3 Packaging Cost-Cutting Measures That Can Actually Increase Costs
Everyone’s had them: Those “great” spur-of-the-moment ideas that don’t pan out to be so great after all.
When it comes to cost savings at your organization, it’s easy to slash first and ask questions later. But it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of change before deciding.
Packaging is one area that can seem pretty straightforward. A box is a box, right?
Not so fast. While these changes might seem like they’re more cost-effective, they could actually end up costing you more in the long run.
1) The Hidden Costs of Ordering Stock Packaging Online
A big packaging website or catalog might make ordering your items seem easy. After all, everything’s all in one place.
Not exactly. For one, everything is stock, so you’re at the mercy of whatever the site offers. That might mean ordering a size too large for your needs and making up for it with excess void fill or other stopgaps. And ultimately, the packaging may not protect your product as it should, causing damage and upset customers.
It may also be more challenging to get your packaging products branded correctly. Finally, it’s almost certain that the customer service team won’t be local, and you’ll be one of many accounts.
Bonus: Watch out for “freebies” and deals used to entice new customers. You might save a little on your initial purchase, but you’ll likely make up for it in freight costs and other add-ons.
2) The Pitfalls of DIY Packaging Management
One of the first things many companies say when trying to cut costs is, “We’ll just do it ourselves.” The problem is unless you have a dedicated packaging team – including a packaging engineer, procurement manager, and graphic designer – this often just causes more headaches.
Working with a packaging professional can help in a variety of ways:
- Assistance with branding and design
- Help determine the size, substrate, and more for your product’s packaging
- Customer service to help handle shipping and ordering
If you aren’t equipped to do that in-house, working with a packaging professional can be a better option.
3) Staying with the Same Old Packaging
Many people mistakenly assume anything labeled “sustainable” also means “expensive,” so they stick with what they’ve been using.
However, a little exploration can yield bigger savings and better performance. One example is plastic sheets vs. chipboard sheets. Chipboard is a sustainable option that requires less storage space than plastic and is typically far less expensive.
“Plastic pallet sheets are reusable but often one-and-done! Chipboard pallet sheets cost about 75 percent less than plastic,” said Chad Kravick, vice president at Badger Paperboard.
If you’re working with an external packaging professional, they can also help guide you to the substrate that makes the most sense and fits your budget.
Smart, Custom Solutions with Badger Paperboard
With four locations nationwide, Badger Paperboard is dedicated to providing you with fast quotes (and industry-best lead times), coast to coast.
With decades of experience in the industry, Badger Paperboard delivers smart, creative solutions that work for your business. We also keep a wide variety of materials on hand and die-cut everything in-house so that we can custom-cut the right sheets, pads, or guards for any application.
