On-Demand Products, Packaging, and Inserts

The rise of the eCommerce company has been highly documented, with global eCommerce sales projected to hit $4.9 trillion in 2021. Not bad for an industry that’s really only about 30 years old! As with most young industries, however, this 90s baby is constantly evolving. In the beginning, people didn’t expect much fanfare—a brown box, delivered within a couple of weeks, was perfectly acceptable.

Oh, how times have changed! To stay on top in this competitive environment, today’s eCommerce retailers are ordering on-demand packages, products, and inserts all designed to surprise and delight their customers (not to mention, improving their speed of delivery). Here’s a look at these on-demand items.

On-Demand Products

Some eCommerce startups need to get a product to market quickly and don’t have the time, knowledge, or means to manufacture it on their own. Their solution? White labeling. White label products are generic products designed to be used by multiple retailers; they include items such as health and beauty products, food supplements, clothing, and more. They’re created by a third-party manufacturer and often sourced through a fulfillment center. Each retailer can brand the product as their own, even though it’s the exact same product that other retailers are selling.

One of our favorite examples of white labeling is the Dollar Shave Club. The founders were not trying to create a unique razor, they just had a unique (at the time) delivery system in mind. To get started quickly, they white-labeled some generic razors with their name, and then created their subscription-based razor business. The concept was a hit, and the company reached sales of nearly $200 million before selling to Unilever for $1 billion! All that with nothing but a generic razor and a big idea!

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On-Demand Packaging

The battered brown box of yesteryear just isn’t going to cut it anymore—at least, not if you want to build a brand, gain repeat customers, and generate buzz.

By using a fulfillment center that understands fulfillment marketing, eCommerce companies can create on-demand, custom packaging. This means using the right-sized box at the right time, and the right packing materials to ensure safe delivery, whether it’s styrofoam peanuts, bubble wrap, air cushions—even feather boas (watch our video here to see what we’re talking about!). Of course, this also means putting your brand on it. Studies show that simply by branding your box, 40% of online shoppers are more likely to share your product image or video on social media!

Still not convinced of the importance of customized packaging? Perhaps you haven’t heard of unboxing videos. This is a phenomenon that’s really taken off, and it involves—you guessed it—people making videos of themselves opening a box and posting their excitement on social media. A study by Google reveals that 1 in 5 consumers have watched an unboxing video; in 2017, the term alone had 60 million searches and 3 billion views on YouTube!

On-Demand Inserts

Your packaging is important, but sometimes it’s what’s on the inside that counts! Yes, we’re talking about your product, but also any complementary inserts. This means including inserts such as coupons, flyers, and cards. But, to make these inserts special, they should be customized.

To do this, many eCommerce retailers or their fulfillment centers keep a database of customer information, such as where they live, their average spend, the date of their first purchase (or “anniversary”), and their birthday. Now, when printing on-demand inserts, you can include anniversary or birthday messages, and coupons for products that match the season based on the state or country they live in.