Packaging Corner: Streamline your pack and ship process

From clothing and shoes to electronics, returns are a major consideration for e-commerce shoppers. In fact, it’s estimated that 30% of all e-commerce shipments are returned. That’s compared to half that rate for brick-and-mortar retail purchases.

Now, plenty of reasons exist for returns other than everyone’s favorite—I changed my mind. Thirty percent of shoppers deliberately over purchase to make a final comparison at home. A large number of returns are due to damaged goods, wrong items and other events out of the control of the shopper.

Furthermore, 80% of shoppers say inconvenient returns deter them from buying in the first place. While some of the solution here is based on the seller’s return policy, the linchpin is often the labels and lists that arrive with you order.

Tony Venice, director of product marketing at Toshiba America Business Solutions, says 40% of e-commerce shipments have some mix up in the labels and lists department.

“The shipping label, packing list and return label all need to match up. But oftentimes, the wrong ones are put in the shipping box during the packing process. “It’s simple human error that makes any return immeasurably more difficult,” Venice adds.

But, it doesn’t have to be that way. One solution, he explains, is a two-sided printer such as Toshiba’s DB-EA4D direct thermal printer. If the model jargon is too much to keep in mind, it’s also known as the 2ST, for two-sided thermal printer. The 2ST prints both sides with the correct information in one pass. Not only does it save time, but it ensures the right lists/labels are in the right box. If coupons or other promotional materials specific to that customer are desired, they too can be double-side printed and packed.

It’s worth noting that this printer is not for extremely high-volume, e-commerce operations. You won’t see it at Amazon or Walmart, says Venice. Instead, it is well suited to medium- and small-sized e-commerce operations. While the print rate is 6 inches per second, the label must be manually affixed to the shipping box or packed inside.

And while this column started out focused on e-commerce, the 2ST has other applications, too, says Venice. These include shipment of manufactured goods from the plant to retailers as well as nationwide transportation by third-party logistics providers. A major auto parts company is using the 2ST to ship parts to customers.

But the way things have gone with e-commerce in this pandemic year (nothing but up) makes it clear that two-sided printing has a place in the shipping department. Anything that can save time, reduce the opportunity for human error and remove steps in shipping has something going for it. Who knows, you may even start to take an even closer look at that e-commerce order sitting on your doorstep.