By Splash Packaging TeamHoliday Packaging, Packaging Resources, Retail, Sustainability in the Packaging Industry

Budget Holiday Packaging for 2020

Whether you are a small business that needs inexpensive packaging options for the holiday season, or an individual that has a lot of gifts to wrap, now is a great time to start planning your holiday packaging budget.

Offering unique packaging to your customers during the holiday season can help build lasting customer relationships and increase positive reviews for your brand. Even better if that packaging is ready to be gifted so your customer doesn’t have to buy separate packaging. You can always use the opportunity to charge customers for optional gift packaging as well.

Here are some ways to save money on your holiday packaging this year!

Buy Packaging In Bulk

Buying packaging in larger quantities is the best way to ensure a good deal. You can always save some of the packaging until next year, especially with staple items like bags, tissue paper, and ribbon. For retail businesses it makes much more sense to buy packaging in bulk from wholesalers rather then pay premium store prices. Some packaging items come in variety packs so you can have some variance in color or design for one low price.

The amount of a packaging product you get in a bulk order varies by the type of product, but if you’re relatively busy during the holiday season you will use hundreds of items. Bags and gift boxes are generally sold from 50-200 quantity sizes in bulk while other items like ribbon or pouch bags are sold in smaller quantities allowing you to mix and match more.

DIY Your Personal Touches

Personal touches go a long way in retail, especially when it comes to e-commerce where you lose personal interaction. Due to Covid-19 a lot more retail sales will be online or curbside pickup this year, making the packaging element even more important. Customers feel more connected to your brand when you include personal touches with your products or services. There are a lot of easy ways to add unique personal touches to your packaging this holiday season.

• You can include a hand written note or card with purchases.
• Hand-stamp your packaging or wrapping paper with a custom stamp.
• Include free candy, stickers, or other fun items.
• Include a card with your brand story so your customer can get to know you better and feel more of a connection.
• Wrap individual items with tissue paper or small bags and tie with ribbon.
• Create your own custom tissue paper or gift wrap.
• Use upcycled or eco-friendly packaging if you are an eco-conscious brand with like minded customers.

Drawstring Pouch Bags

Pouch bags are an inexpensive way to package a wide variety of items and offer a lot of versatility. This makes them perfect for budget holiday packaging. Pouches come in a variety of fabric materials, colors, and sizes, so you can use them in a lot of creative ways.

Organza or jute pouches are a fun and colorful way to package fun gift items from small accessories to larger items like candles or wine bottles. They come in an assortment of colors that you can match to your branding or go with holiday colors like red or green.

Satin and faux suede pouches are a more luxurious and sleek option for packaging gift items like jewelry, lingerie, cuff links, perfume, or cosmetics. They come in several elegant color options with matching drawstring closure. Pouches are very inexpensive as a packaging option and they are stylish enough to qualify as gift packaging. Pouches are also reusable so your customer or gift recipient can reuse them!

Tissue Paper Wrapping

Traditional gift wrap can be hard to work with and expensive, but tissue paper can be a great substitute in a lot of ways. Tissue paper is lightweight and is usually made from recycled materials so it is more environmentally friendly than traditional gift wrap. It comes in a huge spectrum of colors as well as unique design prints for special occasions and holidays. Tissue paper can have special finishes like metallic sheen, holographic glitter, or pearlized finishes.

Tissue paper can be used in place of gift wrap in some instances, where you can wrap your products in double layered tissue and close with a label, sticker, or ribbon of some kind. It is a great way to wrap your individual items inside your e-commerce shipments because it helps keep items protected and provides a fun and stylish unboxing experience for your customer.

Ready to Gift Packaging

Some packaging items need further accessorizing with ribbons, bows, wrapping paper, etc. while some are ready to be gifted with minimal effort.

Ready to use gift card boxes come in a variety of colors and designs including many that are specific to the holiday season. Gift card boxes sometimes include a space to write the “to” and “from” information and include a slot ready to place a gift card in. They are a great item to either include for free with a gift card purchase or for a small upcharge. Gift card boxes can be additionally decorated with custom stickers, stamps, bows, or ribbon.

Ribbon tied magnetic boxes are a luxurious packaging option that is ready to use and ready to be gifted. Because the box has a beautiful smooth matte finish and included ribbon, no other decorating elements are needed. These high-quality boxes are also collapsible and reusable so they can be reused by the gift recipient.

If you think ribbon is too messy and complicated, there are alternatives to using traditional ribbon. Pull bows make creating a decorative bow easy; they ship flat and all you have to do is pull the inner ribbons and a perfect bow is created instantly! Pre-tied bows are another great way to decorate your packaging or items without needing to break a sweat. These adorable bows have twist-ties on the back so you can easily attach them to your packaging.

However you package your items for the holiday season and beyond, Splash Packaging has packaging that will fit your budget!