Best Practices for Jewelry Ecommerce Packaging
The new updates to the German Packaging Act (VerpackG) have spurred a flurry of conversations among online jewelry sellers. Multiple European packagingregistries have been in place for quite a while, complementing the 1994European Packaging Act.
However, sustainability was never as popular as it is nowadays. While Millennials were the first ones to shake the consumerism story, it was truly Generation Z that brought sustainability to the forefront of most industries. And it has proven contagious!
Packaging is one important point that can help make your brand look eco-friendly and green. Sustainable packaging, such as cardboard boxes, paper wraps, and padded envelopes, is easier to implement for the fashion jewelry industry, however. Fine jewelry is still associated with a more luxurious look, such as leatherette boxes, velvet interiors, sponge foam pads, holding inserts, magnetic clasps, and the like.
While all the above are highly dependent on one’s target market, niche, and product categories, a few universal jewelry packaging rules, and best practices exist across the larger, overall industry. Let’s explore them in more detail.
1. The Unboxing Effect
Unboxing a newly arrived package is an exciting experience that many customers still look forward to. It is dopamine-inducing, thrilling, and rewarding. But it can only take place when a jewelry store layers its packaging.
That means all jewelry products come wrapped in multiple layers. For example, you could have a zip-top pouch inside a box, all covered with a paper wrap and secured with a bow. Or you could have a segmented larger box topped up with some shredded paper, all tucked away in a cardboard sleeve that easily slides off.
2. Practicability
Now, let’s not get caught up in all the fun and forget the most important point of packaging – to secure and protect the item it carries. Therefore, you want to make sure that it properly fits your jewelry products, it is well-sealed, and waterproof, and the items don’t bounce around or get damaged inside it.
In terms of the package size, you might also want to consider where you are shipping it to. For example, do your customers live in houses with indoor (quite literally built-in-the-door) mailboxes, or do they use small apartment mailboxes? Ideally, you’d want to avoid them having to make another trip to the post office to pick up their newly purchased jewelry items. Also, for fine jewelry, it is always a good idea to ensure your products prior to shipping them. While it costs a bit more, insurance can be a godsend for pieces that are almost always emotional buys.
3. Convenience
If you’re in the (great) habit of upselling or offering bundle promotions, you want to make sure your packaging can fit more than one item in it. This can save you some money on shipping costs by sending only one package instead of more. You may fit multiple boxes in one envelope or, for an even classier look, have a larger box with multiple sections inside it.
The latter would be even more appropriate for securing any other branding and promotional materials, such as “thank you” notes, feedback/review requests, coupons, and business cards. These make up an important best practice not only for your brand image as a jewelry seller but also for repeat business and marketing.
4. Branding
While we briefly touched on this above, branding goes even further. A logo and/or company name imprinted on the packaging would make your jewelry store look more professional and become more memorable at the same time.
If you’re in the fashion jewelry market, you can still implement something along those lines. It doesn’t have to be too elaborate; a simple stamp or sticker would do the trick.
5. Marketplaces
If you follow our jewelry eCommerce tips, you know how often we talk about a multi-channel marketing and sales approach. Besides having your own online jewelry store, you should also be part of multiple marketplaces. However, each one will have its own set of rules and target demographics that you want to be aware of. Amazon, for example, gives quite specific instructions around packaging jewelry sold through their FBA service option.
As you can see, a number of factors come into play when selecting the right packaging for your jewelry products. Nevertheless, the above tips and insight are frequently used in the jewelry eCommerce industry, ensuring continued sales and opportunities for many online sellers. If you haven’t yet, review them thoroughly and see how you can (re)work them into your shipping and fulfillment strategies.
