Not Sure How to Implement Retail Ready Packaging? Here’s Your Step-by-Step Guide
If you’re going to start selling your products in the retail space, retail ready packaging will play a key role in your success. This type of packaging abides by certain rules, usually set forth by individual retailers. However, there are some general guidelines you can follow to ensure your packaging meets their needs.
How important is this type of packaging? Not having it could stop your retail journey before it even starts. Many retailers will not allow brands to sell products within their stores if they don’t have retail ready packaging solutions. So, what is retail ready packaging and how can you implement it in your business? Let’s dive into the specifics.
What is Retail Ready Packaging?
When you think of common packaging solutions, you might imagine a primary box, which is put inside another box for shipping. Retail ready packaging (RRP), also known as shelf-ready packaging (SRP), refers to packaging a product in a way that makes it easy for retailers to stock and display the items on store shelves. Many times, this includes eliminating the outer shipping box.
For example, you may have a shelf-ready tray filled with your product that sits directly on the retail shelf. Instead of placing the tray inside a larger shipping box, it could be shielded with a corrugated cover during transit that is then easily removed once the product is placed on the retail shelf. Retail ready packaging can also extend to reusable plastic trays and merchandising units — like corrugated point-of-purchase (POP) displays.
Retail Ready Packaging Guidelines
There are typically four different requirements you’ll have to meet to have packaging that’s considered “retail ready.” If you meet these guidelines, most retailers should accept your products into their stores.
Easy to Identify
Retailers want to minimize labor time wherever possible, and that extends into product packaging. When your product is in the back waiting to be shelved, it must be easily identifiable. This helps employees streamline the process of moving the product to the sales floor.
Easy to Open and Replenish
It’s also important that store employees can easily open and restock your products on the floor. If your packaging doesn’t meet these guidelines, the retailer may reject your product because restocking would be time-consuming and inefficient for payroll.
Easy to Shop
One of the most important aspects of retail ready packaging is that it must be easy to shop. Your packaging should include product details, pricing, and any additional marketing information to encourage a conversion.
Easy to Remove or Recycle
Once your product has sold, the packaging must be easy to remove so the next unit can be quickly installed. It’s also important that your packaging communicates to the retailer whether the packaging should be thrown out, recycled, or returned to the supplier.
Benefits of Retail Packaging
Retail ready packaging guidelines are put into place to reduce the retailer’s labor costs and increase its ROI. But, this type of packaging can also benefit your business.
Save Time and Money
“Traditional” packaging usually involves a primary box and a secondary packaging solution. With retail ready packaging, both of these boxes are combined into one. So, you’ll just have to create one box, which saves you time and money in the long run.
Improve Product Appearance
A professional display can help your product stand out and draw the attention of your target audience. Retail ready packaging makes it easier for retail workers to quickly stock your product in a professional-looking way.
Diminish Waste
With this type of packaging, you’ll eliminate the need for secondary packaging, effectively reducing overall waste. With more consumers looking for brands to increase their sustainability practices, using this kind of packaging can help you showcase your eco-friendliness.
Work with Jamestown Container for Your Retail Ready Packaging
If you’re ready to get started on your packaging solutions, reach out to the experts at Jamestown Container. For over 65 years, we’ve been helping businesses like yours reach their goals through effective packaging solutions. We’re ready to help you, too.
We offer everything your business needs — including corrugated packaging, foam packaging, vendor-managed inventory, and more. All of these packaging solutions are backed by our extensive experience and industry certifications, holding us to the highest standards in packaging manufacturing. We maintain ISO and FSSC accreditations to ensure we’re providing the best packaging possible.
Additionally, we adhere to rigid sustainability practices to minimize the environmental impact of our packaging solutions. We use recycled linerboard from the Greenpac Mill, which has one of the lowest amounts of paper mill landfill waste in the country. We’re also part of the Box to Nature Program, a transformative initiative led by The Paper and Packaging Board. This initiative aims to help consumers understand the recycling process and encourage them to more actively participate in the operation.
Let’s Get Started
Ready to learn more about what we can do for you? Reach out to us today.
