Custom Box Printing and Packaging In The US: An Overview, Benefits For Printers and Top Players

How do you feel when you receive a custom box from Licious with their customer caricature and testimonial on it? Happy, isn’t it? You are going to consume a fresh food item from a popular India-based online non-veg items seller, but you also appreciate their colorful packaging.

The global custom box printing and packaging market is expected to generate a $28 billion revenue by 2024. For a good reason, i.e., it enables businesses to make their customers feel special with their personalized packaging.

Astonishing growth rate

Studies have shown that consumers make subconscious decisions to purchase a product within the first 90 seconds after observing it. Further, Pantone reveals that people experience 80% of their awareness from sight. No wonder, Licious boxes are such a hit!

The custom box printing and packaging industry in the US is predicted to reach $218.36 billion in 2025 from $183.92 billion in 2019. That is an impressive CAGR of 4.1% over the forecast period of five years (2020-2025) and despite the Corona virus outbreak.

Forbes reports that since a store brand sells one out of every four products in the US, this trend will continue to dominate the space in the country.

Now, let’s understand the kinds of boxes Americans love to receive:

Types of boxes

1. Mailer box

This box is designed explicitly for couriering smaller products. They can easily fit into mailboxes, making home deliveries easier for the customer and delivery person, whether or not the former is available at home.

2. Shipping box

These are good old sturdy boxes perfect for shipping fragile products such as porcelain or any glass items. This type of box is also extensively used for moving from one house or office to another. Businesses can custom print their branding on it using any Web2Print packaging design software.

3. Product box

Roll-end tuck top or telescope – product boxes come in different shapes and sizes and can be customized to appeal to the customer. From cookies to high-end technological equipment, product boxes ooze sophistication.

4. Display box

As the name suggests, a display box is used for displaying products. Examples include ballots, acrylic boxes, light displays, mirrored boxes, display boxes with bases, and more. Businesses can custom print their branding on it using any product packaging design software.

FURTHER READING: For more tips on creating an unforgettable personalized unboxing experience for your customers, read our guide.

Industries with a high demand for custom box printing and packaging

1. Ecommerce

40% of customers feel a brand becomes upscale with brilliant packaging, and they are not hesitant to share it on social media. No wonder, this industry doesn’t leave any stone unturned when it comes to custom packaging. Birchbox, Johnny’s Crazy Socks, Joolz are some of the big US eCommerce companies with exquisite custom boxes.

2. Food delivery

The online F&B industry shows an inclination towards on-demand packaging solutions for their products as they cater to a significantly younger consumer in the US.

3. Grocery

In 2018, Fast Company reported that 165 billion packages were shipped in the US every year. That shows how enthusiastic Americans are about receiving packaged items.

Van Leeuwen, an ice cream brand from Brooklyn, recently repackaged their products to increase social media appeal. Their boxes now come in single-tone colors, representing their ice cream.

4. Perfume

The global perfume market size grows at a CAGR of 3.9% and will continue to do so until 2025. The US market is no exception, either. Manufacturers are looking to expand and diversify; their focus has shifted to offering exclusivity, personalization, and quality with custom boxes and packaging in this industry.

5. Cake

Who doesn’t love eating cake? Cake boxes are durable, cost-effective, and lightweight. Further, they can be reused quickly and pose no environmental risk. With the US being one of the top cake markets, the custom box printing industry is bound to grow by leaps and bounds in the coming years.

FURTHER READING: Why is custom packaging so important? Check out Custom Packaging Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends.

Top players

Packwire, Packlane, Packhelp, UPrinting, and Buy Boxes are the leading players in the custom box printing and packaging in the US.

Depending on your business requirement, you can choose from an array of box styles and sizes, and personalize them using their web2print packaging box design tool. The key is to showcase your creativity – add your corporate logo, custom text, and upload images! If you are looking for a solution that takes care of the basics, then Design’n’Buy is the best packaging design software.

Contribution of web-to-print in the custom box market

One of the significant perks of selling your custom packaging services is that it enables the consumers to design the boxes that better fit the product. They can also create corner pieces that keep the fragile products in place. Web-to-print technology offers this functionality.

To understand how web-to-print influences the industry, let’s study the benefits that printers can experience in this domain, with the help of W2P technology.

Why printers should enter the industry and how can W2P help

Printing companies like yourself are in a fix – competition is rife, and consumers are spoiled for choice. Grabbing their attention is worse than ever, so you should carve a niche for yourself with custom box printing and packaging. Check out six benefits:

1. Increase average order value

Your customers can customize and buy packages easily on your web to print storefront using a packaging software solution. That way, they will buy in bulk from you because it is cost-effective and ensures quality output in beautiful custom packaging.

2. More add-on service offerings

With the help of a leading web to print packaging box design software provider, you can offer custom packaging and other services such as data preparation, shipment, and graphic designing as a part of the service, thus increasing the sale value. Your customers will get to buy everything under a single roof, and they will keep coming back to you for more.

3. Boosted brand awareness

Custom packages can help businesses make a good first impression. A basic box may suffice and do the job well. But if the same box has imagery printed on it that individually resonates with a customer, the experience will heighten.

Using a product packaging design software allows you to make a name for your brand, generate more revenues, and boost customer loyalty – only because you’re custom box packaging is tasteful.

4. Effective product protection

It doesn’t matter what businesses sell – they can always benefit by investing in sturdy boxes and packaging. With the help of a packaging design software solution, customers can design the boxes that better fit their product offerings. For example, creating corner pieces that keep the fragile products in place can do wonders.

5. Enhanced customer experience

At the end of the day, it is all about how your customers feel about buying from you. When your customers can browse through not only different products but also packaging in different shapes and sizes, they have a smoother shopping experience.

Over to you

The custom box printing and packaging industry has transformed exceptionally in the past couple of years, and the trend only shows an upward trajectory in the years to come in the US and worldwide.

The industry thrives on a simple logic: when consumers receive a personalized box, their shopping experience enhances because that couriered box resembles more like a gift, one that is personal.

What do you think of the custom box printing and packaging industry? How will it evolve by 2025? Do share your thoughts in the comments below.

Check out related articles:
Streamlining Artwork Creation and Prototyping: Cosmetic Packaging Designers’ Guide
Holiday Packaging Boxes: Tips for Packaging Printers on Selling Custom Packaging Boxes
Why Web-To-Print Is Becoming An Integral Part Of Packaging And Label Needs For Cosmetic Companies

Last updated on 26th Sep 2023.

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