The unboxing experience is an important customer touchpoint for eCommerce, subscription boxes, and other ship-to-home businesses. As a result, packaging offers a unique opportunity to make a tangible brand impression. With Pratt’s inside print capabilities, customers have a unique opportunity to reinforce brand values inside the box.
One such customer, Lauren James, is very focused on its brand message. Lauren James is a women’s apparel brand inspired by the best of the south and driven by modern styling. According to Inc Magazine, this Fayetteville, Arkansas-based company has more than 100 employees, three retail locations, and $13 million in revenue, up 6,009% since 2013.
When Pratt Industries was asked to optimize their packaging supply chain and improve sustainability while preserving brand and overall customer experience, the team was up for the challenge. At the time, Lauren James was using numerous carton sizes which impacted supply chain efficiency. Pratt reduced the number of core box sizes, as well as presented multi-depth boxes for all wholesale fulfillment for more efficient operational throughput. Pratt continues to innovate on behalf of Lauren James including a redesigned t-shirt and dress box.
In addition, because their primary customer is a young college female, many of the eCommerce shipments are delivered to University housing and multi-family residences. Before the Pratt redesign, their boxes were white and branded with pink lettering on the exterior with a large pink bow printed on the outside – a signature of the brand. In fact, they were so well branded on the exterior, it led to a problem with theft – the pretty boxes left on customer doorsteps became targets for others to take.
Pratt developed a creative solution to ensure successful delivery without compromising the Southern Preppy brand impression or superior customer experience. Because sustainability was also a driver, Pratt presented the option to use 100% recycled Kraft boxes and removed the print from the outside. They now use inside print and leave the outside blank. Theft is no longer an issue and customers are so wowed by the interior print, there are more pictures and videos of the unboxing experience on social media than ever before – resulting in a happy customer and successful in-box experience!
