Drivers are holding onto their cars longer and that's creating more opportunity to sell replacement parts in general and online. According to a recent blog from the Hedges Company a marketing company specializing in automotive aftermarket sales, e-commerce auto parts are projected to grow 16% in 2016 and reach approximately $7.4 billion, excluding auctions and used parts). It was also noted that online sales in 2015 were double what they were in 2011. (“Auto Parts Marketing: Online Parts Sales to reach $7.4 B in 2016”, Hedges Company blog).
Given the significant growth of online selling, it’s more important than ever for vendors in the automotive aftermarket to develop efficient shipping strategies. One complicating factor in strategy development is the fact that manufacturers and suppliers of aftermarket automotive parts face numerous shipping challenges.
This post will share some of the challenges and how to address them with a few simple tips that help get your customer’s parts where they need to be, when they need to be there.
Keeping Up With Demand: The Need for Efficient Processes
Inefficiencies in the packaging process can cause delays that impact your shipping schedules. As aftermarket suppliers ship to Do It Yourself customers increasingly, it is challenging to maintain a large inventory of parts to meet the need for quick delivery times. According to Emerging Strategy's article, “Changing Course: E-Commerce and its Impact on the Automotive Aftermarket”, the number of parts per car has increased by over 50 percent to reach 10 thousand over the past 10 years. “The sheer variety of parts – and the often unpredictable nature of what will be in demand – presents considerable logistical demands for companies developing e-commerce platforms and directly servicing customers".
The need for more efficient processes is clear. One simple-to-implement and effective productivity enhancement is to switch from using hand-held tape guns with pressure sensitive tape to using electric tape dispensers and water-activated tape when sealing your cartons.
Tabletop electric tape dispensers wet and cut water-activated tape to a predetermined length. One of the reasons, electric tape dispensers are typically used in facilities is to help increase productivity. Using an electric water-activated tape dispenser allows packers to reduce the number of wrist movements a packer must use to seal a carton. The reduction in required wrist movement enhances packer speed, reduces fatigue, and also minimizes the medical risk of carpal tunnel syndrome. In fact, independent testing has demonstrated that using water-activated tape in conjunction with water-activated tape dispensers increases shipper productivity 21% in comparison to using hand-held tape guns (Independent test results).
Durability Is Key: A Tamper-Evident Carton Sealing Solution
If your products pass through a third-party shipping company before reaching the end user, packaging durability is crucial. The carton must be able to withstand the rigors of multiple handlings and the environmental elements. Protecting your product is always the priority. As online e-commerce sales become a larger share of the automotive aftermarket, it is quite possible that less experienced workers will be handling your cartons, making returns more likely. You need to make sure that your carton sealing tape is sufficiently durable to maintain its integrity.
Reinforced water-activated tape contains fiberglass, and it provides extraordinary strength to the tape that protects your shipped products. Water-activated packaging tape is tamper-evident and forms a complete bond with the carton itself, allowing for maximum strength and security.
For more information on securing your cartons, check out our post, "4 Tips To Enhance Product Security"
Shipping Hazardous Materials
Some of the most frequently shipped automotive parts and accessories may be considered dangerous goods and hazardous materials, including airbags, aerosols, batteries, engines, and used fuel tanks. Be sure to check with the manufacturer for the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for detailed information on the product. Ultimately, the shipper is responsible for correctly identifying, classifying, packaging, marking, labeling, and completing documentation for dangerous goods and hazardous materials.
Make Your Packages Memorable With Powerful Branding
While the security of your automotive parts shipment is of utmost importance, the aesthetics and physical condition of the package shouldn’t be forgotten. The tape you use to seal your carton is among the first interactions your customer will have with your brand. By using water-activated tape to seal your cartons, you can pre-print logos and customized messages to improve brand recognition and create a strong symbol of professional quality.
Additional Automotive Shipping Tips
Here are some other basic guidelines to follow that can help increase efficiency when shipping automotive parts:
- Make sure your products are properly cushioned inside the carton, especially when dealing with fragile components.
- In addition to cushioning, padding should be added to all sharp edges to prevent these components from penetrating the box.
- To avoid potential damage to smaller items due to movement within the carton, be sure to fill the extra space with material, such as air pillows.
Better Packages | Packaging Companies
Better Packages offers a full line of gummed tape dispensers, along with the Central® brand water-activated tape through its parent company, Intertape Polymer Group (IPG). Water-activated tape (also known as gummed tape, gum tape, Kraft paper tape, reinforced paper tape) is designed to create a superior seal on your corrugated cartons while providing advantages other carton sealing methods do not.
Central brand water-activated carton sealing tape is offered in a wide range of paper and reinforced gummed paper tape styles, roll lengths and widths to best fit your carton sealing needs. It is the preferred choice of packaging specialists when quality, strength, security and professional appearance are critical.
Still wondering if water activated tape is right for your packaging company? Request a sample and explore the enhanced carton sealing solutions for yourself.
Identifying a customized packaging solution for each aftermarket product would be a daunting and likely unnecessary task. Grouping parts by size or commodity, and assigning packaging materials to each, can reduce much of the complexity.
As online business takes a larger share of the automotive aftermarket, orders are often made by less experienced individuals, making returns more likely. This means that packaging solutions designed to protect individual items may have to perform during multiple trips. At all stages, it is important to evaluate the performance properties of your materials and ensure they are durable enough to retain functionality.
- See more at: http://www.searchautoparts.com/aftermarket-business/automotive-aftermarket-technology/how-effective-packaging-drives-successful-aut?page=0,1#sthash.BDS8owcs.dpufdentifying a customized packaging solution for each aftermarket product would be a daunting and likely unnecessary task. Grouping parts by size or commodity, and assigning packaging materials to each, can reduce much of the complexity.
As online business takes a larger share of the automotive aftermarket, orders are often made by less experienced individuals, making returns more likely. This means that packaging solutions designed to protect individual items may have to perform during multiple trips. At all stages, it is important to evaluate the performance properties of your materials and ensure they are durable enough to retain functionality
- See more at: http://www.searchautoparts.com/aftermarket-business/automotive-aftermarket-technology/how-effective-packaging-drives-successful-aut?page=0,1#sthash.BDS8owcs.dpufdentifying a customized packaging solution for each aftermarket product would be a daunting and likely unnecessary task. Grouping parts by size or commodity, and assigning packaging materials to each, can reduce much of the complexity.
As online business takes a larger share of the automotive aftermarket, orders are often made by less experienced individuals, making returns more likely. This means that packaging solutions designed to protect individual items may have to perform during multiple trips. At all stages, it is important to evaluate the performance properties of your materials and ensure they are durable enough to retain functionality
- See more at: http://www.searchautoparts.com/aftermarket-business/automotive-aftermarket-technology/how-effective-packaging-drives-successful-aut?page=0,1#sthash.BDS8owcs.dpufdentifying a customized packaging solution for each aftermarket product would be a daunting and likely unnecessary task. Grouping parts by size or commodity, and assigning packaging materials to each, can reduce much of the complexity.
As online business takes a larger share of the automotive aftermarket, orders are often made by less experienced individuals, making returns more likely. This means that packaging solutions designed to protect individual items may have to perform during multiple trips. At all stages, it is important to evaluate the performance properties of your materials and ensure they are durable enough to retain functionality
- See more at: http://www.searchautoparts.com/aftermarket-business/automotive-aftermarket-technology/how-effective-packaging-drives-successful-aut?page=0,1#sthash.BDS8owcs.dpuf