Chicago, IL: PreScouter, a Chicago-based research intelligence company, has compiled a new Intelligence Brief that examines how ecommerce packaging challenges differ from those of traditional packaging and highlights some of the latest innovations in ecommerce packaging solutions. The Intelligence Brief also includes an exclusive interview with a packaging expert offering insights into how businesses can leverage these innovations in ecommerce packaging to enhance the customer experience. 

As noted in PreScouter’s report, the boom in ecommerce caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have lasting effects on the way consumers shop, and packaging has become a top priority for many ecommerce providers. As one of the most complex processes within the ecommerce operation, packaging impacts everything from shipping costs to the customer experience. Previously, manufacturers rarely considered how the packaging would be used or transported. Today, ecommerce packaging industry challenges include optimizing retail packages for home delivery, reducing costs, and avoiding unnecessary packaging.

This Intelligence Brief profiles nine companies providing packages developed specifically for ecommerce. PreScouter focused on including startups and small- to large-sized businesses, located worldwide, to better understand newly commercialized technologies and developing trends.

According to packaging expert Bob Makofsky, Co-Founder and General Manager of packaging maker Conformer Products, Inc, when it comes to packaging materials, the biggest trend that he sees having come out of the pandemic is the drive to reduce single-use plastics. In the interview that is included in the brief, he states, “Customers want 100% paper-based packaging. We should be using a whole lot more paper. It’s renewable. Most packaging is not 100% recycled content.” 

In addition to sustainability, PreScouter determined that ecommerce packaging innovations also focus on durability, for the purposes of enhancing product integrity as well as for multiple reuse, and on ease of use for both sellers and consumers. 

Another important ecommerce packaging trend that PreScouter highlights in the report is the use of new packaging innovations for brand messaging and fostering brand loyalty through the enhancement of the customer experience.

“We’ve found a lot of companies with a focus on customization and customer experience, but I think if we look at it from an innovation point of view, there should be a lot of research related to lighter materials, packaging delamination for recycling and barrier properties for perishable products,” noted Beatriz Gonçalves, materials engineer and coauthor of the report. “I think that’s going to be the next feature we’re going to see in commercial products in the coming years,” she added.

About PreScouter, Inc.: PreScouter provides research support services to help business leaders make better R&D, product development, and corporate development decisions. PreScouter’s custom-selected teams of Advanced Degree Researchers and Subject Matter Experts connect business leaders with new markets, commercializable technologies, industry-impacting startups, and other actionable data. PreScouter’s growing list of 500+ clients includes Amgen, Coca-Cola, BAE Systems, Clorox, Airbus and Volvo. For more info, please visit www.prescouter.com.