The Retail Packaging Revolution: Meeting the Demands of Omnichannel Consumers

Today's consumers interact with brands across a wide range of channels, from physical stores and social media to mobile apps and e-commerce sites, and they expect a seamless shopping experience at every touchpoint.  

This omnichannel shift has created new pressures for retailers, as 84 percent of consumers now demand consistency across all physical, digital and social platforms. Companies that successfully deliver this unified experience see a 90 percent higher customer retention rate. 

This emerging reality has brands shifting toward treating packaging as a critical strategic asset, not just a container. 

Packaging: From Cost Center to Strategic Asset 

In today's omnichannel landscape, companies must increasingly leverage packaging as a strategic tool to acquire customers, build loyalty, and grow brand equity because: 

• Packaging design is a primary driver of customer acquisition, directly influencing the purchasing decisions of 72 percent of American consumers. As the most direct physical touchpoint, it shapes brand perception before the product is even used.  
• A uniform brand experience, achieved through the consistent use of signature colors, logos and graphics on all packaging formats, is a key driver of customer loyalty. This deliberate consistency directly impacts retention, as 52 percent of consumers report they're likely to purchase again if the packaging feels premium or branded.  
• Beyond retention, strategic packaging transforms customers into vocal advocates. A remarkable 50 percent of consumers will recommend a product to friends if it arrives in branded packaging, creating organic, word-of-mouth marketing that extends the brand's reach far beyond the initial sale.  

Viewing packaging through this lens allows executives to leverage a key asset for measurable business growth.

Intelligent Packaging: From Protection to Engagement   

In omnichannel retail, packaging now serves as the customer's first physical interaction with a brand. This moment is especially critical in e-commerce, where unboxing replaces the traditional in-store experience.

• Durable, attractive packaging is essential for protecting the product while reinforcing brand identity through color, typography, and design consistency.  
• Packaging becomes a canvas for storytelling. This is particularly true online, where it serves as the customer's first tactile brand encounter. In fact, approximately 95 percent of consumers say packaging shapes their shopping experience.
• Enhancing the unboxing moment with inserts, thank-you cards, or layered reveals can help encourage emotional connection and post-purchase sharing.
• Smart packaging can integrate technology (e.g., QR codes linked to tutorials, branded content, mobile games, or even augmented reality) to extend engagement beyond delivery. 

Supply Chain Optimization Through Unified Packaging 

Unified packaging improves operational efficiency at every stage of the supply chain, from ordering to delivery:

• Consistent design simplifies inventory management by replacing separate retail and shipping boxes with a single packaging solution. This consolidation reduces the number of unique stock keeping units (SKUs) a company must design, order, and store across its many sales channels.
• Bulk purchasing enables companies to take advantage of economies of scale and reduce overall packaging costs.
• On average, 24 percent of every shipping container is empty space. However, working with experienced wholesale box suppliers offers a direct solution to this costly inefficiency. They can help develop custom-sized packaging that reduces the need for void fill and lowers shipping costs based on package dimensions. This approach turns a major expense into an opportunity for savings. 

In addition to reducing waste, these improvements can help make fulfillment more predictable and economical across all retail channels. 

Strategic Packaging is the New Standard 

Omnichannel retail's evolution has fundamentally transformed the role of packaging. It now serves as a dynamic brand ambassador, bridging the gap between digital storefronts and the customer's hands. A well-executed packaging strategy tells a consistent brand story while creating memorable unboxing experiences that drive customer loyalty across all channels. 

By unifying packaging design, companies can streamline their supply chain and reduce shipping costs. This approach delivers the seamless, high-quality experience that modern consumers demand. 

Jeff Brandt is a certified public accountant (CPA) who oversees operations and accounting functions for Brandt Box & Paper Co., Inc., a trusted packaging company founded in 1952.