Our unboxing survey uncovers what your customers think of their packaging
In July and August this year, Macfarlane surveyed 600 online shoppers in our annual unboxing survey to get a better understand of online shopping habits. In particular, we wanted to know how the overall shopping experience was affected by the packaging. Here’s what we uncovered…
The conversion to online shopping
88% of those surveyed advised that they spend more time shopping online since the pandemic. This clearly correlates to the closure of many retail outlets during lockdown, and it seems these changes are permanent: 64% said this will not change in the future and a third are likely to increase the amount of online shopping they do.
This supports the IMRG findings in January this year that ecommerce saw its strongest growth for more than a decade in 2020. It looks like more and more of us are succumbing to the convenience of armchair shopping.
Creating a WOW factor
Amazingly, half of all participants said that their unboxing experience was underwhelming. Indeed, a third said it did not encourage them to purchase again from the retailer.
What a missed opportunity by retailers to consider the packaging as a connection between their brand and their customer experience. In the absence of an instore purchase, the arrival of a retailer’s goods should spark joy and excitement in customers as they receive and unpack their newly purchased goods. This connection is a great opportunity to promote brand loyalty and inspire repeat sales.
Appetite for sustainability
The need for sustainable packaging struck a chord with an overwhelming majority of our survey participants. Almost all of them said they would follow recycling instructions where possible, indicating a strong willingness to recycle packaging materials.
19% said that they would not continue to purchase from a retailer if they did not use sustainable packaging.
As well as increasing the recycled content and recyclability of materials, there is a need to clearly label packaging with recycling instructions. This is particularly important for materials that don’t fit into an ‘obvious’ recycling waste stream (like plastic mailing bags). 14% of our respondents were unsure about the recyclability of their packaging, as there were no clear disposal instructions.
To read more details of our unboxing survey results, click here, or contact us for more information.
