A ‘how to’ guide to designing great packaging for Retail
Its natural to get excited about the visual aspect of packaging design, but by making sure the FUNCTIONAL side works as well you can create a compelling winning combination that Retailers are sure to love. You should be writing a clear brief for your designer that not only talks about the design side (how it looks) but also the practical part of size, shape, packaging material and more.
By doing the work upfront and then talking to your packaging designer about these points below BEFORE you spend all your time and effort, you can give your product a much stronger chance of success with pitching to large retailers and supermarkets.
PRACTICAL PACKAGING TIPS
👉 Physically check your products fit on the shelf, and that your packaging works for their type of store
Retailers won't go moving shelves just for you and there’s nothing worse than spending a fortune on packaging to then find out that its too big, too small, too bulky or just not right for their store layout (in a bag not a box like everyone else)
👉Think about how - and where - your product is going to be positioned on shelf.
If it’s a lay flat product like meat, then consider having your key selling points on the front of the box AND the sides. Giving Retailers and Category Managers flexibility when it comes to how to merchandise your product on shelf is a big bonus. If you have a rectangular box or pack, then consider having packaging design that can go both portrait (up & down) and also landscape (side to side). Think about the display unit that its going into as well. Is there a shelf lip or tray front that will cover the bottom quarter of your box? Best not put important info down there!
👉 Make sure your products can be easily merchandised on shelf - that means they won’t fall over, get crushed or damaged easily and have good shelf impact.
While you might love glass jars, they are heavy, a health & safety risk from breaking, chipping and potential product contamination, and can be a real headache for retailers as they don’t stack easily without risk of damage. Look at alternative packaging options and work out what fits best for a ‘high touch’ retail environment. This may mean that you have to change packaging format but the alternative is to have packaging that limits your sales growth potential.
👉 Get your shipper count in line with retailer sell through expectations. Although it might be cheaper for you to have a larger bulk box to send product out to stores, if it means having 2-3 months worth of stock on shelf, then a retailer is going to be very hesitant to take the product as it can get dusty, damaged and dated easily.
General sell through rates can be 1 - 2 units per store per week, so a shelf case of 4-8 units is typical for ambient products with slower sell through. Talk to your Category manager about sales expectations, and know that they will likely want 4 weeks stock cover (so one case = 4 weeks sales). If your product has a limited shelf-life, then you may be better starting with a direct to store model to manage better.
👉 Make sure your packaging is eye-catching and stands out on the shelf.
Retail shelves can be packed with all sorts of different products and you need to capture shoppers SUPER quickly - and easily. If they can’t ready your label or work out what you ‘are’, then they will move onto the next product on the shelf.
👉 Make sure your packaging is easy to open and use.
You want people that buy your product to become repear shoppers, and fiddly lids, or making it hard to get the product out & use (!) are sure to be turn offs. Shoppers shouldn't have to struggle to get your product out of the packaging or waste time trying to figure out how to use it.
👉 Think about the sustainability of your packaging.
This is a big consideration for supermarkets in particular as they have broader goals around reusability, packaging materials, recycling etc. Sustainability can mean different things to your shopper so make sure you talk to them about what’s most important.
👉 Check your product shelf life lines up with the retailers expectations
A rule of thumb is you’ll generally need to have minimum 65% of shelf life when product goes on shelf, and sell through with 50% of shelf life remaining to consumers. The worst thing you can face is large stock credits from Retailers who demand you take back products - or simply charge you for high waste rates. Talk to the Retailer upfront about their requirements (often this is also on their website especially if it is a Chilled, Frozen or Fresh product), and make sure that you’re confident you can meet this with every order.
👉 Check the Retailers distribution requirements and make sure you can get your products to stores in the right format, process and timing
https://www.foodstuffs-exchange.co.nz/processes-and-guides/wholesale-distribution-and-procurement/
https://partnerhub.woolworthsgroup.com.au/s/knowledge-hub-logistics
These tips don’t cost much other than time to get instore, talk to your target customers and understand what works (and doesn’t) when it comes to your chosen Retail channel. Find a great packaging designer and talk through these questions so they have the FULL picture of what’s needed before you start and you’ll save yourself a whole lot of stress, time and money.
If you want someone to do a mini-review of your packaging design and give you tips, then drop me a line. I’ve seen literally hundreds of packaging designs over the years and can help with practical expert advice.
