Blog Layout

The Whole (re-usable) Package

Helen • July 4, 2019

More than just branding

Marketing encompasses so much more than the branding, the website, brochures, signage, promotional pens, adverts, PR .. the list can go on and on.

Basically, anything that has your company branding on or is an element of the Customer Journey can be caught under the marketing banner (or umbrella).

That includes packaging, and how wonderful is it that so many brands and retailers are listening to public opinion and are making changes to their packaging to reduce or eliminate plastic.

Some recent examples that caught my eye have been:

  • Boots have already stopped offering plastic bags at checkouts in some stores and this will be rolled out by early next year. In addition, they will introduce a range of unbleached brown paper bags in varying sizes at a cost, with all profits going to the BBC Children in Need charity.
  • Sainsburys have become the first of the UK supermarket giants to say they are going to remove plastic for its loose fruit, vegetables and bakery goods and from September will introduce paper bags for loose bakery items and customers can either bring their own bags or buy re-usable bags for loose fruit and vegetables.
  • Waitrose have launched a scheme currently on trial in Oxford, where customers can fill up or refill their own containers for pasta, rice, coffee, washing up liquid, fruit and veg, beer and wine.
  • The Seasalt store in Lytham (and in other branches as well I’m sure) have a water dispenser installed with the option to have a drink from a glass (take a clean one from the shelf and put it on a different shelf when used) or you are welcome to refill your water bottle. A double win!
  • The Bolster Moor Farm Shop in Golcar, Huddersfield and The Unicorn store in Chorlton, Manchester are well known for their fun and quirky jute bags carrying relevant messages, and their branding of course!
We’ve got a long way to go, but many of us are now used to (remembering) to take our reusable bags when we go shopping. It won’t be long when it will be standard practice to take a range of containers too.

Like some fashion trends, we seem to have come full circle. It would have been standard for example for my grandmother (the original Doris) to have gone shopping full equipped with options for carrying goods home. She was also extremely keen on re-using any packaging; cereal boxes were cut up and used for shopping lists, margarine tubs for storing or freezing leftovers, yoghurt pots for growing seedlings. She’d be massively in favour of a return to less plastic and re-useable options and would be first in the queue at the refill stations.

I’m looking forward to seeing new innovative and creative ways that companies will introduce and use re-useable packaging as part of their brand. Remember that something that is quirky or a bit different will be used again and again .. with your name on it!

For guidance on creative packaging ideas, or how you can improve your customer experience do get in contact and we can have a chat over the phone 0790 3727750 or a coffee.

Share article on

Share by: