5 Unique E-Commerce Shipping Box Styles and Options

So, you are starting to see the value in paying attention to your e-commerce packaging -- that is great news.

Most brands do not realize why e-commerce packaging is so important, so it's likely that you are going to be delivering a customer experience that is better than your competition.

For the purpose of this post, I want to outline some different shipper boxes styles and options that you have. We are not going to get into the actual unboxing process here or discuss which corrugate to choose, but rather review the different dyelines and styles of boxes that are available on the market.

You probably know the standard ones, so I thought it would be helpful to show you some unique options. if nothing more, this will open your eyes to the fact that there are more possibilities and options for your e-commerce packaging than a standard corrugated box.

Let's dive in.

1. Butterfly Doors

With this shipper box, the customer opens the box by slitting a piece of tape in the middle of the top of the box. From there, the customer is pleasantly surprised to see the box open in an unorthodox way. Using this dieline is different from the status quo, which can be useful to create an experience that your customers remember.

2. Self-Locking Box

This box opens from the top, but actually locks into itself. You would still need to tape this box together before shipping, but it feels very neat and organized. Everything seems crisp and in place, leaving your customers feeling that their order was handled with care.

3. Birchbox

This now iconic dieline from Birchbox is unboxing genius. Not only does it provide a unique experience for the customer that they were not expecting, but it folds completely flat. This makes the remaining corrugate easy to recycle.

4. Adding a Pull Tab

Let's mix it up a little now. You can implement a pull tab on your box to make it easier to open. This is popular with FedEx boxes. This leaves the customer with a memorable experience, and removes the need for the customer to use a knife when opening this e-commerce packaging.

5. Traditional Mailer

We've all seen traditional mailer packages. They have two tabs that fold and lock into the box. I figured I would include an example here from Tory Burch. What makes this unboxing special is the color and material selection. I am including this here to give an example of how even a traditional shipping box (this style is known as a mailer) can be spruced up when giving attention it deserves.

Conclusion

I hope this post was helpful in illustrating that there are a large number of shipper box styles and options that you can choose from. Keep in mind that the more complex you get, the more the cost will increase in your box.

When you are buying packaging, you can keep your cost down by using standard tools. However, standard tools are not going to give you a dyeline that makes your customers say WOW! This is a choice that you need to make.

Keep thinking big.