Secondary packaging is important to shippers for a couple of reasons. First, because it contains some of the aspects of product branding that consumers have come to know and expect "the graphics or attractive font that draw us in and may even sway a consumer to purchase the product." In addition, secondary packaging may also serve as a form of "luxury" packaging. For instance, when a consumer buys an item like a top-shelf bottle of liquor, they expect the bottle (the primary packaging) to be in an attractive box (the secondary packaging).
Secondary packaging may also perform the important function of product protection. Things like shrink bands, overwrap, lidding films, and induction seals are there to provide much-needed protection for products such as pharmaceuticals and supplements; and resealable stand-up pouches with tearaway lids can help to protect all kinds of products including juice drinks for kids, candy, or granola. In addition, stand-up pouches (like the aforementioned boxes for liquor bottles) also offer a chance for companies to entice customers with vivid graphics and logos.
In essence, secondary packaging is the last moment your product has to entice customers before they make their buying decision. And when the stakes are that high, it's good to know you can turn to a 3PL retail logistics provider like Port Jersey Logistics when you need access to reliable, efficient secondary packaging services.
Common Value-Added Services
The core services offered by retail 3PL solutions providers are transportation, shipping, and warehousing. But in the highly competitive shipping world, (going the extra mile) can prove essential when it comes to attracting a new customer or sustaining a longtime customer base. Value-added services comprise that extra mile. They are big or small additional services that meet specific customer needs or demands.
Value-added services for secondary packaging vary widely and have one very important thing in common - they are filling a need for the customer. Some common types of services that providers can begin with, and then expand on as needed, include the following:
- Kitting: Packaging related items together into a "kit" that is then sold as a single new product, with its own SKU. For instance, you might pair two of the same item and band them together for a "two-for-one" sale, or combine products commonly purchased together into a single package. Kitting is an essential value-added service because it saves workers time picking orders, one of the most time-consuming procedures in the warehouse.
- Special Add-On Labeling: Save time and money for customers by attaching specialized labeling for different retailers or government regulatory agencies. For instance, if the customer wants a specific branding to be in stores (versus the type sent directly to consumers), or there is a need for multiple international shipping labels (the products must have the correct label based on the destination country), then special add-on labeling is the answer.
- Retail preparation: The preparation process can be extremely detailed because retailers have precise requirements that often need both kitting and relabeling. Certain products are put together in a certain way in each box. If your products need to go to retailers, then you want to work with a retail 3PL services provider that has a great retail track record ” like Port Jersey Logistics.
There are, of course, many more value-added services that a retail 3PL solutions provider can offer, including blister packs, international trade compliance, call center management, firmware testing and refreshing, postponement packaging, automating rules for returns, and more. For more detailed information about value-added services, please see the services section of our website.
The Benefits of Secondary Packaging Through a Single Retail 3PL Solution Provider
Integrating all secondary packaging processes, as well as your transportation processes, into a single retail 3PL solution provider not only streamlines your operations, but also offers some additional compelling benefits, including simplifying payments, ease of communication, and visibility into all your processes.
When one retail 3PL solution provider handles all your secondary packaging needs, there is only one payment to make each month, one organization to consult and share information with regarding your processes, and one view into all the data associated with your processes.
Port Jersey's Value-Added Services Offer the Edge You Need
The importance of secondary packaging to shippers cannot be overstated because the product branding that consumers experience, as well as the comforts of both luxury packaging and protective functionality, are vital features for maintaining and increasing sales to consumers. That's where a retail 3PL provider can come in handy. To obtain the edge you need in today's highly competitive marketplace, the value-added secondary packaging services offered by Port Jersey Logistics "like kitting, special add-on labeling, and retail preparation" make more sense than ever before.
Visit our website to learn more about Port Jersey's value-added services.
