This part of the packaging journey is split into 2 sections, shopping in stores and internet shopping. In 2005 over 20 million adults in the UK purchased goods via the internet, we have listed some of the issues with packing and sending out orders below.

At a retailer

Once the goods have reached the retailer, packaging should:

• be easy to handle and stack onto the shelves
• be conveniently and safely displayed - products are often displayed in packaging that we do not take home, this is often recycled or reused and helps to protect the goods and us; for example by preventing products from falling off shelves and onto us!
• protect products from theft - especially for smaller, more valuable items
• have sales impact - the design of the packaging can have an impact on the sale-ability of the product
• be tamper proof - many types of packaging now offer seals which show if a product has already been opened

Internet Shopping

In many cases we do not see the packaging on the internet as images usually focus on the product. The principle is the same though, goods must reach you in pristine condition.

Millions of products are ordered online each year, and they are all different shapes and sizes. The goods are usually dispatched from warehouses which often use machines to package and send out the goods using standard sized boxes

This system of packing goods does mean that some boxes will be slightly larger than the product. It is within companies interests to keep the box as small as possible as this will mean smaller postage charges and therefore more profits or offering more competitive prices to the public.