Why You Should Fall in Love with Custom Packaging for Creative, Heartfelt Gifts
With Christmas and New Year’s firmly behind us, we now shift our focus to the holiday of love. Valentine’s Day is an important date for many couples—typically celebrated with romantic vacations, hitting the town for a nice meal, or exchanging special gifts. For retail stores, the holiday presents a huge opportunity to make money. According to Forbes, it’s estimated that 55% of the U.S. population celebrates Valentine’s day annually—spending an impressive $19.6 billion in the process.
As expected, the bulk of the spending will be allocated on gifts for significant others or spouses. But don’t underestimate the retail spend on children, teachers, and people buying for co-workers. The National Retail Federation (NRF) reports that $654 million is expected to be spent on gifts for co-workers. Think about all the possible gifts that could include—and the many types of packaging that would work in those instances! Our rigid plastic boxes function as a perfect enhancement to many common Valentine’s Day gifts. For stores looking to provide great gift options on this profitable holiday, the purchase of our rigid plastic boxes will allow you to expand your offerings and feel some of the revenue love, too.
Retail Considerations for Rigid Plastic Packaging
Trends. Retailers stay in business because they anticipate, set, and support current trends. Packaging is as much a player in that. Convenience may not be a trend—more a lifestyle necessity—but it tops the list when checking off consumer needs. Customizable plastic packaging allows retailers to set new standards and meet the trendy (and convenience) needs of their consumer base.
Shape. Shelf space is as much a commodity as are happy customers. Customizable packaging allows you to streamline the size and design of your rigid plastic packages, so they fit on store shelves, maximizing available display space and timely offerings to consumers.
Design. You know what they say about first impressions! That is a universal concept, as applicable to packaging design and branding. Quality on all levels is #1 on this list: your packaging reflects the standards you set as a retailer on providing a quality experience for your customers. You want your products seen—so clear packaging offers optimal exposure, and customizable designs on the packaging allow for prominent brand recognition.
Durability. Plastic is high-quality, lightweight, and protective, making shipping—to you or your customers—convenient from a cost-savings and safety perspective. (And end-users love the longevity of its preservational and re-purposing aspects.) It is perfect for online-only operations or for eCommerce options that complement a brick-and-mortar store.
We have some ideas below about how you can use our plastic boxes to amplify your Valentine’s Day selection in February.
Handcrafted Candy Creations
Is there a person among us who has not either given or received an assorted box of chocolates as a gift—or part of the gift—on Valentine’s Day? (Right?) Though a classic, and sure to win the hearts of many, why not take a new spin on this old classic? Our compartment plastic boxes are your ticket to changing the status quo and creating an 100% customized candy assortment. Not just limited to chocolate caramels, truffles, and whatever those really tough-to-bite-into ones are, compartment plastic boxes can hold all sorts of different treats—be they hard candy, gum, baked goods, or just about anything you can put your mind to. The process couldn’t be easier: once you receive your boxes, simply fill them with any goods that will fit inside each of the different compartments and put them out for display. Or better yet, offer customers the chance to create their own mouthwatering masterpiece.
It’s important to note that our boxes are made out of FDA-compliant, general-purpose polystyrene—which is widely used in the confection industries and renowned for its food-safe properties. In addition to being safe for consumables, our boxes will also enhance the life of your edible gifts due to the airtight design blocking out moisture and ensuring freshness. Switch it up this year, and create delicious arrangements that your customers—and their taste buds—will surely not forget.
Put a Ring on It
Jewelry is another tried-and-true Valentine’s Day classic. Any trip to the mall in February will reinforce it with the relentless marketing of diamond rings, heart-shaped necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.
Alpha Rho has beautiful heart-shaped plastic boxes that are perfect for not only displaying your store’s Valentine-related trinkets, but also for sending customers home with impressive packaging for their heartfelt gift. The boxes’ crystal-clear materials enable effortless showcasing of your store’s lovely offerings, while providing protection from the harmful environmental conditions that can cause them to tarnish over time. Don’t just send your clientele home with beautiful jewelry this year, give them an attractive presentation case that will protect it and allow them to show it off when they’re not wearing it.
A New Life for Flowers
Every year on February 14th, we all get to enjoy the beautiful arrangements of brightly colored flowers that start popping up everywhere—even if we aren’t the recipient! Needless to say, this is Super Bowl Sunday for the florists. For good reason too, nothing quite compares to receiving a lavish bouquet on Valentine’s Day—the aroma, the sentiment, and the curious look of onlookers often can combine to create a soul-pleasing experience. The one downside to many of these pre-bought assortments is that many stores simply ship them off with only with a wire or tie around the base of the flowers to keep them together.
It’s no secret that plants wither up and die without a consistent source of water. Therefore, providing your customers with a vase to display and nurture their blossoms will vastly increase the longevity of your product. Our 5 1/8” tall round plastic box makes a great lightweight and attractive vase for any occasion. Simply add water and flowers and you’ve got yourself an attractive, durable, yet inexpensive way to add value to your flowered arrangements—and your customers may have just found themselves a stunning new dining room centerpiece.
As the largest manufacturer of high-quality rigid plastic boxes in New England, Alpha Rho has been a leading supplier of injection-molded plastic boxes, with a reputation for providing dependable plastic packaging solutions for over 50 years. Our custom rigid plastic boxes— compartment, hinged, friction fit, custom shapes—are used extensively in multiple industries, such as retail and hobby, food and confectionary, medical, and industrial. Contact us for recommendations, orders, and assistance finding the perfect look and fit for your products.