The importance of gift-like eCommerce packaging during this unique Holiday Season

Adding to the long list of things that COVID-19 has changed completely, holiday gift shopping and exchanges will face a significant overhaul in 2020. Unsurprisingly, a recent PwC study found that COVID-19 tops the list of more than half of consumers’ concerns about holiday shopping. However, in that same study, 55% of respondents said they plan to spend the same or more than they did last year, meaning there’s still an opportunity for brands to have a successful holiday season. But what holiday gift-giving looks like in the era of social distancing is a concern that brands and consumers alike are now battling.

According to Deloitte’s Annual Holiday Forecast, eCommerce sales are expected to increase by 25%-35%. Concurrently, CommerceNext and Bizrate found that nearly half of consumers expect to visit fewer loved ones this year. The combination of increased online shopping activity and many people opting for virtual holiday gatherings – or none at all – amounts to the likelihood that an unusually large number of shoppers ordering gifts will opt to have them shipped directly to their loved ones. In fact, nearly half of respondents (48%) in a global survey from Cheetah Digital said they would be shipping gifts directly to the recipient; that number jumps to 65% if you only look at North America. While convenient, this method loses the emotional impact that comes with a personally wrapped gift, leaving loved ones to “unwrap” plain brown boxes filled with boring, burdensome plastic, and other lackluster filler. The solution is simple: package eCommerce gifts with holiday-themed tissue paper.

The Joy of Unboxing

When it comes to amplifying the emotional potential of the gift-giving experience, branded tissue paper has been proven to foster a premier unboxing experience. In Package InSight’s study, 77% of participants felt joy or surprise at the sight of branded tissue paper in their packages. In fact, the biometric data collected showed it only took five seconds on average for participants to experience positive emotions upon unboxing their tissue-clad items. More than three-quarters of respondents also said they’d be more likely to recommend a brand that complements package contents with decorative tissue paper. Many also said it would make them more likely to send the item as a gift to friends and family.

Brands who acknowledge the importance of gifted items being packaged like gifts can make a strong impression on shoppers looking to make sure the lack of in-person gatherings doesn’t result in a lackluster holiday season.

Creating A Festive Holiday Experience

While including materials like branded tissue paper in internal packaging designs is proven to create a more enjoyable unboxing experience, choosing or customizing the perfect color or print can further enhance that moment. In the case of holidays, tissue paper is to gifts sent via e-commerce as wrapping paper is to gifts presented in-person. Recognizing this parallel, Seaman Paper provides an assortment of quality tissue paper prints to help brands create truly unique packaging designs. From Buffalo Plaid to Spiraling Snowflakes, Light Parade, and more, our SatinWrap line of premium-quality wrapping tissue can create a more luxurious unboxing experience for your customers and their loved ones at a time when they might need it more than ever.

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But the holiday theme is not limited to our wrapping tissue. Brands can also use our FanFold tissue to mix and match prints and colors, creating endless package design possibilities. This year, four special holiday prints are available to help enable a more festive unboxing experience. We’ve partnered with Pregis to bring our custom FanFold tissue in an automated solution via their Easypack Quantum™ on-demand, void-fill system. Brands can utilize this versatile solution to add the personal touch of a unique unboxing experience without sacrificing efficiency in high-volume operations. So, while consumers are presented with a package that emanates the holiday spirit, fulfillment operations teams can enjoy the simplicity of dispensing Pregis’ Inspyre Paper directly into boxes via the automated Quantum on-demand system.

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With this year’s dramatic eCommerce holiday shopping projections top of mind, brands need to find ways to impress customers by standing out among the ever-increasing competition. Offering premium packaging can influence more sales among those looking to mimic the gifting experience. During a time when emotions are heightened – be it the holiday season or just 2020 on the whole – gift-givers and recipients positively impacted by an unboxing experience will likely be inclined to become repeat, and even lifelong customers, helping brands achieve sustained growth through seasons beyond.

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To learn more about how Seaman Paper can help make the most out of this and future holiday seasons, contact us.