Inside-the-Box Printing: Packaging No Longer Invisible In E-Comm Era BY PAUL STACK There was a time when a box was just a box. Brown. Func- tional. Unnoticed. It did its job, protected the product, moved through the supply chain, and then vanished with-
The Perfect Combo Get Peak Performance From Your Equipment with Matched Component Sets
out a second thought. But then some- thing changed. E-commerce didn’t just shift how we buy, it changed where brands show up. Today, the box doesn’t disappear, it arrives. It lands on a customer’s door- step as the brand’s first physical mo- ment of truth and in many cases, the
Paul Stack
only one that ever makes it inside the home. There’s no store. No shelf. No sales associate. Just that box. And in that moment, the packaging isn’t just protecting the prod- uct, it is the brand. That changes everything. Back in 2021, I presented data on the rise of e-com- merce and the impact of the COVID lockdown. The real question now is whether that was just a temporary spike in the data or an early signal of a lasting change. Revisit- ing that information today, the transformation is even more compelling and pronounced: • $6.4 trillion in projected 2026 global e commerce sales • Nearly 20 percent of global retail sales is now conduct- ed online • $80 billion in the e commerce packaging market, with corrugated enjoying a $34 billion wallet share This isn’t a trend anymore; it’s a structural shift. By 2028, estimates are that half the global population aged 14+ will be active online shoppers. That reality raises the bar: packaging must work harder, driving brand impact, ef- ficiency, and customer engagement. Consumers aren’t walking into brick-and-mortar stores the way they once did. In the U.S., we’re now seeing re- tail malls, once the center of community life, being torn down and replaced with mixed-use developments. So the dynamic has flipped. The brand no longer waits for the consumer to walk in; the brand now walks into the home. And when it does, it doesn’t arrive as a storefront or a shelf display. It arrives as a box on the doorstep. The unboxing moment is no longer trivial, it’s the brand’s last, best chance to make an impression. And the data backs it up: • 62 percent of consumers use unboxing videos as part of their online purchase research • 100+ billion total views using #unboxing searches • 30-40 percent of consumers say they would share unique packaging online Going back to my retail roots, I’ve always valued the in-store shopping experience. But my turning point came during the pandemic, when stores were closed and I or- dered hand soaps from Bath & Body Works. The box ar- CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
Nothing’s more rewarding than a couple made for each other.
That’s why the engineers at ARC International have focused their skills and talents on crafting perfect matches between the components that must work in tandem on your flexo folder gluers and die-cutters: • Anilox Rollers and Ink Chambers • Anilox and Wiper Rollers • Feed and Pull Rollers • Glue and Meter Rollers You can achieve the press speeds and print quality you need to fill your most demanding orders by pairing your team with The ARChitects of Flexo . Contact ARC today to learn how these engineered matches of flexo folder gluer and die-cutter components (new or reconditioned) can help you achieve a more perfect union of production and profits.
The ARChitects of Flexo
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ARCInternational.com 800-526-4569
14 June 1, 2026
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