Beautiful gift packaging requires more than just some glossy paper at the counter.
For gift wrapping that is both stylish and practical, you need to think about a variety of factors.
With careful consideration of your products, your employees, and your brand, you can make your in-store staff proud to wrap gifts.
If you are currently responsible for packaging at a retail chain, there are three basic things to bear in mind when choosing a packaging solution for your stores.
Does the packaging suit your products?
It sounds obvious, but it’s actually very important to consider which products you have in your stores. It’s important that your packaging solutions suit your products, making it easy and convenient for employees to provide gift wrapping with a beautiful result. At the headquarters , you should be aware of the following:
- The physical form of the products should inform the choice of packaging.
- Single products in the range may require different packaging to the others.
The products must be the starting point
For example, in the case of a clothing branch, point 1 would suggest that gift wrap may not be the right solution. Gift wrap is often awkward to use to wrap soft items, and can burden staff at the counter with extra work. Soft items are far easier to package beautifully in a gift bag or box. The gift bag is more robust and keeps its shape when the gift leaves the store. If you still want to use gift wrap, we recommend setting some time aside to train your staff in wrapping soft gifts well.
Find packaging solutions for special products
With the packaging for your primary items is in place, you should check whether you have other kinds of products in store that require a different packaging method. For example, if you’re launching a bag collection at your clothing chain, you run the risk of the gift bags not being suitable for the size or shape of the purchased bag. It would therefore be difficult for staff to package the bag nicely.
”Most shop assistants want to feel proud of their gift wrapping solution they offer customers. When selling bags or shoes at your clothing chain, it can therefore be a good idea to have gift wrap available to staff, so they can ensure great packaging regardless of which product they have sold,” advises Josefine Svenson, Scanlux Packaging customer service and former store manager.
Does the design suit your customers?
Your employees should take pride in the packaging you use in your stores. Otherwise, you risk them failing to use it or perhaps even having to apologise to customers. When choosing the design for your wrapping paper or gift bags, you also need to find out if it’s appropriate for the everyday situations and the challenges met by your employees in store.
“Let’s say you want to target your brand to young people, so you choose a youthful design for your packaging. However, if the customers greeted by your staff in store are from an older demographic, your packaging risks being at odds with the reality experienced by your staff, “says Josefine Svenson Your packaging design must therefore be suitable for both your brand and the customers that shop in your stores. The design should be aesthetically pleasing so that your staff can take pride in their gift wrapping.
Who are your employees?
Beautiful gift wrapping can be an art. Therefore, you at the main office must also consider whether your employees are actually skilled at gift wrapping. This is especially the case if you choose to use gift wrap, as this requires the employee’s dexterity to wrap the gift so that it looks beautiful.
Your staff should be trained in how to work with gift wrap, and have an appreciation for aesthetics when wrapping their gift with a bow. While many store staff take pride in impressive gift wrapping, you also find those at the other end of the scale. Those who do not have an eye for aesthetics and are not interested in learning how to achieve beautiful gift wrapping.
If the employees at your stores generally fall into the latter category, this should also be reflected inthe packaging form. In this case, you should choose a nice gift bag or gift box, which is easy to handle even without being trained in gift wrapping. This more ready-made and less demanding solution ensures lovely packaging that can reflect your brand and will be appreciated by your customers.
If, on the other hand, you are blessed with employees who take pride in beautiful gift wrapping, you should consider whether this strength can be used to create particularly impressive packaging.
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