What is E-commerce Packaging?

E-commerce has gained significant market share in the retail sector in recent years. For consumers, unboxing items purchased online has become a vital part of the shopping experience. E-commerce packaging provides an opportunity for e-commerce brands to showcase their individuality while also protecting product as it moves from the warehouse into buyer’s hands.

Cardboard vs Corrugated: What's the Difference?

Though often used interchangeably, the words "cardboard" and "corrugated" have distinct differences.

Cardboard is a generic term that describes any type of board made from heavy paper pulp. It can refer to a broad range of materials used for boxes, including the thin chipboard used to make cereal boxes or a box for shipping online orders.

The term corrugated, on the other hand, refers to the way something is constructed. A corrugated sheet is composed of three layers: two outer flat lines and a rippled middle sheet. In corrugated cardboard, these layers are firmly attached to one another with a thick, starchy glue. Corrugated shipping boxes are far stronger and more durable than cardboard alone. 

E-Commerce Corrugated Packaging

When designing your ideal e-commerce packaging, you’ll find a number of customizable features. 

• Flute size is categorized from A to F, with A being the largest size. An "A" flute is around 5 millimeters thick. F results in the thinnest profile.

• Board type is the next choice in packaging. There are four basic types: single-wall, double-wall, triple-wall, and single-face. A single-face board is one sheet of liner adhered to a single sheet of corrugated medium, leaving the flutes exposed on one side. The other types have greater numbers of layers to provide additional rigidity and protection.

• Board grade determines how much stacking strength the product has. E-commerce packages often get stacked haphazardly in trucks, so it's essential to have a sufficiently high enough board grade to avoid damage.
  
  

Benefits of Corrugated Packaging for E-Commerce

Corrugated cardboard offers an ideal solution for e-commerce packaging for many reasons. Some of the benefits of corrugated packaging for e-commerce include:

• Customizability. Corrugated packaging can be highly customized to fit the look and feel that you want your customers to associate with your brand. When people have an unboxing experience that incorporates attractive packaging, they are more likely to see your brand favorably.

• Recyclability. Corrugated cardboard is 100% recyclable and accepted by all public and private recycling programs. The recyclability of corrugated packaging makes your products eco-friendlier, which is a concern for more and more shoppers.

• Cost-effectiveness. Corrugated cardboard is affordable and easily sourced, making it an effective material for e-commerce packaging.

• Strength. The additional strength and durability of corrugated packaging makes it ideal for protecting online orders through rough handling and impacts that may occur during parcel shipping.
  
  

Corrugated Packaging at Stamar Packaging

At Stamar Packaging, we can create e-commerce shipping boxes that protect your products and communicate your brand’s look and feel, all at an attractive price. Please contact us today to discuss the best options for your e-commerce shipping needs.