If you own or are a part of a retail business, then you probably already know how critical the holiday season is to your company's success.

The sort-of official kick-off of the holiday retail season is Black Friday and Cyber Monday. These are major events on any retailer's calendar, so it pays to prepare for them well in advance.

The more your organization can drive customer loyalty, the more successful it is likely to be. You can enhance the success of your holiday strategies by building on this loyalty. Start working now on preparing your packaging for Black Friday and Cyber Monday so that you can capitalize on the value of holiday shoppers.

Dreaming of Christmas Morning

Think back to when you were a kid. The sight of all those beautifully wrapped packages under the Christmas tree probably filled you with giddy delight. In fact, some of them were so beautifully done up that it might have been a shame to rip them open.

You've grown up since then, but some things never really change. You still love the feeling you get when you see a package sitting on your doorstep. If that package has been beautifully, carefully, and thoughtfully prepared, those feelings are only heightened and intensified.

Packaging that is customer-focused and visually appealing is thrilling. It turns the necessary and the mundane into something that is magical. That's why it may not be the best strategy to just go with a plain brown box for shipping your products this holiday season.

Maybe it's time to do something a little different, something that will be far more memorable and just might turn your one-time customers into customers for life.

You're probably anticipating a huge boost in sales from the weekend that begins with Black Friday and concludes with Cyber Monday. That's why now is the ideal time to make certain that your packaging is dialed in. You want it to be appealing and eye-catching so that it will be the highlight of the holiday season for your customers.

Defining Black Friday and Cyber Monday

If you are in the retail industry, then chances are good that you are familiar with Black Friday and Cyber Monday. For many retailers, this is the most significant sales weekend of the holiday season if not the year.

Black Friday occurs on the day after Thanksgiving, with many sales lasting throughout the weekend. Cyber Monday falls on the Monday after Thanksgiving, capitalizing on sales-seekers who didn't want to brave the crowds at brick-and-mortar stores over the weekend.

Online sales on Cyber Monday in 2019 topped out at about9.2 billion dollars. That same year, retail stores reported approximately 7.4 billion dollars in online sales. With numbers like these, it is clear why so many companies feel that these four days can determine the success or failure of their year.

Sales on Black Friday and Cyber Monday tend to grow each year. Yet, as Shopify reportedin an article, many customers who shop at Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales don't necessarily become repeat customers. They tend to make fewer repeat purchases, or they take advantage of a great holiday sale and then never return for anything else. Accordingly, it is critical for retailers to strive for driving customer loyalty with their Black Friday packaging.

Preparing Your Packaging for the Holidays

Great, attention-getting packaging is not something that happens by accident. Usually, weeks of strategizing, designing, and manufacturing are necessary. Anticipating and planning ahead is essential.

Of course, it helps to have a great partner in the packaging industry. When you're ready to get your holiday packaging ready, just turn to Mid-Atlantic Packaging for all of the guidance you need.

If you want to succeed with your Black Friday packaging, then there are some things to keep in mind. These include:

• Starting early
• Negotiating a rate reduction from your suppliers
• Purchasing additional materials before the season begins
• Refining your scheduling
• Designing your seasonal packaging

Starting Early

Starting early is critical if you hope to succeed. Black Friday is coming up on the day after Thanksgiving, so you might want to get started with your packaging strategy at least a couple of months in advance.

Designing holiday packaging is demanding from the standpoints of attention, creativity, and time, so be prepared to put in some extra effort. Plus, keep in mind that the lead time for packaging can be anywhere from two to eight weeks.

Accordingly, you'll want to have your finalized design submitted to the packaging manufacturer at least two to eight weeks before you need to start shipping with your holiday packaging. This means that you'll have to get organized well in advance.

Typically, this means breaking down the process of designing and manufacturing your holiday packaging into small, manageable steps. Assign a realistic deadline to each task, and be certain to delegate to the appropriate person whenever possible.

Starting early gives your team the time that's needed to brainstorm, try different ideas and winnow down to the best designs well before you need to use them. Keep the customer's experience at the forefront of your efforts. You might hold a survey to find out what your customers want from packaging from your brand.

Negotiating a Rate Reduction from Your Suppliers

It may be possible to negotiate with your suppliers to get a rate reduction for the holiday season. Even your go-to packaging supplier might be willing to offer you a break based on a special order and customer loyalty.

If you will be negotiating with suppliers, be certain to set realistic objectives in the beginning. Decide which factors are priorities for your organization so that you can be certain that they aren't compromised during your negotiations.

Ideally, both parties will be satisfied with the outcome of a negotiation, so be realistic about your goals and willing to compromise.

Here is another reason why you might want to start early when designing your holiday packaging and preparing for the busy season. You may want to research what other vendors are offering. Is there a supplier who can provide your raw materials or other goods for a more competitive rate? You could use this knowledge to help when negotiating with your current supplier.

Purchasing Additional Materials Before the Season Begins

You definitely don't want to be caught with bare cupboards when Black Friday and Cyber Monday strike. Accordingly, you want to be certain that you have the right materials in the appropriate quantities well before Thanksgiving.

That's why now is the ideal time to beef up your inventory control. It's essential that you have a clear understanding of all of the materials that you'll need for your packaging as well as your products.

Begin by confirming the materials that you need. You need to buy your packaging materials in advance, and that means having a handle on how much you need of each component. Remember that having too many can be almost as bad as having too few. What will you do with all of the leftovers at the end of the holiday season?

Once you know what materials you need and how much of each is necessary, you'll want to explore your purchase options. This is not something that should be rushed, so allow yourself plenty of time. Evaluate all of your available options for obtaining the materials that are needed for your holiday packaging. Is credit extended by the supplier? Do they offer discounts? How long will it take for them to ship the materials?

The more questions you ask, the more information you'll have to make a smart business decision.

Refining Your Scheduling

This step is huge, and it involves many moving parts. From organizing, controlling, and perfecting the production process to ensuring that all material and human resources are ready and available, this is a massive piece of the puzzle.

Within your packaging schedule, you will want to include all important decisions as well as necessary activities and deliverables. Optimizing this schedule can save you a mountain of time and effort.

Use techniques such as these to optimize the schedule for your brand's holiday season:

• Make a brand template that can be endlessly reused
• Create a schedule that is easy for all team members to access and understand
• Set a realistic budget, and make it stick
• Publish the schedule well in advance so everyone can study it
• Leave a bit of wiggle room for changes and unforeseen events
• Use to-do lists to help organize tasks for employees
• Set aside time to evaluate how well the schedule is performing

Designing Your Seasonal Packaging

Doesn't it feel like Christmas comes earlier and earlier every year? If you are in any way involved in the retail industry, then this is certainly true.

As a retailer, it is essential that your brand is ready for the holidays long before most ordinary people have even thought of hanging up a sprig of mistletoe.

If you want your packaging to truly stand out and attract customers for life, then starting early is imperative. That's the best way to ensure that you have the best packaging for Black Friday and beyond.

One component that you may want to include in your holiday packaging is custom-printed boxes. Retailers love them because they are sturdy, relatively inexpensive, and can be customized in countless ways. Choose bright colors, one-of-a-kind artwork, and eye-catching logos to make each package that is shipped by your brand one to remember.

Remember that it's your job to make your customers feel like they are receiving a present. Using custom-printed boxes is just one way to achieve this.

Another great strategy is to include a thank you card in every box. This highly personal touch makes each customer feel valued and unique. Thank you cards do not have to be expensive or elaborate to send a warm-hearted message that your customers won't forget.

Tossing in a gift or a free sample is another winning strategy for driving customer loyalty. Perhaps that customer purchases a present for someone else, but that free sample is just for them. What a wonderful way for them to remember your brand and buy from you again. It is always a good idea to let your customers know just how much you appreciate them.

Work with Mid-Atlantic Packaging

Contact us today for acustom packaging quote for your holiday packaging.