Consumers Are More Loyal to Brands That Offer Gift-Like Packaging
In the incentives industry, we talk a lot about the importance of custom packaging for rewards that go out to your participants. After all, a gift is often judged first by how it looks when received. One recent survey backs up this notion with some great consumer insights on preferences for gift-like packaging.
The 2016 eCommerce Packaging Study, published by Dotcom Distribution, a provider of fulfillment and logistics services, summarizes a survey of over 500 consumers and their experiences with online shopping. The study shows consumer preferences toward brands that send their packages with premium or “gift-like” packaging.
Forty percent of consumers said that gift-like packaging impacts their perception of a brand, and of those people, 60 percent said they look forward to receiving packages that come with special packaging. Two-thirds said they think that special packaging makes the brand seem more upscale.
This preference for gift-like packaging is especially strong with luxury items: 43 percent of consumers said that it’s very or extremely important for luxury products like jewelry, watches or electronics to come in gift-like packaging.
Consumers are becoming more interested in gift-like packaging, the study shows. In the 2016 survey, 40 percent said they’re more likely to become repeat shoppers from brands that use gift-like packaging, up from 29 percent in 2015. And again, the preference is even stronger with luxury items: 61 percent said they’re more likely to become repeat shoppers of luxury items that come with premium packaging.
Shoppers that receive gift-like packaging are more likely to refer the brand to others, as well. Fifty percent of customers said they’re more likely to recommend a product to others if it comes in gift-like packaging, up from 40 percent in 2015.
While this study looks at consumer preferences from an online retail perspective, the results hit home just the same in the rewards and incentives industry: Package customization helps to drive consumer loyalty and brand advocacy.
This is something the Hinda Loyalty Group specializes in — custom packaging and branding for thousands of rewards that ship directly from our dedicated warehouse. We craft these personalized rewards for every program to ensure recipients feel genuinely appreciated with their gift.