Econoflex boxes CBD tinctures amid burgeoning e-commerce market

10 Jun 2020 --- Customized shipping box provider Packlane has launched Econoflex shipping boxes for online commerce. The company notes it has received “several hundred customers” in the past few months alone. One of these customers is Spruce CBD, a US-based premium cannabidiol (CBD) supplier. It made the switch from a plain Kraft corrugated box to the fully recyclable corrugated Econoflex box within just a month, noting that it provides a “higher-quality solution with a more appealing brand message.” The customizable, eco-friendly boxes arrived just in time for the burgeoning demand for online commerce caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“While it wasn’t planned, we believe that the recent shift to an online economy as a result of coronavirus was the perfect time to launch Econoflex. As more companies are driven into e-commerce by the stresses on brick-and-mortar retail from the COVID-19 pandemic, they are looking for ways to differentiate themselves without breaking the bank,” Karen Goeller, Product Manager at Packlane, tells PackagingInsights.

“Econoflex gives [customers] the opportunity to have a clearly branded, sturdy and attractive delivery box that represents their brand and enhances customer satisfaction, at prices that are in the range of a less-attractive generic blank box,” she continues.

The company sells CBD at a higher price than the market average to reinforce perceptions of product quality.Tapping into this trend, Innova Market Insights pegged “Packing an e-Punch” as its third top packaging trend for 2020. “In a world where consumers are inundated with marketing messages online, a physical branding experience stands out and becomes an ambassador for the brand throughout the supply chain,” Goeller explains. 

“When a customer receives a beautiful, custom-made box at their doorstep it increases their satisfaction and brand affinity. Additionally, custom packaging boosts word-of-mouth marketing and, viral social media sharing.” Spruce CBD made the switch to the custom packaging in February. Currently, the company is only shipping within the US, considering it suffered many losses with packages seized by border control. However, it hopes to expand in mid-2020. 

High-quality packaging, high-quality products
What’s printed on the box is becoming increasingly as important as what’s inside the box. The CBD company sells its products at a higher price than the market average to ensure customers their products work. “We have a lot of customers in pain who have wasted money on CBD products in the past that didn’t work for them. We don’t want to be known as another brand that didn’t work. We want to be known for providing real relief quickly,” the company states.

Standing out in the blossoming CBD market has increasingly become important considering the slew of NPD in foods and beverages, as well as personal care and pharma applications. Considering “cheaper, low dose CBD doesn’t seem to offer much relief,” Spruce CBD offers a topical CBD skin cream (300 mg) for targeted relief applied directly to the skin. 

The company also offers three CBD oil tinctures for relief (750 ml), maximum strength relief (2400 mg) and dog food (750 ml). “If you start with one dropper full twice per day, it’s likely you will notice improvement within one to three days,” it maintains.

The boxes are customizable to cater to indvidual customer requests.Flexography versus Econoflex
The Econoflex print technology achieves “crisp, fine lines and half-tone designs,” which are comparable to flexographic printing. However, Goeller sees significant issues with flexography that Econoflex direct-contact printing can circumvent.

“Flexography has expensive set up costs that make it cost-effective only for higher volumes, typically 10,000 boxes or more, and plate production can take anywhere from several days to several weeks. Our Econoflex direct-contact printing can be turned around as quickly as standard digital, has no setup charges or plate costs, and is cost-effective at both low and high volumes.”

Creating metal print plates for flexography can take a long time – days or even weeks, she maintains. Opting out of the plates trims significant time from production, especially compared to traditional flexographic print processes. 

“Those plates are not only expensive, but also lock in the artwork, sizing, and placement for all future orders, and they need to be stored for future use. With Econoflex, the lack of metal plates offers the customer an opportunity to adjust their artwork for each order, avoids the necessity of storage and reduces cost and time,” Goeller concludes. 

By Anni Schleicher