-
ORDER OUR BOOK TODAY
Now available in paperback.
Amazon’s new uncluttered packaging program
Amazon has introduced a new program called Frustration-Free Packaging. The program aims to reduce the amount of packaging that is sent to you and make the process of opening your merchandise frustration free. An example of a toy sent via the new packaging is pictured below:
This new way of shipping products is very convenient. The amount of packaging that is reduced depends on the product, but judging from some of the items I’ve struggled to open up in the past, the Frustration-Free Packaging will surely be welcome.
My first question upon hearing about this new packaging program was, “So what does Amazon do with the packaging?” Upon reading the helpful Q&A page, I was surprised to find out that Amazon is working directly with manufacturers to package their products in the new packaging right off of the assembly line.
I hope this new packaging program will catch on with other retailers.
41 comments posted
Posted by Señorita Puri - 11/10/2008
1.- will a cheaper packaging result in a cheaper product?
2.- the original box is colourful, plays with the emotions that big texts transmit, let’s you see the product… the amazon one turns all the suprise into a nothing. It’s like dressing a top model into a card board box, instead of an armani dress because that way you save in fabric. nope, I don’t buy this one.
Posted by Carmen - 11/10/2008
All I can say is THANK YOU, AMAZON!!! I have not understood this wasteful, difficult packaging for almost all products that has become the main stream. I shouldn’t need a toolbox to open toy box or small electronic! I really hope that this takes off and influences many other retailers. Another big benefit is that there is so much less plastic waste for us to deal with.
Posted by DJ - 11/10/2008
This is an excellent move on Amazon’s part. Very clever. They don’t sell via the brick and mortar store and therefor have very little need for garishly colorful boxes shouting from the circus like toy isles at major retailers. They show you a picture of the product (like any other catalog) and then ship it in a simple box. They are most certainly saving money (pennies perhaps, but they do add up) by ordering product with less packaging and printing costs, and appealing to the consumers dislike of the molded plastic that’s 3 times bigger than the package needs to be, and entombed in twist-ties all so it can be seen on the shelf and can’t be shoplifted (in part or in total).
I don’t think there are any retail stores that are bold enough to move to this kind of packaging, but it’s a total win/win for Amazon; make customers happy and save money while doing it. Smart guys working over there!
Posted by Michele - 11/10/2008
This is so great! I hate dealing with huge amounts of packaging.
Posted by Matthew - 11/10/2008
OMG – HP should start this program. I unpackage anywhere from 5-15 monitors, and about a dozen laptops and PC’s each week at work and we always end up filling the recycling dupster with cardboard and the regular dumpster with styrofoam!
Posted by Sheryl - 11/10/2008
I’m so glad that they’re addressing this issue.
A couple of weeks ago my son ordered a GPS from Amazon. When it came, I was shocked at the packaging! The GPS itself was quite small, but was in a retail box that was a 6 1/2″ cube. (Which was fine.) THAT was packed in the corner of a shipping box that was 8″ x 16″ x 12″, and the rest was stuffed with air-filled plastic bags. What a waste!
Posted by someone - 11/10/2008
It’s not going to catch on at brick-and-mortar retailers, because the old packaging serves the purposes of on-site advertising and theft deterrence. Retailers and manufacturers aren’t going to want to give up either of those benefits.
But for mail-order, both those benefits are moot– you’re looking at a photo on the website, not a package, and no one is going to “shoplift” from Amazon by sneaking something out of a package on a shelf. So all that packaging is just extra expense, extra, waste, and extra frustration.
I’m glad Amazon is doing this, and I hope it catches on with other mail-order vendors.
Posted by sharon - 11/10/2008
Kudos to amazon! Depending on the gift, I will open it up and remove all that crap before I wrap it up. Kids don’t want to wait for you to get the scissors/knife and until 14 little twist ties. I understand the need for the package to sell the toy in brick & mortar stores, but online doesn’t need it. And I can then recycle the box.
Posted by Maggie - 11/10/2008
My husband and I always open the toys we buy for Christmas before wrapping and take out all those annoying twist ties and bands because little hands cannot do it and on Christmas morning we hate spending the whole morning with impatient little faces at our side as we struggle to open things fast enough for them. Aside from that it’s just wasteful and bad for the environment using all that plastic just to make a toy look ‘pretty’ when any child would be more than happy to open a simple cardboard box and find the same wonderful toy inside.
We’ve been wanting a return to the plain cardboard (recyclable I might add) for a long time. I applaud Amazon and also hope this catches on with more retailers.
Posted by lynn - 11/10/2008
Yay! Wonderful move on Amazon’s part.
Posted by Tabitha (From Single to Married) - 11/10/2008
Great idea – now if they can just use this with flash cards or any other product that is placed in those protective plastic coverings! I hate buying those products and having to use scissors just to open them up!
Posted by Joy (from Just Plain Joy) - 11/10/2008
This is a great green idea! It’s not only frustration free, it’s good for the environment!
Posted by CAB - 11/10/2008
I agree 100%! I order office supplies at my work place it seemed like the smaller the item I ordered, the larger the box is came in. It really frustrated me to go through all those plastic air bags, knowing that it was a complete waste of plastic and resources.
Posted by JefferyK - 11/10/2008
Didn’t Sears used to do this? When I was a kid, all of our gifts came from the Sears holiday catalog, and the toys were packaged in plain cardboard boxes.
Posted by Battra92 - 11/10/2008
I love this idea. Heck, I’m all for all items being packaged this way. Sure it will never catch on for everything but for those like myself who buy 99% of their purchases online it seems that we could really cut down on packaging costs if more things were sold this way.
To me toys and games should be in nice cardboard boxes. If they are going to have that wretched plastic for the toy itself they may as well skip it on their packaging.
Posted by Lord Dragon - 11/10/2008
And with smaller boxes the shipping companuies can get more product on their trucks, making it more efficient to operate, possibly bringing down costs to ship items.
Posted by Rue - 11/10/2008
@Senorita Puri: Since Amazon is an online company, you can see the product before you buy it…you don’t need to see a colorful box when you get it, because you already know what you’re getting. Also, cheaper packaging may not equal a cheaper product, but it may equal cheaper shipping costs (eventually)!
Posted by sk - 11/10/2008
I’m fine with this as long as the manufacturer’s name is not visible on the mailing of the packaging!! (not saying amazon would be nice, too)
Yes, the little ones will love knowing that a family member got them their present from amazon & knowing that it is FP or any of the other toy manufacturers… and they may even open it BEFORE the adult gets home!!
Posted by Monique in TX - 11/10/2008
Great idea! Kudos to Amazon. The customers they will lose, though, are the collectors who plan to keep the item in the original packaging.
Posted by gayle - 11/10/2008
@ Senorita Puri and Rue…
This is a much greener way to package, and a simple one-color printed corrugated cardboard box is definitely less expensive to manufacture than the die-cut, 4C process printed, plastic insert, steel twist-tie fasteners and tape package. It should also help them when they pack out cases n a pallet. Therefore, I do hope that the savings is being passed on to the customer.
Gayle (package designer)
Posted by Sarah H. - 11/10/2008
I heard about this last week and I have to say I am quite pleased they are doing it. I buy a lot from Amazon and it will be nice to have less frustrating packaging.
Posted by Fit Bottomed Girls - 11/10/2008
Awesome. All the moms and dads in the US just started cheering.
Posted by Shawn Levasseur - 11/10/2008
Not suprising that this is happening.
Amazon is a big enough retailer that they can now demand packaging that suits their needs, much as other large retailers do.
Packaging that is used to discourage shoplifting or returns is somethnig that Amazon doesn’t need or want. They don’t need attractive packaging, just photos and descriptions for the website.
What they do want are means to minimize their shipping costs. Smaller dimensions, better protection against damage while shipping. Ability to slap a shipping sticker on the product itself instead of packaging it inside another box.
“Frustration free packaging” is probably just a side effect of this that they are now promoting.
There may or may not be an environmental benefit, but the only “green” that Amazon is looking to save is money. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)
Posted by DJ - 11/10/2008
Most toys are packaged in plastic that is so hard to open, and sharp as glass once cut.
I even saw a commercial recently for individually wrapped prunes, for goodness sake. What’s next? Individually wrapped raisins?
Truly, the packaging industry has grown like a crazed monster in this country.
Posted by Julia1060 - 11/10/2008
Excited to see this – sending less to the recycling bin (or landfill) is a BIG plus in my book.
Posted by Hai Vu - 11/10/2008
to Señorita Puri
The original box works in the physical store setting, where people actually see the boxes in person. For Amazon, the shopping is done online, the box is less important than the actual merchandise.
Quote:
2.- the original box is colourful, plays with the emotions that big texts transmit, let’s you see the product… the amazon one turns all the suprise into a nothing. It’s like dressing a top model into a card board box, instead of an armani dress because that way you save in fabric. nope, I don’t buy this one.
End Quote
Posted by Amanda @ www.kiddio.org - 11/10/2008
Oh, thank GOD! I’m sick of struggling with the fifteen randomly twisted metal ties holding each toy and accessory into its little box. Not to mention ditching all that PETE plastic that’s molded around the toy. Ugh. Since we’re not browsing the store shelves, doesn’t seem like box-design matters much anyway.
Amanda @ http://www.kiddio.org
Posted by Sandy - 11/10/2008
I’m delighted that Amazon is trying this too. I have cut my hands on some of the packages that I have had to stab with scissors to get open. I just hope that they reduce their outer packaging too. I received one pair of pants in a large box with those plastic pillow things “protecting” them.
Posted by Clare K. R. Miller - 11/10/2008
That’s fantastic! Go Amazon!
I hope they’re also working on reducing the amount of wasted plastic and cardboard in their shipping, too. I don’t understand why the books I buy need to be held to a piece of cardboard with shrinkwrap…
Posted by Bertie Ranger - 11/10/2008
That is so cool!! I’m so excited. I usually hate unpackaging most products- with all the twists and ties and even just getting the plastic seperated from the box is hard.
Great concept- and I too hope it catches on with MANY retailers:)
Posted by Karen - 11/10/2008
Way to go Amazon! It’s about time the message about reduced packaging got through to the manufacturers. We consumers individually have such a small voice, and among the corporations, there has been little push for change. It’s nice to see a company taking a stand on the issue. This Christmas, I will support your initiative with my credit card!
Posted by Another Deb - 11/10/2008
I know that shippers are trying to standardize the size of the boxes they use but I was still surprised when an order of 4 marking pens from an office supply company was shipped in a box the size of a small suitcase. I reordered the same items and again it came in the luggage sized box! They make padded envelopes…
Posted by Tania - 11/10/2008
that’s AWESOME! Packaging is so needless and wasteful!
Posted by Crystal - 11/11/2008
From my experience as a professional organizer, so much of people’s office and home clutter comes from packaging. Thank goodness that Amazon is trying to do something to contribute less to the mess.
Read more of my thoughts on packaging clutter in my article How to Stop Drowning in Gadgetry – all the stuff that comes with your new gadget, including manuals, accessories and packaging.
- Crystal
Sparkleize.com
Posted by ShopLittleGifts - 11/11/2008
yes, I love love love this idea. 1) it saves the earth 2) i hate opening the impossibly sealed electronics/toys/gadgets etc.
Posted by jocelyn - 11/11/2008
YAY!!
Posted by Wendy - 11/11/2008
That makes me want to buy all my Christmas gifts from Amazon instead of anywhere else. Yeah!!
Posted by just me - 11/11/2008
This is awesome!
Signed, she who spent over an hour opening just ONE of her daughter’s b-day gifts. AN HOUR! Twist ties and clear rubber bands everywhere.
Posted by Amy Jones - 11/15/2008
I emailed Amazon last summer about the excessive packaging used to mail me 2 bottles of herbal supplements on their “subscription” program– they couldn’t combine the shipment so I got 2 boxes, each 12 times bigger than the bottle, with plastic filler, papers, etc etc…. This month, my herbs arrived in yellow envelopes lined with bubble wrap. I will email them one more suggestion– the bubble wrap isn’t necessary and the plastic is what I want to see reduced.
Posted by db - 11/20/2008
I’m all for this with one caveat.
The item I’m ordering MUST come to me in pristine condition.
I’ve returned several books to amazon in the past year because their packaging did not prevent the book covers from becoming damaged. They used to do a better job of it. I will not accept a brand new book without a cover in brand new condition (or any other merchandise in less than brand new condition.
Posted by Frustration Free Packaging « The Daily Ping - 01/12/2010
[...] shorter time-to-FUN! as the kids open toys. And, of course, less crap to toss in the landfill. As Unclutterer points out, Amazon is working directly with manufacturers to implement this new packaging “right off of [...]
Comments are closed for this entry.