 3D printing, customizing colour, shape and size - and create various products including smaller items such as light switch plates, door handles or cabinet knobs or larger pieces such as out of production antique home accents.

Read more about this amazing technology and how Lowe’s is leading the way here: http://www.cnbc.com/2015/04/28/lowes-brings-3-d-printing-to-home-improvement.html.

3D printing has been around for a while, but it has really started gaining momentum and notoriety over the last few years. Want to know more about 3D printing and to check out a great video which explains the entire process? Check out one of our earlier blogs here: http://ptibox.com/printing-revolution-series-1-3d-printing/.

So, is 3D printing the only way to go now? Of course not. This trend is growing, but it isn’t the only one. Innovations in the printing world are occurring on a regular basis, and advancements in colour application, eco-friendly manufacturing and end product, and higher-quality inks and papers mean that whatever your packaging needs, these can now be met!

If you want to know more about the latest packaging trends, including 3D printing, please call Packaging Technologies Inc. We’ve got your printing needs covered: 1-800-303-5883.

New Retail Trends Make the Shopper the Designer

People like choices. The ability to choose is what drives competition on the shelf, and consumers take a lot into consideration when making a choice in store - even if unconsciously. Some stores are taking this new retail trend even further, giving shoppers limitless choices - and people are jumping at the opportunity to choose.

One such company is Nordstrom. Earlier this year, the retailer partnered with Shoes of Prey to give shoppers the ability to design their own shoes. Would-be designers can choose colour, fabric and style to design a shoe that is unique and personalized. This emphasizes the trend of personalization, customization and small batch instead of volume producing.

You can read more about this partnership and new retail trend here: https://www.shoesofprey.com/style-help/1554829244/nordstrom-announcement.

Why is this just happening now? Where it didn’t make sense before as volume drove pricing, companies are now realizing that the customization trend is here and in some cases shoppers are willing to pay more for this experience as they see it has greater personal value.

What does this mean in the packaging world? Packaging should reflect that personalization trend. A great example of this is Coke’s marketing strategy with the many names printed on cans. Sure, Nordstrom is really taking the personalization to a new level - one that may not be realistic for most brands - but that doesn’t mean personalization is completely off the table. Even offering a few different styles of packaging gives the consumer the chance to make a choice based on personal preference - and it helps you stand out on the shelf.

When it comes to new retail trends, personalization and customization looks like one that is here to stay.

For more about starting a custom packaging campaign that takes personalization into account, please contact Packaging Technologies Inc. today at 1-800-303-5883. 

Product Packaging Design to Capture Greater Market Share

LCBO sales have grown over the last few years, and with the recent changes to beer and wine sales forthcoming, those sales are posed to grow even more.

A recent Metro News article, “Craft cider and spirits lead the way as LCBO tops $5B in sales,” highlights just how high those sales have climbed, and which products are leading the way.

According to the article, “Ontarians bought more booze in the previous fiscal year than ever before, with sales at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario topping $5 billion for the first time. The growth was fuelled in part by local products, with sales of craft cider nearly doubling to $4 million, sales of craft spirits rising more than 50 per cent to $6.7 million and sales of craft beer rising by about 35 per cent to $68.3 million.”

Check out the full Metro News article here: http://metronews.ca/news/ottawa/1388518/craft-cider-and-spirits-lead-the-way-as-lcbo-tops-5b-in-sales/.

However, cider producers are claiming a disadvantage, one that is caused by strict regulations governing sales. This is because members of the Ontario Craft Cider Association are licensed like wineries, but are denied the VQA designation given to top wineries, and really they are competing not with wines, but with craft beers in the eyes of consumers. Additionally, cider producers are forced to pay a 40% LCBO mark up on beverages sold to restaurants and pubs, a fee which isn’t required of craft breweries.

Read more on this issue from CTV News here: http://barrie.ctvnews.ca/craft-cider-producers-in-ontario-say-regulations-put-them-at-competitive-disadvantage-1.2403113.

So how can cider producers compete, whether at the LCBO, or, if their desires are met, on supermarket shelves? In the end, a number of different things are going to grab a consumer’s attention, one of the most important being product packaging design. A unique, innovative, fresh packaging design can help you stand out amidst the many offerings that pepper those shelves, and can really give you the ability to capture a great market share.

For more about how to develop a product packaging design that speaks volumes, contact Packaging Technologies Inc. today. We’ve got the experience and expertise to carry off a design that really hits the target: 1-800-303-5883.

Is Corrugated Packaging Better Than Plastic?

In the grocery industry, when you are looking to reduce costs, you may choose to consider a number of different factors, and packaging and shipping are usually two of the most important. What you choose to package your goods in, both for sale and for transport, and how you choose to transport those goods, can have a significant impact on your bottom line.

Often one of the most important questions to ask when it comes to packaging and shipping, shipping especially, is ‘is corrugated packaging better than plastic’ - and why? Both options have benefits, not least of which is the fact that both are eco-friendly, but is one really better than the other?

According to a recent study done by the Corrugated Alliance, yes, corrugated packaging is better than reusable plastic containers. The study, which analyzed the total annual costs of shipping onions in corrugated packaging versus reusable plastic containers, found that corrugated packaging saves 10.4% annually.

Here is a summary of the study and how the study reached this number:

-          The test was to analyze the total annual costs to use corrugated containers versus reusable plastic containers (RPCs) to ship 40 million pounds of onions from the Pacific Northwest to Columbus, Ohio - a distance of 3540 kilometres.

-          Since RPCs require back-hauling to return them from the retailer to the next point of use, RPCs incurred over $1 million in costs for shipping, handling, and washing on the return trip. In comparison, corrugated packaging required no return costs, since they don’t actually make a return trip and are recycled at their destination.

-          This resulted in an annual savings of approximately $760,000 US (or 10.4%).

You can check out the study in its entirety here: 

http://www.cccabox.org/pdf/Onion_Case_Study_apr2015.pdf.

Great, that covers shipping, but what about packaging/displaying goods for sale? A study conducted in several European countries found similar results when it came to personal preference when shopping - 85% of consumers asked stated that they would be more likely to buy a product in paper-based containers compared to plastic containers, especially with regard to groceries and fresh produce. This preference seems to have a great deal to do with the fact that natural fibre based paper packaging products such as corrugated align perfectly with expectations for natural, fresh and safe products for purchase at retail.

You can read more about this study here: http://www.cccabox.org/pdf/PR%20YouGov%20Poll%20-%20CCCA.PDF.

Additionally, not only is corrugated packaging more cost effective, it is also safer. A new series of independent studies from the Center for Food Safety at the University of Arkansas’ Department of Food Science found that bacteria adheres and forms biofilms, including Salmonella, Listeria and E. coli, on RPCs used to ship fresh produce, meats and eggs. See http://www.cccabox.org/pdf/DR-RICKE-STUDY-press-release.pdf for more on this study.

When it comes to packaging and shipping, corrugated packaging just makes more ‘cents’ - sorry for the pun but it truly does fit here. Not only does it save in transportation costs, it also results in more sales at the retail level and is safer for the consumer.

Packaging Technologies Inc. provides high quality unique corrugated packing that not only saves money - it gets attention. Contact us today at 1-800-303-5883 for more information.

*Image via Adaptalift Hyster