Product Packaging

Four U.S. retailers agreed to pay $1.3 million of fines to settle U.S. civil charges that they deceived consumers by falsely labeling and advertising textile products as containing bamboo, when they were actually made from rayon. Bed Bath & Beyond will pay $500,000, Nordstrom will pay $360,000, J.C. Penney will pay $290,000 and outdoor gear…

When was the last time you ordered something that didn’t come with free or expedited shipping (or both)? The rise of consumer expectations for expediency and immediate gratification isn't slowing down anytime soon, and the strain those expectations put onto supply chain and fulfillment operations is immense. Something has to give, and it’s probably not…

Buying glasses online, whether prescription lenses or fashionable sunglasses, isn't the easiest of tasks. From finding a pair that are just the right size and color to getting the exact prescription lenses you need to seeing how the glasses will look on your face, the challenges are many. Glasses.com is trying to change that with…

The world’s largest retailer has put suppliers on notice: Pay attention to the little things before they become big problems. Wal-Mart last week sent out a memo to hundreds of suppliers, from Kraft Heinz Co. to Nestlé SA, warning them to comply with labeling laws, emphasizing that the amount inside a package matches what's printed on…

Most consumers expect to receive e-commerce orders in a traditional brown box. However, this doesn’t mean that companies, especially emerging brands looking to grow, should skimp on packaging. Brands that go above and beyond will be remembered. Creating a memorable experience is one of the best things an emerging brand can do, and using the…

Consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble Co. has settled a lawsuit alleging that the company used oversized packaging to make its Olay beauty products seem larger than they are. The civil complaint, which was filed by district attorneys in Riverside, Yolo, Fresno and Shasta counties in California, said the Cincinnati-based company violated California's slack fill…

GNC Holdings Inc. reached an agreement with the New York attorney general on its Herbal Plus products, pledging to more stringently test its supplements and follow U.S. Food and Drug Administration manufacturing recommendations. In response to state inquiries, GNC has conducted "rigorous tests" to show that its products are safe and properly labeled, according to a statement Monday. GNC also will begin performing DNA barcoding on products — a method of confirming that supplements have the right ingredients — and add signage to help consumers figure out what they're buying.

According to a report from IBISWorld, a global business intelligence provider, the prices of paper and packaging products are on an upward trend as input costs rise for upstream suppliers and consumer shopping trends (i.e., more purchases being made online) drive demand for shipping materials and services. The markets that are anticipated to bear the brunt of these rising prices include corrugated boxes (price to increase 3 percent); molded fiber packaging (price to increase 4.2 percent); and packaging services (price to increase 2.5 percent).

Returned goods are an issue for retailers throughout the year, but they can really cause headaches in the aftermath of the holiday sales peak. You can set your calendar by it: customers who, for some reason, aren't satisfied with the gifts they've received or the purchases they've made will begin returning those items en masse even before the first quarter is over.

With "likes" and "favorites" taking center stage in retail, trends like "retail hauling" (i.e., the YouTube version of calling a friend to brag about a recent shopping spree) are creating a market environment in which posting to Instagram, Facebook and other social sites is now a natural follow-up to making a purchase.