10 tips to prepare your Black Friday packaging
During the last quarter of the year, retailers across the UK gear up for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Before Christmas, people consider these some of the busiest shopping days of the year.
If you’re an online retailer, the packaging you use can be a make-or-break factor in the success of your Black Friday operation.
In this article, we’ll look at exploring Black Friday, the critical role played by packaging and 10 tips to help get your packaging Black Friday ready.
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Understanding Black Friday
What is Black Friday?
Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States. Traditionally, huge sales are held that mark the start of the Christmas shopping season. The term “Black Friday” has been associated with retailers since the 1950s, with the practice of Black Friday sales cementing themselves in the 1980s. The retail sale moniker is inspired by the fact that many retailers saw it as a pivotal day in the year when their operations became profitable – going from being “in the red” to being “in the black”.
Since the 1990s, these discounted sales have taken place both offline and online.
The tradition has migrated across the pond to the UK and Ireland, and Black Friday now represents the peak season for retailers. Sales often start days or weeks in advance and extend to Cyber Monday, traditionally the Monday after Thanksgiving. Some retailers now call this “Black Friday Week”.
The importance of Black Friday in UK retail
So, how significant is Black Friday in UK retail?
According to Mintel, in 2023, total sales during Black Friday were an estimated £13.3billion. To put this in context, in a single day, it accounted for just over 3% of all UK retail sales during 2023!
The IMRG highlights that this is one of the key selling points of the year for online retailers, with 81% of retailers reporting they make more revenue when they hold longer sale periods.
In essence, all these facts highlight the importance of Black Friday in UK retail. Therefore, it’s critical for retailers to streamline Black Friday or peak operations to achieve peak success.
How packaging plays a role in Black Friday
If you’re an online retailer, the packaging you use plays a critical role in successfully shipping your products to consumers. On the surface, packaging’s primary purpose is to get goods from A to B – a no-brainer, right?
In fact, packaging can impact so many touchpoints in your supply chain, it can influence everything from product damages and returns through to efficient dispatch, storage and even your courier fees and labour costs.
Packaging that’s difficult to assemble will slow down throughput (particularly if you’ve got temporary staff). If you’re keeping too much packaging stock in your warehouse, you could be wasting valuable space to store your product. Packing materials that are too big or too small for your products? You could be facing increased returns, reverse logistics costs and costly replacements.
Simply put, the packaging materials you use and the packing process you employ can drastically impact the success of your Black Friday operations.
With this in mind, how can you get your packaging Black Friday ready?
10 tips to prepare your Black Friday packaging
1. Review packaging forecasts
Preparing what packaging you need, as early as possible, is a high priority.
Assess your current packaging supplies and identify what you’ll need to meet the expected demand. Preparing forecasts now will help you ensure continuity of supply throughout the busy season.
2. Pre-order your Black Friday packaging
Running out of packaging materials on Black Friday can lead to delays and disappointed customers. Once you’ve got your stock forecast, you can pre-order your packaging essentials like postal boxes, packing tapes and void fill.
Ordering in bulk can offer cost savings, and early ordering can help you avoid longer supply lead times that will come into play as demand increases closer to peak. However, you might not want to have all your packaging materials in one go. Taking advantage of a stock and drip service or Just-In-Time (JIT) production can help you minimise stockholding, save space and protect cash flow.
3. Optimise your packaging processes
Reviewing your current packaging process can help identify inefficiencies and bottlenecks.
This can include an end-to-end view from picking through to pack bench organisation and how packaging is assembled and then sent on to dispatch. Even small adjustments can significantly speed up your packing process. For example, you can use a “water-spider” method to re-stock packing benches. This is where one member of your team replenishes workstations, so packing operatives do not need downtime to fetch additional packing materials.
If dispensing packaging speedily is an issue, you could also consider installing some quick packaging automation solutions for further productivity gains.
4. Check the quality of your packaging materials
Is your packaging optimised?
Quality packaging that is fit for purpose is vital to protect your products and provide operational efficiency. Ask yourself:
- Is the packaging quick and easy to assemble?
- Is the packaging too big or too small for any products?
- Does your packaging meet with any regulations, size or cubage requirements for your couriers?
- Does your packaging reflect your brand?
- Does the packaging provide sufficient protection?
- Do customers ever complain packaging is wasteful?
- Can the packaging be recycled?
Choosing robust, high-quality packaging materials that fulfil these criteria can help your overall efficiency and cost-effectiveness. A packaging review or using a tool like our Packaging Optimiser can help you assess your packaging quality.
5. Consider custom packaging for maximum impact
Not all packaging is made the same.
Opting for custom packaging for Black Friday can tailor a packaging solution to your exact requirements. This can be ensuring it’s the right size for your products or branding it so you stand out from the competition.
For example, branded boxes, tape, or even printed tissue paper can enhance the unboxing experience for your customers. This not only adds a personal touch but also helps increase brand recognition.
6. Preparing for returns
In an ideal world, your Black Friday deliveries will all get there in one piece and not be returned. However, there is a big trend among consumers for returning items, even when they’re not damaged. On top of this, the peak season means more packages in the courier networks, increased pressure and often, increased damages.
Make sure your return process is as smooth as your delivery process. Using packaging that is easy to return is helpful and more sustainable. A mailing bag or shipping box with an extra peel and stick strip, is an easy way to facilitate a hassle-free returns.
7. Assess if your Black Friday packaging is eco-friendly
How easy your packaging is to recycle can impact your end-customer experience.
Consumers are increasingly eco-conscious, with 20% reporting that they will not buy from a retailer who uses non-sustainable packaging. Therefore, assessing if your Black Friday packaging is eco-friendly is a good way to prepare. Providing clear recycling instructions can also reduce waste and lower your environmental impact.
8. Train your team for packaging success
Your packing team plays a crucial role in ensuring orders are packed efficiently and accurately.
Providing refresher training to permanent colleagues and packing guidelines to temporary staff can lead to packaging success. Using the right materials and processes will reduce waste, lower pack times and help you get more shipments out the door.
9. Test your Black Friday packaging
Before the big day, test your packaging solutions to ensure they perform well under pressure.
Pack and ship a few trial orders to check that your postal boxes, mailing bags and void fill are up to the task. This can help you identify any potential issues before they impact your customers.
Another great way to do this is to perform some “mystery shopping” orders to see how your packaging fares during courier networks.
10. Plan for the unexpected
Even with the best preparation, unexpected challenges can arise.
Putting a contingency plan in place to deal with potential issues, such as running out of packaging materials, can help mitigate risks. For example, if you use custom packaging, it might work to assess if a packaging supplier’s stock range has similar sizes so you can order them in an emergency.
Support getting your packaging Black Friday ready
Black Friday is an exciting but demanding time. Getting your packaging Black Friday ready can help you enjoy a successful peak period.
At Macfarlane Packaging, our team of experts are here to help you prepare your packaging for peak. From our Innovation Labs which can provide e-pass testing and packaging design through to our account managers, who can work with you on stock forecasts and offer packaging reviews, Macfarlane Packaging has got you covered. Get in touch today.