Packaging is a critical component of your CPG product, not only for protecting the product but also for marketing and brand recognition. In this chapter we’ll be walking through how to choose and source your packaging type, and in a later chapter we’ll go into detail on design. This chapter will cover the different types of packaging by category, the importance of standard materials and sizes, the pros and cons of sourcing from overseas versus domestic suppliers, and the differences between plate printing and digital printing. We’ll also touch on specific considerations for various product categories, such as beverages.

One important thing to note is that your packing will change at least 5 times over the first few years. The TeaSquares packaging started out in a stock rice paper style pouch with a stick-on label before moving over to a fully printed plastic pouch. That said, when we moved over to the pouch, our packaging was printed oversees using a printing die process. This involves creating physical print molds for each color, expensive up front, but lowering cost over the long-term. I ended up print 20,000 pouches of each of 3 flavors to get the best cost. Big mistake. 

We immediately noticed some small design changes immediately after receiving the prints, but it was too late to change it. Next, after having the packaging for 6 months on the market, we had about 70% of our inventory remaining before realizing that we wanted to make some fundamental changes to our messaging based on consumer feedback. But we were now stuck with tens of thousands of bags we had to sell though first before we could make those changes.

My recommendation? During the first 2 years, opt for smaller quantities of digitally printed packaging. Yes, it’s more expensive per unit, but allows you to quickly make changes during the test and learn phase of your business.