E-Commerce Packaging Solutions

How does an online retailer truly delight a consumer? By making their experience frustration-free.

As more people shop online for household goods, clothing and more, it becomes critical for online retailers to ship their products in secondary packaging that is easy to open. At H.B. Fuller, we help enhance the consumer “unboxing experience” by providing our customers with e-commerce packaging solutions that are easy to open and do not require the use of box cutting tools, which can damage the products inside.

Our Open Sesame® tear tape application offers strong tear-through performance. It maintains the integrity of the box, making it ideal for secondary packaging. Once the consumer is finished using the box, the Open Sesame tape is separated out during the Old Corrugated Container re-pulping process, allowing the packaging to be fully recycled.

Open Sesame tear tape also can be leveraged as a critical component of Ship In Own Container (SIOC) packaging design for robust packaging, such as dog food that is ordered online and shipped to consumers.

SIOC packaging is an e-commerce industry term, created by Amazon, used to describe packaging that is shipped to end users without the need for secondary packaging. SIOC is desirable because it reduces excess packaging, which supports the circular economy trend and helps make the consumer experience “frustration-free.”

When used in SIOC packaging design, Open Sesame tear tapes create an omni-channel packaging design that can be leveraged for e-commerce and retail stores.

Easy-opening 

Question: How do I delight customers with a pleasant box opening experience? 

Solution: Our Sesame opening tape ensures a strong tear opening on lightweight mailers through heavier double wall boxes.  These tapes enable a pleasant unboxing experience, making the packaging easy to open with no cutting tools required – promoting safety and usability. Consumers often say that packages using Open Sesame are fun and enjoyable to open. Check out this consumer unboxing video that uses Open Sesame.

Application methods 

Question: How is Open Sesame applied to standard size packaging? 

Solution: For standard packages shipped via e-commerce, Open Sesame is a pressure-sensitive adhesive tear tape that can be applied inline at the dry end of a corrugator or offline, intermittently on converting equipment, like a folder-gluer. 

 Question: How is Open Sesame applied to robust packaging? 

Solution: For robust packages, Open Sesame is a hot melt adhesive tear tape that is applied on the wet end of the corrugator. These tapes make it effortless to tear through heavier boards combination. 

Tamper resistance 

Question: How do I prevent tampering through the supply chain?

Solution: Our Close-Sesame™ tape has aggressive adhesion to seal the shipping box and prevent tampering with the product inside. The shipping box can become even more secure by also including a Sesame opening tape. Sesame opening tape provides a clean-tear opening through the fiberboard that makes it evident that the box has been opened, versus traditional tapes that seal the top flaps of a box. This combination provides secure closing with an easy-opening feature that double secures the content from tampering. 

H.B. Fuller's Close-Sesame™ closing solutions allow for easy, user-friendly peel and seal fulfillment. It is an inline application that can be integrated into the dry end of the corrugator and utilized by online retailers who want to ship and return consumer packaged goods in the same box. If consumers need to return goods purchased online, they simply remove the release liners included on the corrugated box and seal the box closed. Adding Close-Sesame technology to your packaging design enables efficient product returns that improve the consumer brand experience. It is suitable for simple and complex packaging designs. 

For corrugators, the tape dispensing system does not require slowing down of the corrugator’s speed, and the Close-Sesame tape is applied continuously by roll-to-roll splicing capability. In addition to corrugated, Close-Sesame tape can be applied intermittently onto paper bags and mailers for tamper-proof sealing.

Additionally, H.B. Fuller’s Swift®melt hot melt adhesives are designed for easy returns of consumer goods, such as books, small electronics and apparel, packaged inside paper mailers or corrugated boxes. They can be applied with a slot nozzle in combination with a release liner and has excellent bond strength. The adhesives have been validated by external laboratory CTP as enabling efficient recyclability of e-commerce packaging.

Benefits of H.B. Fuller Easy Closing Packaging Solutions: 

• High initial tack for instant adhesion, which provides packaging tamper evidence 
• Preserves packaging integrity 
• Improves brand experience  
• Enables reuse of packaging in line with circular economy  
• Easily separates out during re-pulping process to enable for efficient packaging recycling 

Whether you prefer double-sided closing tape or hot melt pressure sensitive adhesives, H.B. Fuller has two efficient options for e-commerce closing solutions.

Returnable and user friendly

Question: How do I make certain that the shipping box will be reused to return goods if needed? 

Solution: Our Close-Sesame solutions enable your shipping box to become a returnable, all-in-one application. The package can be designed to use closing tape to reseal the box for returns. The reclosing tape is added inline at the corrugator for optimal efficiency and provides the end customer a package with an easy peel and seal closing capability that does not require the use of packing tape. This design with integrated Close-Sesame tape closures encourages consumers to use the same box to ship the returns back.

Efficient fulfillment

Question: How do I speed up the packing and fulfillment process? 

Solution: Close-Sesame tape is used to improve fulfillment operations. Its peel and seal closing improves the time and labor associated with box closing and is cleaner and faster than gluing applications. This cost-effective solution can be added to the board inline using intermittent tape applicators to reduce waste. It also can be applied offline, if desired. 

Online retail is ever-changing, and it’s vital to partner with a complete e-commerce solutions provider that can help you change with it. At H.B. Fuller, we manufacture adhesives, starch additives, adhesive coated tapes, and tape dispensing equipment. We are expertly positioned to guide you toward the right e-commerce packaging solutions to meet your sustainable packaging innovation goals. We provide design support and custom mock-ups of packaging and equipment design. Our patented equipment is built, installed and serviced for you, and our technical team is available for on-demand technical support and operator training.

We also have partnerships with industry leaders. Our partnership with Straub® Design Company, a leading intermittent tape dispensing equipment company, strengthens our technical support team by adding inline and stand-alone equipment options that augment your ability to apply dry end tear tape for easy opening. 

Equipment Offerings:

• Wet end application (corrugator) 
• Dry end application (corrugator) 
• Dry end splicing (corrugator) 
• Intermittent applications (converting) 
• Stand-alone applications (converting) 

Additionally, we have a partnership with CMC. CMC is one of the world’s leading e-commerce equipment manufacturers of equipment used to create and seal various goods being fulfilled through online orders, including “box on demand” packaging. “Box on Demand” packaging refers to customized packaging for a product’s exact size and shape, which reduces waste and excess packaging. The fulfillment process is streamlined with the high-speed machines offered by CMC. Our Advantra® hot melt adhesives are specified by CMC and were designed for their equipment to seal the boxes.

No matter your e-commerce equipment needs, we are happy to provide you with expert guidance on the right solution for you.

As the trend of online shopping increases, packaging quality becomes more important to consumers and retailers. Consumers want to receive their purchases in premium condition upon arrival, however, the harsh supply chain can make it difficult for products to arrive safely with packaging aesthetics preserved. Creating an excellent unboxing experience involves a combination of the right packaging and infill that best protects the product and delights people. H.B. Fuller’s moisture-resistant starch additives allow corrugated packaging to withstand harsh weather conditions and protect finished goods.  

Flower market 

The e-commerce flower industry is expanding, and the way that fresh flowers are packaged is critical to the overall success of these businesses. Packaging methods can enhance or diminish the vase life of the flowers. H.B. Fuller recognizes the needs of the online flower industry and developed starch additives that address them. Our starch additives allow you to mist your flowers with water prior to shipping, without the risk of water seeping through and damaging the corrugated packaging. Our starch additives have high moisture resistance that can survive the harsh supply chain and help ensure flowers stay fresh from departure to final destination. They also add functionality and durability to the packaging, while increasing re-usability and re-tripping. 

Online Grocery 

The supply chain for fresh fruits and vegetables is challenging because they must survive long distances in high heat shipping conditions. As more consumers buy groceries online, retailers must decide how to transport produce to consumers in a way that keeps the items safe and fresh. It is critical to the e-commerce buying experience that fruits and vegetables aren’t wilting, bruised or discolored when they arrive on the consumer’s doorstep. H.B. Fuller starch additives strengthen corrugated packaging so that the packaging withstands a wide array of conditions, including rain, snow, and humidity, keeping the produce safe if left outside of the home. Our starch additives increase packaging integrity and add moisture-resistant properties to packaging, which may help protect produce that’s ordered online and shipped directly to consumers. 

General Consumer Goods

The satisfaction of consumers during the unboxing experience is a top priority for e-commerce retailers. Many people are purchasing grocery items and other household goods online, creating a challenge for grocery retailers to maintain the freshness of food during delivery. As the world moves forward, many consumers will continue to rely on the convenience of shopping online, creating a sustained need for efficient, protective moisture-resistant, corrugated packaging.