As UK ecommerce continues to expand, transport packaging is taking on a much bigger role than simply protecting products in transit. It is a key touchpoint for customer experience, operational efficiency and sustainability performance.
According to Paul Chillery, UK ecommerce Director at Smurfit Westrock, businesses that view packaging as a strategic asset rather than a cost centre are often best placed to meet rising customer and regulatory expectations.
From unboxing to recycling
For online retailers, the delivery box is frequently the first tangible experience a customer has with the brand. Expectations have evolved far beyond product protection alone, with consumers increasingly looking for packaging that is easy to open, recyclable and simple to dispose of.
“Transport packaging has become part of the overall customer experience,” says Chillery. “Consumers judge a brand not only on the product they receive, but on how that product arrives. Packaging is now expected to deliver both performance, sustainability, and an unforgettable unboxing experience.”
This expectation is driving greater adoption of corrugated ecommerce boxes, paper-based protective packaging and smart packaging optimisation tools that enhance both operational performance and the unboxing experience.
Less space, less waste
Right-sizing packaging is one of the biggest opportunities for improving efficiency across ecommerce supply chains, yet many products continue to be shipped in boxes that are significantly larger than necessary.
In many cases, fulfilment systems have evolved faster than packaging strategies. Standardised box sizes may simplify operations, but they often create excess empty space, increasing material use and reducing transport efficiency.
“As costs continue to rise across logistics networks and regulations on wasted space tighten, businesses are looking much more closely at what their packaging is actually doing,” says Chillery. “Every centimetre of unnecessary space has an impact. Right-sized packaging can reduce material, improve transport utilisation and reduce emissions, and help businesses move products more efficiently without compromising protection.”
Smurfit Westrock’s solutions are helping retailers optimise pack dimensions, reduce void fill requirements and improve shipping efficiency throughout their operations.
Return to sender
Successful ecommerce packaging today must do far more than support the outbound journey. With online fashion return rates remaining high, packaging is increasingly being designed to make returns as simple and efficient as delivery.
Features such as easy-open formats, resealable corrugated boxes and durable fibre-based designs enable customers to reuse packaging when returning items, improving convenience while reducing the need for additional materials.
“Brands are starting to think about packaging as a two-way asset,” says Chillery. “If a pack can successfully protect the product on delivery and be reused for a return, it creates a better customer experience while also reducing waste and unnecessary costs.”
Proven material
Beyond empty space, consumers, regulators and retailers continue to place emphasis on reducing material waste. As a result, paper-based solutions are increasingly important across ecommerce supply chains.
“Paper is recycled at an incredibly high rate across the UK,” says Chillery. “With such an established collection, sorting and recycling infrastructure – alongside strong consumer knowledge and behaviour around recycling cardboard – it really is the go-to packaging material to meet shifting regulations and demands.”
Smurfit Westrock operates one of the UK’s largest paper and cardboard recycling networks, designed to create a circular system where used fibre-based packaging is collected, recycled and converted back into new packaging products.
The perfect package
“The most successful ecommerce businesses are recognising that packaging impacts far more than the delivery itself,” concludes Chillery. “It influences customer perception, operational efficiency, sustainability performance and ultimately the economics of the supply chain. That’s why packaging is becoming a much more strategic conversation in boardrooms across the industry.”
Transport packaging may sit at the end of the production process, but for many customers, it’s where the brand experience begins. Businesses that invest in the right packaging solutions today are best placed to meet the demands of tomorrow’s ecommerce landscape.
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