Unboxing reusable packaging and its role in fashion's omnichannel experiences

“WHY DOESN’T EVERY CLOTHING RETAILER USE THESE SHIPPERS?!?!” wrote @jamessterlingstjohn in a 2019 Instagram post. James purchased organic T-shirts online from sustainable outdoor apparel brand and long-term LimeLoop brand partner, Toad&Co, which were shipped in a reusable package, or shipper, as he refers to it. He, then, snapped the picture before ‘unboxing’ his order and returning the reusable package to his mailbox, where it awaited pick up from his local carrier.

The more branding through digital consumer engagements come into play, the less cardboard and poly mailers with decorative tissue paper make sense. Ecommerce is getting smarter. And omnichannel ecommerce - creating seamless, unified customer experiences across platforms - involves the packaging, more now than ever.

For us, reusable packaging is designed for an interconnected ecommerce economy because it’s smart. Ours is, anyway. Which is why we’re unboxing the most common misconceptions around reusable packaging’s role in improving fashion’s omnichannel experiences.

Recyclable boxes and poly mailers are all you need to keep sustainable consumers happy, true or false?

False. The truth is, only 9% of single-use packaging is actually recycled. Retailers, then, pay to manufacture, store, and ship packaging - not the product - destined for the landfill. The sheer volume of what is ultimately single-use packaging overburdens our current waste management systems. Shipping with recyclable boxes simply is not sustainable.

Reusable packaging is the more sustainable option. When compared to the five to seven times a recyclable box can be recycled (if it isn’t landfilled), each of our reusable packages can be reused up to 200 times. This means 200 less cardboard boxes needed to be made, both employing reduction and reusability to drive more connected experiences.

Sixty to eighty percent of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging. The increased consumer demand for more sustainable business practices, especially in fashion, catalyzes the need for swift action. But really, you can’t make customers happy with seemingly sustainable packaging. Nor can omnichannel - smart ecommerce - experiences flourish with linear business models.

Packaging branding can only be achieved through costly customization, true or false?

False, again - at least at LimeLoop we believe so. Consumers have spent at least 60 million hours watching unboxing videos on social media, making them immediate customer acquisition and retention tools for retailers. With visual and written reviews to consider when purchasing with a retailer, whether for the first or 100th time, the customer experience evolved into customization.

Retailers, then, invested in product packaging - the first impression. But when cardboard prices skyrocketed during the pandemic in 2021 due to a surge in the costs of raw materials, most retailers struggled to get their hands on those packaging materials, threatening the customer experience rather than improving it. Reusable packaging is an investment, so it may cost more up front. But the cost is amortized overtime - that’s just to say the packaging will end up paying for itself, and then some.

The truth is retailers don’t need expensive cardboard customization for brand engagement. Shipping sustainably, say with LimeLoop reusable packaging, is customer acquisition, retention, and engagement. With reusable packaging, customers can feel good about the entire shopping experience from order to delivery and beyond.

Only sustainably focused consumers will want to use reusable packaging, true or false?

Eighty-five percent of global consumers, from Baby Boomers to Gen Z, have shifted to more sustainable shopping behaviors. So, yeah, we choose false for this one, too. The general customer experience, omnichannel or otherwise, must accommodate this demand as it continues to grow across industries and in policies. Otherwise, if retailers don’t start adopting ‘low-hanging fruit’ solutions, they are likely to get left behind.

And as a ‘low-hanging fruit’ sustainable shipping will have everyone wanting to use reusable packaging, at least in our experience. It’s pretty easy to use, certainly easier than breaking down cardboard and trying to manage its disposal each week. Remember James? He just removed his T-shirts from the package, flipped the prepaid shipping label, and placed the package back in his mailbox for his local carrier to then pick up for the package’s return to a fulfillment center.

LimeLoop’s combination of reusable packaging and software has created opportunities in customer service and reverse logistics, which further streamline the omnichannel customer experience. Returns may be sent back in the original package they arrived in while granular tracking data provides insight into each package’s journey. Returned clothing won’t have to be landfilled, and customers won’t have to call to ask, “Where’s my package?”

Connectible reusable packaging will require big tech investments.

At LimeLoop, we believe in doing good with data, and with technology driving consumer behavior, the omnichannel customer experience wouldn’t be seamless without good data. And despite ESG assets expected to reach $53 million by 2025, doing good with data doesn’t require big tech investments. No Blockchain or NFT’s, here. In our case it’s just BLE sensors and an app.

Data collected from each LimeLoop reusable package is decentralized for accessibility and scalability. Connecting the supply chain doesn’t have to cost people and the planet so much when applied at key points along the logistics system. Order shipping and fulfillment are untapped information sources when it comes to improving the customer experience.

Smart reusable packaging, such as LimeLoop’s, connects in-store and ecommerce experiences by way of cumulative data - location tracking on both the forward and reverse logistics of customer orders, meaning those in-store experiences become in-home experiences as retailers dive deeper into the data and technology behind the smart packaging.

About LimeLoop

LimeLoop’s smart shipping platform combines reusable packaging and a simple sensor, creating a real-time lens into the e-commerce experience from point of order to return. This provides retailers with a powerful platform to effectively understand and communicate with their customers, while providing the insights necessary to inform ESG and supply chain decisions.