"If it doesn't fit, we’ll make it fit ..."

According to a nationwide German study conducted by the STI Group in February 2016, consumers see shipping containers and the outer packaging of a purchased product as a unit. The company, which produces customised packaging solutions, asked a total of 1,000 respondents aged 16 to 70. The survey showed that, after ordering a product online, 99% of respondents believe that even the early stage of removing the shipping container is highly important. The packaging industry has responded to this need. As well as ensuring secure transportation, outer packaging is now made from high-quality materials or has some exquisite print added to it. Unboxing – the first touchpoint between the consumer and the branded product – is made even more enjoyable by enclosing additional items, adding an inner coat or applying other creative ideas.

Bicycle boxes
Whether it’s golfing equipment, tennis rackets or sails, people love taking their sports equipment on holiday. And of course they also like ordering such items online. Bicycles, too, are shipped on a global scale. Take, for instance, Brompton – bicycle manufacturers who send their products to as many as 45 export markets. To ship those popular folding bikes, the international packaging company DS Smith has developed a form of corrugated packaging that reflects the quality of the product itself.

All the components are shipped in a 100% recyclable box which contains an extended glue flange and precise flap arrangements, ensuring protection and stability during shipment. When the new owner opens the package, they will find all the different parts in an order that is immediately plausible. In 2014, therefore, this innovative bike packaging received the much-coveted Golden Starpack Award.

But this wasn’t the only honour that was bestowed on DS Smith for their bike packaging solutions. They had also created a practical and indeed highly appealing solution for a German company, Riese & Müller, a company that makes a range of e-bikes, city bikes, etc. This was another success story, as their smart opening and closure system received the German Packaging Award in 2015.

The packaging does completely without clamps and staples. Instead, it is based on self-adhesive tape attached to the top and bottom of the bike box. The customer can remove the content from the corrugated board quickly and easily, without scissors or cutters, so that the bike is also safe from possible scratches. The ease of removing the package is reflected in the simple packaging procedure on the manufacturers’ premises. It is easy enough to move the rear wheel into the box and then seal the package with self-adhesive tape, saving both time and energy. Potential transport damage is prevented by a special interior coat, made from Paratherm, while the bike itself is held firmly in place by some integrated padding, without the need for sheets of plastic.

A container for engine bonnets
Another product that made it to the final round of last year’s German Packaging Award was an innovative form of packaging for engine bonnets. Instead of using a conventional wooden crate, the manufacturers created a so-called Completely Knocked-Down Package, which can be opened by a single person, without the use of tools. Preassembled and compressed to a minimum volume, the box is based on a modular system. The jury particularly highlighted the optional use of various interchangeable component holders that ensure universal shipment of this special packaging by air and by sea.