What Do Consumers Look For In Packaging Design?

Getting your product noticed in a retail environment can be incredibly difficult, with thousands of items on the shelf and a highly competitive process to even get a product on the shelf, it requires everything to come together perfectly, including custom packaging design.

Corrugated packaging is often ignored until the last minute, when in fact, it couldn’t be more important.

Why does packaging matter?

Retail packaging can have a huge impact on buyers’ purchasing decisions, and studies have backed this up as 90% of your purchasing decisions are made subconsciously with packaging leading the way on product first impression.

Clearly we don’t live by the old age expression ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’. There is some psychology behind this.

Colour plays a huge part in this, and whilst you can’t change your branding colours, it’s still important to consider the different options available and what it is you want to communicate to your customers. For example, red equals passion and excitement, and green equals active and environmentally friendly.

What do consumers look for in packaging?

There are several things, but it comes down to two main aspects; packaging design and accessibility.

Packaging design is where you can make an impact on purchasing decisions. Whilst keeping practicality in mind, it’s better to go with something more unique than sticking with the norm. The best designs usually have strong branding with good use of colour palette - it’s also a huge plus to go with sustainable packaging options.

Whilst you may want to go with something more unique, it can be a fine line to walk as some consumers may actually be ‘put off’ if the packaging is too unusual. Think bold and fresh with some caution.

Sustainable packaging materials

With growing awareness around sustainable packaging, many consumers are very conscious of the product they’re buying. Corrugated cardboard packaging is the most sustainable packaging material, and it also has an extensive range of benefits.

Corrugated cardboard offers great versatility when it comes to packaging design with flexographic printing being the most popular printing method. There are a lot of benefits to this type of printing, with the most obvious being quality and speed.

The nature of corrugated cardboard fluting allows packaging to be lightweight but remain incredibly durable for transportation and the hustle and bustle of the retail environment.

Custom packaging

We’ve previously written a blog about why branded packaging is worth it, and it is all about elevating the customer experience as first impressions do matter. Packaging is seen as an extension of the product itself, so it is important to ensure that it not only matches your branding but it also represents the quality of the product.

You’ll obviously want to make is really easy to be featured on a supermarket shelf in terms of crease location. Have a well made packaging box will tick all the boxes from transport, decarding the protective material and look great in the retail environment.

We have worked with a variety of brands to fulfil their custom packaging needs, so we know what it takes to stand out. Click here to get in touch if you’re ready to start planning your corrugated packaging solution.