We’re all curious about what kind of packaging is going to be used when it comes to deliver certain items across the United States, specially when its something like Medical Equipment being Shipped or something more delicate.
As a company that provides Packing and Shipping, we’re going to reveal the differences between each type of packaging, when each one is used, why they matter, and how to find a professional packaging company to help ensure your product packaging is designed right every step of the way. The three types of Packing are:
- Primary
- Secondary
- Tertiary
Primary Packaging:
Primary packaging is that which comes into direct touch with the product:
A cereal box would not be considered packaging, but the bag within would be because it contains the items. If all cereals were kept in the box (without the bag), they would be considerably more prone to growing stale or being impacted by moisture or light, which might damage their flavor, texture, and consistency.
Purpose of Primary Packaging:
The primary function of primary packaging is to protect and maintain the goods contained therein. Bags in this are clumsy and prone to slipping out of your hands. Furthermore, they do not fit neatly in a cupboard. Because it is more challenging to print product information on them, we put the bag inside the box — to keep the goods fresh and away from light, moisture, and other things that might influence them.
Primary packaging is sometimes referred to as retail packaging, while the phrase is also used to denote secondary packaging. In our cereal example, the packaging includes the bag in which the cereal comes and the main box. If you have ever walked down the cereal aisle at the grocery store, you will know that the brilliantly colored boxes with richly textured representations of cereal are made to catch your eye and attention.
Consider primary packaging to be the response to a simple question: is this the container in which the product is generally purchased? If this is the case, that would be its primary packaging. Another example is carbonated drinks, which are stored in cans – the can is considered primary packaging since it is how the product is supplied to the consumer.
Secondary Packaging:
Secondary packaging is used for packing a specific number of items into a unified, easily identifiable unit. The SKU, or Stock Keeping Unit, allows vendors to track stock and inventory movement. Secondary packaging lets items be grouped and monitored more readily. Smaller shipments of merchandise are frequently supplied in supplementary packaging.
The package can be made up of multiple different components, such as:
- The container itself
- Padding on the inside
- Separators of products
- Box reinforcement to avoid crushing or denting and so forth.
When most people think of packaging, secondary packaging comes to mind. The secondary packaging level includes everything from the branded e-commerce packaging you receive in the mail to the customized boxes that line the shelves at your local retail shop.
Individual secondary packaging elements can be further tailored to make the goods more visible and easy to find in a warehouse or retail store. In our cereal example, secondary packaging would be the box containing numerous custom cereal boxes for storage in a warehouse before being placed on retail shelves.
Another example is a fridge pack for fizzy drinks, which keeps many cans together, providing an additional layer of protection.
Overlapping of primary and secondary packaging:
Primary and secondary packing can sometimes overlap. Retail establishments, for example, frequently receive shipments of a newly released movie in a box that serves as a display stand. The box acts as supplementary packing to protect the item. It also functions as retail packaging to attract the customer, even if the DVD case is how the movie is given to the buyer.
Customers frequently see and interact with the second packaging, notably if it follows the two-in-one shipping and marketing option, as with the above-stated DVDs or fizzy beverages. If you want to use your product packaging in the same way, think about how your product package design might create a lasting impact on your clients.
Tertiary Packaging:
Tertiary packing is sometimes known as bulk or transportation packaging. It is used to convey large quantities of items to their destination safely and securely. Consider numerous crates full of cereal boxes arriving at distribution locations on pallets.
As separate, self-contained components, this type of packaging makes it simple to handle, store, and distribute items. Tertiary packaging is frequently made of numerous cardboard boxes crowded together with stretch wrap to keep the package from being jostled and knocked about in transportation.
Consumers seldom encounter tertiary packaging since it is frequently employed to offer an additional protection layer to secondary packing and to combine large shipments for storage and simple retrieval of SKUs.
Why Do Packaging Levels Matter?
Whether shipping things in bulk, grouping related products for retail display, or packaging items separately for client consumption or usage, unique packaging is essential at every stage.
Customers may not observe secondary packaging, but that does not mean you should ignore it. A strategy is involved at every level of your packaging. Keeping your product (particularly if you have a large number of them) secure during shipment and fulfillment is just as crucial as attracting a buyer to a retail shelf.
Of course, you want to save money while safeguarding your goods, which is sensible. The good news is that partnering with an experienced packing business may frequently mean the difference between your items arriving safely and presenting themselves as the best choice for the client versus coming broken, dented, crushed, ripped, or worse.
Pack with Custom Crating and Logistics:
Custom Crating and Logistics, fortunately, is here to assist. We can help you keep on budget while exploring great choices that will emphasize and position your product as the absolute best option among your rivals due to our broad knowledge and skill in product packaging and printing.
Custom Crating and Logistics can provide consulting and fulfillment services at every stage of the process, from secure tertiary packaging to secondary packaging, to primary packaging that puts the spotlight squarely on your product, putting it head and shoulders above the competition.
Eco-friendly, rustic and primitive, stylish and modern, sophisticated and luxurious. Whatever impression you want to make, Custom Crating and Logistics can make it a reality.
