Every package sent to a customer’s home is a communication from the retailer. Sometimes the message is bold and aggressive. Sometimes it’s quiet and passive. But no matter the style, that message will affect all future transactions with that customer – if there are any.

Online consumers are savvy. They know when they are getting short shrifted and they know when they are being valued. It’s all there right inside the box.

E-commerce packaging research conducted by Sealed Air revealed:

Coming in last isn’t always a bad thing. It’s often the last things we do that are the first things we remember.  We can probably recall the last thing we ate, said, or wore. I bet you still have thoughts about the last movie you watched, song you heard, and book you read.

And so it goes with the online shopping experience. The last interaction a customer has with a retailer, the last touchpoint that locks in loyalty, is the one thing that will be remembered the most after the parcel is opened.

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.

No matter how you look at it, it’s a scary time for brick-and-mortar retail right now. Companies are closing, malls are emptying, and shoppers are leaving. It’s a trend driven by reliance on and preference for e-commerce. People are in love with the convenience of online consumerism.