Club Store Sales Offer Huge Opportunity — with the Right Packaging
Buying in bulk has never been so profitable. Club membership stores like Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s are some of the fastest growing general merchandise retailers in the world: In the U.S. alone, the annual revenue for wholesale club stores is anticipated to increase to $512 billion by 2019. This growth presents an incredible sales opportunity for both large and small brands. However, success in the club store space is largely dependent on your product’s packaging.
Tips for a club store friendly package design
Club stores have specific packaging requirements they look for in products they’re considering to sell in their stores. With the warehouse-style design and layout of club stores, merchandise is displayed right on the pallet, making it essential for the packaging itself to successfully market the product. How can you make your packaging more club store friendly?
Retail-Ready Design — Retail-ready packaging (RRP) is the first thing club stores look for when evaluating a product for their store. RRP contains both primary packaging, or the package for the product itself, and secondary packaging, the display packaging that bundles the product. From a functional perspective, RRP allows club stores to take packages from the delivery truck directly onto the floor with minimal employee handling. Successful RRP design uses techniques like color-blocking to allow consumers to easily identify and differentiate your product from others on the warehouse floor. Billboarding, or using two or more packages to form a larger, cohesive image, is another visual design tactic that is common in club store RRP. The larger graphics draws the attention of consumers and can increase sales.
Excellent communication from every angle — Your club store RRP should clearly communicate your brand and product from all sides. Club stores display products directly on the pallet — giving you little idea as to what side of your product will be displayed. Whether it’s an aisle or an end cap, clear communication on every side informs consumers about your product and increases the likelihood of a purchase.
Low environmental impact — Some club stores such as Costco sell to a highly-educated and more affluent customer base, making it important for stores to identify and prioritize the concerns of their members. One growing consideration is sustainability. Like other retailers, club stores are focused on cutting down on packaging waste and shifting away from petroleum-based products. An RRP that is recyclable will win you favor with club stores while less environmentally-friendly packaging will lose you points.
Creating the right RRP packaging can be key in getting your product into club stores. Increase your chances of entering this lucrative market by working with a packaging provider that truly understands RRP club store packaging.
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