With seasonal holidays most people surrender to the seasonal spirit and indulge in anything remotely “holiday themed.” Savvy retailers understand the benefits of seasonal packaging and make every attempt to draw shoppers in, whether it’s through frosting the windows during Christmas, stocking easter themed products or having staff wear seasonal outfits.

Something else that appears on shelves during these times is the increase of seasonal packaging. From adding a sprig of mistletoe here and there to an Easter egg basket or a big display of colour for that seasonal pop, retailers are looking for creative and innovative ways to increase sales throughout the seasons. It can be quite difficult to always change your packaging, especially if you’ve financially invested in a certain look and feel. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t take advantage of seasonal changes. Ribbons are an excellent way to do this.

Here are three reasons to use changeable ribbons when you’re planning your seasonal packaging:

1. Depending on your product, not every holiday will be suitable for seasonal packaging. Food and beverages usually do well on all occasions - Easter, Halloween, Christmas etc. Other consumables, like toiletries or cleaning products may be harder to promote during these occasions. If your brand does not fully align with these seasonal holidays, there’s always an ever-increasing number of celebrations to target. Making small alterations to packaging is a great way to keep your brand relevant in the minds of consumers, as well as increase your sales. Sprucing up your packaging by changing the colour of the ribbon to suit the occasion for example is a great way to add some creativity. This can be also be a cost-effective solution, especially if you haven’t updated your designs in a while.

2. When you’re planning season-related packaging there is more to consider than simply the design. A common mistake is over-stocking products that feature seasonal designs. The danger here is that, come the end of the holiday, you may be left with a large amount of packaging that is no longer relevant once the season has passed. Remember, brand consistency is also important and ensuring that you keep your brand recognisable, so you do not confuse your customer base, is vital. Instead of ordering seasonal branded packaging why not get a specific season ribbon colour. For example, you could use a ribbon in an ice colour, like our bluebell grosgrain ribbon, to compliment your packaging for Christmas. Changing the focus from specifically Christmas to a winter theme, means your packaging stays relevant for a longer period of time.

3. During the holidays, trying to capture the attention of shoppers is hard, especially in a competitive market.  Adding a touch of creativity to your packaging designs is one way to stand out from the crowd. Packaging waste has become an issue in recent years and consumers have become more conscious of their carbon footprint. You can consider changing your regular boxes to our eco-friendly Natural Kraft Boxes that will make your packaging more sustainable. You can also offer reusable packaging or show your consumers examples of how they can re-use your packaging. When ribbons are added to our boxes, it really gives it that extra look, which means customers will have no problem reusing it.

Creating seasonal packaging for your product is a good way to increase sales at selected points throughout the year. By including small seasonal elements in packaging using colours, alternating ribbons or a different packaging design, you can turn your product into something many will be looking for during special occasions like the holidays.

Nicole Hines