Customers sure are hard to please. Not only do they want things delivered faster and cheaper, they also want a greater variety: More products, more variations on existing products, more accessories and add-ons. More, more, more.

A recent survey by Logistics Management found that order velocity remains high — and a wide assortment of SKUs are needed to satisfy demand. The average number of SKUs increased by 855 in 2018. 

As e-commerce dominates the retail landscape, secondary packaging is more important than ever. All the fleece pullovers, Fitbits, and K-cups you order online have to make their way to your home somehow.  That journey can be smooth and easy or fraught with damage. You won’t know which path your parcel took until it shows up at your doorstep. Pass or fail?

Believe it or not, being in the packaging business is a lot like being an economist. We analyze consumer trends, we dissect the microeconomics of growth markets, and we track even the tiniest shifts in labor statistics or fuel availability in countries around the world.

Why?

Because we need to be ready for whatever comes next. Ready to be the conduit, the conductor, the conveyor of whatever commerce the world requires.

We need to be able to see into the future and be there when it arrives.

There’s no such thing as free shipping.

Yes, true, you could go to almost any of your favorite retailer’s websites right now and get what you want sent directly to your front door without paying a penny more than you would in the store.

 But it comes at a cost - and not just a financial one.