How to Protect Valuable Electronics from Damage or Theft

The sale of electronics by e-commerce retailers has exploded in recent years, and there seems to be no end in sight for the upward trend in the industry. However, if your company doesn’t ensure merchandise arrives safely, you may see your own sales take a nosedive.

Electronics consumers today are in the driver’s seat. With multiple sources to choose from, if provider A doesn’t get items to them on time and safely, shoppers can easily take their business to provider B. Best Buy is an e-commerce electronics success story. According to Forbes, the percentage of Best Buy’s revenue that comes from e-commerce is currently 14 percent and is expected to climb to 20 percent by 2020. Clearly, this is a company that gets customers what they need where and when they need it, and that takes steps to prevent merchandise damage and theft.

“With multiple sources to choose from, if provider A doesn’t get items to them on time and safely, shoppers can easily take their business to provider B.” TWEET THIS

5 Tips for Protecting Your Valuable Electronics

As sales grow and more electronics merchandise leaves the warehouse on its way to customers, you as a retailer have to contend with two issues. The first is damage to your product. Nothing wrecks a holiday gift recipient’s enthusiasm faster than opening a shipping carton and finding that the device they were so excited about is broken and will need to be replaced.

The second issue is theft. With an increase in valuable electronics in the shipping stream, there is more chance for thieves to steal merchandise in route. However, wise retailers know that there are several simple steps you can take to protect your electronics both from the rigors of shipping and from opportunistic bad guys.

Do the following to ensure your electronics arrive and arrive in excellent condition:

1. Use water-activated tape (WAT) for sealing packages. WAT provides the strength you need to ensure shipping carton flaps don’t open during shipping exposing or spilling their contents. WAT’s super-strong, tamper-evident seal also helps deter theft. “Press and pull” crimes, which are so difficult to detect with other forms of tape and therefore hard to investigate, are virtually eliminated with properly applied WAT.
2. Secure batteries. Properly packaging batteries by either enclosing them separately or ensuring that their terminals are covered with an insulating, non-conducting material helps prevent against dangerous short circuits and the resulting sparks, heat, or fire.
3. Use ample product protection and void fill. A package is likely to be jostled during shipping. The more the items are cushioned, the less likely its contents are to be damaged. Consider using bubble cushion to protect fragile electronics and air pillows to eliminate any air-space that would allow your items to move around in the carton.
4. Ship valuables to an alternate address.  Consider instructing your customer service representatives to ask customers if they wish to have orders shipped to the safety of their office, rather than sitting on their front porch or their apartment entry.
5. Consider “sign upon delivery” shipping options. Having packages left unattended on a recipient’s porch increases that chances that they will be stolen.

How to Respond to Damage or Theft

Despite your best efforts, there will probably be instances where your merchandise is damaged or stolen. If so, what should you do? There are many steps to take. For example, prior to the busy holiday season, you should increase customer service staffing so you can promptly resolve any issues. 

Are You Ready for the Holidays?

Having plenty of packing materials on hand to contend with higher holiday volumes is critical. When they find themselves running out of corrugated cartons or WAT, warehouse teams may improvise in ways that won’t keep merchandise safe from damage and theft. If you would like to learn more about our water-activated tape, water-activated tape dispensers, and other products, please contact us today.