Safety Helps Your Bottom Line

Bottom line considerations are never more important than the safety of your employees operating the machinery.

A staggering number of packages are shipped by businesses and individuals every year. UPS alone handled 5.1 billion packages and documents in 2017. Regardless of the number your company contributed to that stream, when it comes to your packaging operations, you need equipment that increases both efficiency and effectiveness.

For example, you want water-activated tape (WAT) dispensers that help your team get more cartons sealed faster, and ensures that they are sealed securely with a single strip of Water-activated tape for a professional appearance. These factors contribute to a better bottom line. However, bottom line considerations are never more important than the safety of your employees operating the machinery.

Go to BetterPackages.com for our specific UL-certified tape dispensers.

The Challenges of E-Commerce for Sporting Goods Retailers

Ten billion dollars. That was the aggregate spending on sporting goods online in 2015. For several years, the sporting goods industry has been one of the top industries involved in online purchases, according to US Department of Commerce. And there’s no sign of that slowing down. That means sporting goods retailers will be shipping a lot of athletic footwear, exercise equipment, licensed sports merchandise and athletic apparel in the years to come.

Sporting goods have been among the top online purchases, and there’s no sign of that slowing down

Sporting goods retailers will be sending those goods to some of the most finicky customers there are; the young, tech-savvy, and restless members of Gen Y and Gen Z. These consumers want today’s hottest athletic wear and trendiest sneakers. And they want them now. Hence, the expanding role of e-commerce sales in this sector.

The sporting goods industry is one of the most competitive and dynamic industries. Those involved must keep up with constantly changing models of sports equipment, rising competition and consumers who are both cost-sensitive and tech-savvy enough to shop for the best deals. Not to mention the seasonality of the market.

Shipping such high-priced, theft-worthy and sometimes heavy items requires a secure carton. One that can pass through the supply chain intact. One that can protect against the twin hazards of theft and environmental conditions. That’s where water-activated tape comes in.

Let’s take a look at each of these hazards and ways to cope with them:

Theft Thwarted – The lure of getting their hands-on today’s hottest sneakers may be too much to resist for someone in the supply chain. To make sure that hot pair of sneakers makes it to the customer who ordered them online, shippers will need a theft-resistant box. One that can’t be easily opened without leaving evidence. Water-activated packaging tape is tamper-evident and forms a complete bond with the carton itself, allowing for maximum strength and security. Because the adhesive actually bonds to the carton, once someone tries to remove it there is very visible evidence of their attempts.

Supply Chain Endured – Moving from warehouse to truck and hand-to-hand means a carton filled with baseball caps and baseballs needs to be tough. Water-activated tape can be reinforced with fiberglass fibers. These give extra strength to the seal. So, no matter how high those boxes are stacked in the truck or how many times they are exposed to the environment, the tape’s seal holds. It holds through the cold of winter and the humidity of summer. This means the Red Sox fan will get a cap that looks as good on his head in Fenway Park as it did on the retailer’s website.

Heavy Cartons Sealed – Many sporting good items ordered online are heavy.  Whether it’s a set of kettle bells for someone’s at home workout or 40 hockey sticks for a varsity hockey team, the pressure put on the box can be significant. When testers stressed cartons sealed with water-activated tape, it took 60 pounds of pressure for the cartons to break. By contrast, when the cartons were sealed with pressure–sensitive tape, it took only 16.8 pounds of pressure to open them. Those were the conclusions of an industry-leading testing and verification company, SGS North America. Intertape Polymer Group (IPG) and its brand, Better Packages, commissioned the tests to help customers compare the performance of water-activated tape and pressure-sensitive tape.

And there’s another benefit for shippers. Water-activated tape offers e-commerce shippers a way to support their brand. In a sector as competitive as athletic wear and equipment, your brand is everything. Why shouldn’t the box that brings those yoga pants promote the brand that brought them to the customer? It can. Water-activated tape can be custom-printed to show off your logo, your slogan, seasonal offerings or even messages that encourage your customers’ fitness journeys. It’s a branding opportunity that many online shippers miss.

The growth of e-commerce in the sports and fitness arena shows no sign of slowing. And chances are you’ll be challenged to meet the demands of these increasingly sophisticated customers in new ways in the coming years. Doesn’t it make sense to seal those orders to protect the excitement and happiness you created them to deliver?

Like to learn more about tape performance and shipping? Download this FREE ebook for tape dispensing packaging solutions

Better Packages | Water-Activated Tape Dispensers and Tape

Better Packages offers a complete line of water-activated tape dispensers. Its parent company, Intertape Polymer Group, sells a full line of Central® brand water-activated tape, including reinforced and non-reinforced tape. In addition to providing products for packing stations, the companies help their customers analyze and solve their packing station challenges.

[This post republished from the Better Packages Blog]

The Unique Demands of Shipping Fine Jewelry Purchased Online

Would someone buy a 5 carat diamond online? Or a strand of pearls? Leading companies in the jewelry business like Tiffany, Harry Winston and Mikimoto say yes. And they are already positioning themselves to take advantage of this accelerating trend. Others in the luxury jewelry business are jumping on the bandwagon too, as industry insiders forecast a growing trend towards online luxury jewelry sales.

Industry insiders forecast a growing trend towards online luxury jewelry sales

There’s no question that the fine jewelry market’s acceptance of e-commerce has been slower than other aspects of retail. That’s changing. “Growth in the global jewelry market is being fueled by the shift to e-commerce,” according to a piece in Forbes called “As Fine Jewelry Moves Online, The Market Sparkles.” The article cites statistics from Research and Markets that forecasts that the market for online fine jewelry sales will grow to capture 10 percent of all jewelry sales by 2020. Given that this market was $257 billion in 2017 (and growing at five percent a year), that’s a significant amount. Hence, the interest of industry icons like Tiffany & Co. in getting involved in online sales.

For retailers that want to jump into this market, there are significant challenges especially when it comes to protecting their precious cargo from the dangers of the supply chain. They will need to find ways to insure the security and safety of these expensive shipments as they travel to consumers’ front doors.

Retailers of fine jewelry need to know their customers’ purchases will arrive intact and safely. They need to feel confident that no one will access the carton’s contents during transport and that the integrity of the box is maintained.

Water-activated packaging tape in conjunction with a Better Packages’ electric water-activated packaging tape dispensers is a powerful tool to do that. It provides the security and strength that packages carrying such expensive items deserve and customers expect.

A Barrier Against Theft

Fine jewelry travels in a small package, placing it at high risk for theft. As these packages move through the supply chain, retailers need to know that they won’t be easy targets for theft. Water-activated packaging tape is tamper-evident and forms a complete bond with the carton itself, allowing for maximum strength and security.

A Protector Against the Elements

Water-activated tape is reinforced with crossing fibers and has an adhesive that “welds” to corrugate boxes. Water-activated tape has a starch-based adhesive that aggressively bonds to corrugated cartons, even in dusty or dirty environments. It protects against extremes in cold, heat, light and humidity that the shipment might be exposed to. This gives retailers the assurance that their packages will arrive intact and ready to delight their customers.

Get Ready for Growth in On-Line Jewelry Sales

Up-and-coming segments of consumers are online savvy and expect to get what they want with the swipe of their phones or a click of their mouse. Retailers of online fine jewelry will need to be ready to meet the expectations of this demanding group of consumers. Projections are that online jewelry sales will continue to flourish steadily for the next few years. Retailers who understand the challenges of shipping jewelry safely and securely will be in a position to take advantage of that growth.

Like to give water-activated tape a try? Request a FREE Sample

Better Packages | Water-Activated Tape Dispensers and Tape

Better Packages offers a complete line of water-activated tape dispensers.  Its parent company, Intertape Polymer Group, sells a full line of Central® brand water-activated tape, including reinforced and non-reinforced tape.  In addition to providing products for packing stations, the companies help their customers analyze and solve their packing station challenges.

[This post republished from the Better Packages Blog]

The Latest in Durability and Strength

IPG's PE7 Tape doesn't stretch like other PE Tapes

Polyethylene film tapes usually stretch a lot during application. This stretch is caused by its orientation during manufacturing when cast or blown. Because it has no scrim reinforcement normally found in duct tape (also PE film-based), PE tape will stretch, spreading the adhesive out across the surface of the film thus lowering the adhesion and grip over time. 

Stucco and polyethylene film tapes such as IPG's PE7 are manufactured differently and do not stretch like other PE film tapes. This innovation prevents loss of adhesion and grip – even on UNeven surfaces!

Jeff Coats
Director - Market Development
Intertape Polymer Group

Reducing Repetitive Motion Injuries at Packing Stations

Repetitive motion injuries, like carpal tunnel syndrome, are a common concern for shippers operating packing stations. These repetitive motion injuries are one of the 10 most common causes of Workers' Comp claims. They cost employers in all industries $1.8 billion each year, according to the Insurance Journal.

Repetitive motion injuries are a concern for workers operating packing stations

What can shippers, especially high-volume e-commerce shippers, do to prevent these on-the-job injuries? We asked three Better Packages Senior Vertical Sales Managers to talk about their impact and discuss some of the solutions they suggest when they consult with customers about packaging station safety. The three experts are:

✔ Michelle Adams
✔ Rob Hoffman
✔ Marc Schaible

Why are these injuries so common among packing station workers? Our experts pointed to the use manual tape guns to seal packages. Particularly in a high-volume environment, these hand-held tape guns result in the overuse of a particular muscle or group of muscles. “An individual may experience repetitive motion injuries in pack stations because of their recurring gripping or grasping of tape guns in high volume packing environments. This can generate a lot of wear and tear on the hand, wrist and elbows. This results in injuries,” points out Adams. “We have learned from our customers that the most common injury is carpal tunnel syndrome. It often comes when workers use a hand-held tape gun that forces them to apply pressure on their wrists repetitively to use these sealing devices.”

Concern about these injuries is one of the biggest motivators for shippers to switch to electric water-activated tape dispensers. “We have developed programs for a number of customers that say this was a motivating factor in their decision to convert to electric water-activated tape dispensers, says Schaible. “They wanted to eliminate packer injuries in the hand and wrist due to the repetitive motions needed to use a manual tape gun.”

In many cases, changing to electric water-activated tape machines has a dramatic impact on worker safety. “In our experience these dispensers eliminate most pack stations injuries because the associate does not need to repeatedly pull, push and tear tape to secure a package as they do with a hand-held tape gun,” says Hoffman. Adams concurs: “The electric water-activated tape dispensers really do help eliminate carpal tunnel syndrome in pack stations because using them does not require consistent repetitive motions in workers’ hands, wrists and elbows.”

Many e-commerce shippers concerned about repetitive motion injuries have turned to Better Packages electric water-activated dispensers. “If a customer is concerned about repetitive motion injuries, we help inform them about Better Packages electric dispensers.  These are used in 35 out of the top 50 leading e-commerce fulfillment centers,” says Adams. “We think that’s because Better Packages electric dispensers are the most reliable machines and improve employee safety by effectively eliminating repetitive motion in the hand, wrist and elbows.”

Schaible sums up the reasons that so many customers are eliminating repetitive motion injuries this way: “Water-activated tape dispensed through a Better Packages electric dispenser is the safest way to seal a carton. It reduces packer movements and fatigue over the course of a shift and therefore reduces the potential for injury.”

Learn more about using water-activated tape dispensers and water-activated tape.

Better Packages | Water-Activated Tape Dispensers and Tape

Better Packages offers a complete line of water-activated tape dispensers.  Its parent company, Intertape Polymer Group, sells a full line of Central® brand water-activated tape, including reinforced and non-reinforced tape. In addition to providing products for packing stations, the companies help their customers analyze and solve their packing station challenges.

[This post republished from the Better Packages Blog]