The Role of Packaging in an Online Marketplace - US - February 2019
Overview
 
What you need to know
The role of packaging in the online shopping channel is becoming a core focus for brands and retailers as consumers shift more of their spending online. Packaging concerns tend to fall into one of three areas – packaging integrity, environmental impact, and appearance. Roughly one third of online shoppers think a lot about how items they buy online will be packaged for delivery, and packaging concerns prevent people from buying products like groceries and electronics online. Ecommerce players must take steps to ensure products are well protected so they arrive in perfect condition, reduce packaging waste and increase packing efficiency, and adapt packaging to branding preferences and expectations.

Definition
This Report examines consumer attitudes toward external and internal ecommerce packaging, the impact of packaging on online purchasing decisions, areas of concern, and areas for improvement. Packaging trends and innovations are also discussed. Product packaging is included to a lesser degree, though is not the focus of this Report.

For the purposes of this Report, Mintel uses the following terms:

●	External packaging/shipper/container – refers to the packaging a product is placed inside of to keep it safe in transit from the online retailer to the purchaser.
●	Internal packaging – refers to the cushioning within an external package to protect items during transit as well as design/branding elements inside of the external package.
●	Product/primary pack – refers to how individual items are packaged by the manufacturer (eg a tube of toothpaste inside of a branded box at the store shelf, electronics in branded boxes, etc).

This Report builds on analysis presented in Mintel’s library of ecommerce Reports, including How Social Media and Product Reviews Impact Online Shopping – US, November 2018, Delivery and Returns: Understanding Consumer Needs – US, August 2018, and Buying Online: Understanding Why Consumers Sometimes Don’t – US, July 2018.

For more information on product packaging, see Mintel’s Food Packaging Trends – US, June 2018 and Beverage Packaging Trends – US, June 2018.