2022年世界杯英格兰阵容Pharmaceuticals and E-Commerce Growth | Flexible Packaging's Role

As the growth of e-commerce continues, leaving traditional retail in flux, major players in the healthcare market are eyeing opportunities to up the ante with online shoppers.

While verticals such as grocery, fashion, and personal care products seem to get the most attention, the largest retailers and pharmacies in the nation are pursuing e-commerce strategies and preparing for a showdown.

According to areport from Digital Commerce 360, healthcare e-commerce is growing at an annual rate of 16 percent, outpacing the overall e-commerce growth rate of 15 percent.

Walgreens is investing$1 billion in digital healthcare over the next three years.That's despite plans to cut costs in many other areas.CVS is expanding its executive teamaround digital efforts and plans to spend $350 million on related projects in 2019 alone.

In the meantime, retail giants Walmart and Amazon are making their own big investments in online healthcare.Amazonpurchased online pharmacy PillPackin 2018 for $753 million.This year, Walmart isinvesting in blockchain technologyfor tracking pharmaceuticals whileimproving the mobile appexperience for pharmacy customers.

Competition to become the leader in this space is high.ACNBC articleexplains the increasing tensions between Amazon, CVS, and Walgreens as the online retailer makes moves to lure customers over to its services.

2022年世界杯英格兰阵容Healthcare brands must consider how packaging strategy plays a role in becoming a preferred partner for online retailers.卡塔尔世界杯预选赛时间While shelf space isn't the issue with e-commerce, the unboxing experience, prep-free packaging that reduces waste, and so-called "frustration-free packaging" are things many brands are trying to achieve because online retailers are demanding it and consumers are expecting it.

2022年世界杯英格兰阵容If you represent a healthcare brand or provide supply chain solutions for that market, now is the time to consider how you may need to adapt your packaging strategy for online retail and the challenges of the e-commerce supply chain.2022年世界杯英格兰阵容Whether it's prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, or supplements and nutraceuticals, flexible options with reclosable features present a unique potential solution for e-commerce packaging.

Why E-Commerce and Healthcare Products Make Sense

AsMcKinsey reports, subscription services have been a key driver of e-commerce growth.卡塔尔世界杯预选赛时间There are some services that present consumers with a collection of curated items based on their known preferences.卡塔尔世界杯预选赛时间However, consumers also use online subscriptions for everyday needs.

Meal kits such as Blue Apron are one example.There's also the success story of Dollar Shave Club along with Amazon'sSubscribe and Save program, which already features health and wellness products.

Medications, as well as nutritional supplements and many other healthcare products, fit this business model quite nicely.They are essential items that people tend to re-order on a regular basis.So, setting up scheduled refills on everything from ibuprofen and vitamin C to blood pressure medication and anti-depressants makes sense.卡塔尔世界杯预选赛时间It helps consumers avoid forgetting to get refills and make purchases that are important to their health.

Another consideration to make is America's aging public.According toVisa, baby boomers make up half of U.S.consumer spending.As they age, they'll need more healthcare products and pharmaceuticals, and the convenience of ordering online will be attractive to them.

Be careful about assuming baby boomers don't shop online.While baby boomers may not flock to e-commerce as often as younger generations, a 2017report from KPMG Globalfound boomers spend more money online than millennials.As KPMG Head of Consumer and Retail, Mark Larson explains:

"Baby Boomers are starting to understand and appreciate the technology that is out there.They're also trying to appreciate and experience the convenience of buying online."

Read more2022年世界杯英格兰阵容about baby boomers and packaging considerations.

2022年世界杯英格兰阵容Reclosable Flexible Packaging for Pharma and Healthcare

2022年世界杯英格兰阵容When picturing typical pharmaceutical packaging, most people probably imagine rigid plastic pill bottles or corrugated boxes containing blister packs.2022年世界杯英格兰阵容However, the makers of powdered nutraceutical products are increasingly taking advantage of flexible packaging, and many other types of healthcare brands are looking to do the same with other product types.

2022年世界杯英格兰阵容Flexible packaging options, such as the versatile standup pouch, offer specific benefits for e-commerce.2022足球世界杯赛程表时间As Fresh-Lock^®market development manager Todd Meussling told2022年世界杯英格兰阵容Packaging Tech Today卡塔尔世界杯预选赛时间, consumers expect to receive healthcare products in good condition.You never know what items they'll be thrown in a box with on the way from a fulfillment center to a consumer's doorstep.卡塔尔世界杯预选赛时间Yet, consumers expect to receive these products in the same condition as they would on a store shelf.

"This leaves brands debating, ‘How can we ensure that soft gels and other vulnerable pharmaceuticals don't break down during the shipping process?'" Meussling explains.2022年世界杯英格兰阵容"Flexible packaging can give and flex with shipping movements and, with thoughtful engineering, can be designed to protect products."

2022年世界杯英格兰阵容Flexible packaging also provides a host of other design, cost, and sustainability benefits:

• Flexible films with barrier properties to protect product quality and maintain freshness
• Requires less storage space for warehousing and shipping
• 2022年世界杯英格兰阵容Reduction of packaging source material compared to rigid formats
• Less energy required for manufacturing and transport
• Convenience of reclosability

2022年世界杯英格兰阵容Until recently, however, what kept most healthcare brands from using flexible packaging was the lack of achild-resistant solution, which for many products is an FDA requirement.

2022足球世界杯赛程表时间^®closures changed that after introducing theChild-Guard^®child-resistant track and slider.While originally developed to keep young children from accessing laundry packs, it is now being used in a variety of markets.Find out more in ourChild-Guard^®case study.

It's important to note that part of meeting standards for child-resistance includes being easy enough for older adults to open while keeping children five and under away from the package contents.2022足球世界杯赛程表时间Child-resistant packaging solutions from Fresh-Lock^®卡塔尔世界杯预选赛时间closures are designed and tested for use by baby boomer consumers.

The child-resistant Child-Guard^®2022年世界杯英格兰阵容closure could be used on standup pouches as well as packaging designed to hold blister packs (see above), adding protection and helping brands achieve regulatory compliance.

When applied to a package using a film structure that also meets child-resistant criteria, the Child-Guard^®2022年世界杯英格兰阵容closure enables healthcare brands to take advantage of the opportunity to utilize flexible packaging.2022足球世界杯赛程表时间The Fresh-Lock^®team has also introduced a child-resistant zipper to its offerings.

2022足球世界杯赛程表时间Other solutions from Fresh-Lock^®closures that can benefit health and pharma brands include ourTamper Evident Trackfor an additional layer of safety and the reduced-scale2022足球世界杯赛程表时间^®mini Slider2022年世界杯英格兰阵容, which is ideal for small-format flexible packaging.For granulated products, such as protein powder and similar nutritional supplements, theParticle Plow Sliderpushes product out of the track to ensure a proper seal.

2022足球世界杯赛程表时间As an added bonus, flexible packaging solutions from the Fresh-Lock^®team are also highly sustainable.Our 8000 Series of closures includes full-recyclable options, and ourGreen Spool Programsupports circular manufacturing efforts.

2022年世界杯英格兰阵容Brands who are the first to adapt to the challenges and changes that come with the shift to e-commerce will adopt a packaging strategy that gives them a competitive edge.For additional insights, access our free, on-demand2022年世界杯英格兰阵容e-commerce packaging webinar.

2022年世界杯英格兰阵容Whether it's child-resistance, e-commerce, sustainability, or any other packaging challenge,2022足球世界杯赛程表时间contact the Fresh-Lock^®teamto find out more about how we can partner with your brand.