The online automotive aftermarket retail industry is highly competitive and getting more so every day. How can you gain a strategic advantage in this environment? One way is to reduce your expenses, which gives you more capital for everything from expanding your product line to doing more marketing.

Water-activated tape (WAT) provides significant carton-sealing advantages. Also known as gummed tape, Kraft tape, paper tape, or reinforced gummed tape (when fiberglass is embedded), WAT provides a strong, tamper-evident seal that keeps cartons securely closed both during shipping and while in storage. WAT also delivers a clean, professional look and can even be printed with your logo or other graphics to help increase brand awareness. What’s more, sealing with WAT using an electric, water-activated tape dispenser, has been shown by independent testing to be 21 percent more efficient than sealing with pressure-sensitive plastic tape. What’s the key to capitalizing on all these benefits to improve your company’s profit margin? Knowing how to seal a package with WAT. While it’s a straightforward process, there are some proven tips that can help you maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of your packaging operations.

Driven by forces like a fast-growing world population and the fact that vehicles are staying on the road longer than ever before, the global automotive aftermarket is growing rapidly. In fact, it is expected to exceed $1 trillion by 2022 according to Global Industry Analysts. If you are an online auto parts retailer, that’s surely great news to hear. However, as your sales volumes rise, it becomes increasingly clear that you face significant challenges when it comes to packaging and shipping your merchandise.

A great way to grow your automotive aftermarket business — or any business — is to deliver an exceptional customer experience. In fact, as Forbes notes, it may be the best way to expand your business.

The online furniture market is growing rapidly. In fact, according to eMarketer, U.S. ecommerce sales of furniture and home furnishings will exceed $50 billion this year. While those sales are a small percentage of overall retail ecommerce, the furniture category is growing faster than any other at over 18 percent. What’s driving that growth? A couple things. Technology is one contributor. Advances in computer monitor display quality, website capabilities, and other factors make it easier for consumers to “see” a product and be comfortable purchasing it online. The other enabler of online furniture sales growth is improvements in shipping processes. Leading retailers are learning important lessons about how to package and ship their product so that it not only arrives safely, but also increases brand awareness and enhances the company’s reputation.

Is your company using the right packing tape? That may not be a question you’ve considered, but it should be. There are a number of reasons to think carefully about the packing tape you use, and potential financial consequences for making the wrong decision. For example, using a type of tape that creates a strong seal and prevents a shipping carton from opening unexpectedly in transit can keep your products from being damaged and eliminate the time and expense of dealing with returns. In other words, it is a choice that can have a direct impact on our bottom line.

If you are an online furniture retailer, you are well aware that New York City-based online mattress company Casper completely disrupted the industry a few years back. The innovative organization took a product that had historically been marketed and sold exclusively in brick and mortar furniture store showrooms and began offering it online. Other companies, from startups to industry giants, soon followed suit. According to Forbes, dozens of companies have entered the rapidly growing online sales segment of the $15 billion mattress market. For any company looking to capitalize on consumers’ increasing interest in purchasing mattresses online, proper packaging and shipping is critical. With so many providers to choose from, shoppers will quickly look elsewhere if you don’t take great care in how your product is protected on its journey.

When the furniture that a customer purchased arrives intact and undamaged, it is positive experience both for them and for you. When the opposite occurs, and merchandise is damaged on its way to a customer, it can be costly in more ways than one. First, there is the expense of returning and/or replacing the damaged item. That includes staff time, materials, shipping costs, etc. Second, disappointing a customer can also tarnish your reputation. Especially in the age of social media, you don’t want a shipping incident to be publicized and affect your standing in the market and impact future sales. Consequently, it pays to take the necessary action to ensure your furniture merchandise shipments are properly protected.

For online furniture retailers, branding is more critical now than ever before. Why? There are a couple reasons. First, according to Forbes, e-commerce furniture sales are expected to reach $32 billion by 2018. As the market expands, new furniture retailers will surely be entering the fray looking to cash in. This means it will be more challenging to stand out in a rapidly growing crowd. Second, Forbes also quotes the Consumer Buying Trends Survey conducted by Furniture Today, which shows that millennials are now the largest consumer group in the U.S. furniture market. Millennials are notoriously hard for brands to win over, so staying top-of-mind with them is crucial to your success.

Whether your company ships a few packages every week or hundreds each day, packing and shipping costs impact your bottom line. Implementing changes to your packaging and delivery practices that save time and money can ultimately have a very positive impact on your shipping ROI. Plus, these cost-control measures are relatively easy to make.