When it comes to festive visual merchandising, many stores in the US were pioneers. People look forward to the windows display of many stores in New York City during Christmas.
Increasingly, many other retail stores and supermarkets around the world have stepped up their game during the festive seasons. These stores also have a holiday section where products with festive packaging or seasonal products.
These retail stores curate products and often try to bring a consistent message with visual merchandising. Having a special festive shelf set up and the right technologies to maximize visual impact on the floor displays can keep your overall branding consistent across all channels. In supermarkets, some brands even have festive bundles to make it convenient to buy everything you need for the season.
In short, festive visual merchandising and packaging impact your brand, but there will be other considerations you have to note.
The basics of holiday packaging
Holiday packaging and visual merchandising depend on the type of products you are selling. Here are some considerations you should have:
What is your budget for custom packaging?
How much can you spend per unit?
Would you like a simple external box with your design (bundle) or a completely different design?
Do you want to do bundles or gift with purchase?
festive ribbons and wrapping
The cost of printing a smaller run for packaging may be more if you are doing a smaller print run for the festive season. So you need to consider and have a budget.
Christmas Cake
When shopping for the holidays, many brands bundle products like brandy with baking ingredients for Christmas cakes together for the convenience of customers.
For Asia, the Chinese New Year is significant as well. Festive packaging will need to go with Festive campaigns, which will include your different communication channels, webpage, social media, Visual Merchandising, and online store to have a consistent message.
Chinese New Year is a season where families get together to feast, and it is one of the biggest retail periods for supermarkets. Supermarkets will be cluttered with products, and seasonal buys.
Festive Alcohol Packaging
Why do brands have festive packaging and visual merchandising?
1. Your product stands out in a mixed retail environment like a supermarket or retail store.
During the holidays, your customers will shop and spend. This can be a stressful time as they have to buy gifts and still shop for their necessities. There can also be a seasonal crowd to make things worse.
All shoppers want is convenience. Remember, anything can be a gift or gag gift. And if it has festive packaging, no other packaging or gift wrapping is required!
Diwali Festive Visual Merchandising
2. It makes your products more visible and attractive.
Visual merchandising and packaging are all about making the product look interesting enough to pick it up. Most consumers will agree that one of the most critical factors for them to notice a product is its packaging.
This is more important when your products are in a retail environment with other brands, and you need to give your customers reasons to pick up yours over the competitors. Having festive packaging gives you an added advantage, especially when they are in a store surrounded by festive decorations.
San Remo Festive bundle
3. Having a festive brand story helps with brand recall.
Seasonal marketing informs potential customers that you are deserving that second look. Along with festive visual merchandising and your online presence, your customers can build a relationship with your brand and not just be interested in your product.
A festive packaging design makes for compelling visual content that stands out on a feed. The holiday design can also draw attention to your brand elements and logo, building brand recognition in consumers.
So why not engage your customers while showing how your brand celebrates the season?
KitKat Festive Xmas Packaging
Holiday packaging – Some Quick Tips
Printed Boxes
One of the simple ways to create festive packaging is with cardboard boxes — thinner ones for retail and thicker online shipping ones.
A good strategy is to have a bundle in a holiday-themed box. This can be great for gifts, and customers may perceive it is as “perfect for the occasion.”
For online, having a printed holiday-themed box when you mail it out can save your customer the need to wrap the gift — added convenience, and it also makes a good photo for social sharing.
Custom tissue paper and other packaging materials
This helps with the unboxing experience and make the product more memorable as a gift. This can allow you to add brand elements in the packaging material to build more brand affinity.
Custom labels, stickers, tape, ribbons, or tags
Sometimes, you do not need to go all the way to get a new box for your festive product packaging. When done well, custom labels, stickers, tapes, and tags can make your products look festive. It is all about the design.
Handwritten notes
Putting thank-you notes inside your packages is excellent practice at any time of year, but it’s especially appropriate during the holidays. If your product is bespoke or handmade, this makes receiving an order much more personal. You can show that the work is put together and packaged with love.
Printed Bags
festive bags
These days, shoppers want to be sustainable and eco-friendly. When you provide a reusable tote bag with your seasonal branding, the subtle change in your regular packaging will impress your customers.
Your customers can reuse the bag for their other shopping needs, which will help extend and promote your brand.
Festive visual merchandising and packaging need not be expensive, and a little more thoughts can go a long way. During the festive season, Christmas and Chinese New Year, many brands make most of their sales. When done well, it will bring in a lot of returns.
So start planning! The holidays are around the corner; keep your brand in mind and choose the festive packaging that aligns with them.
Comments