When a manufacturer decides on the most appropriate packaging for its products, metal is considered one of the most robust and reliable materials. A key factor in determining proper packaging should be the degree to which the product needs protection to ensure its safe transport from one distribution hub to another. Here are the main reasons why metal is such a reassuring choice for protecting products during shipping.
Strong and Secure Protection
Metal is a top choice for packaging of perishable as well as nonperishable goods. Tin and aluminum represent quality materials for protecting food while steel provides extra strength and durability for heavier items. It's important for a brand that ships food to maintain the product's freshness in the shipping process. Metal is a safe choice for food because of its non-porous quality and coating that keep it free from encountering bacteria.
Not only does metal shut out undesirable environmental elements such as light, gas and moisture, it preserves flavor and taste. A great advantage to tinplate canning is that it has air-tight properties. That's why it's been one of the most used materials for packaging commercial food of all time.
Metal has different levels of utility and versatility depending on its thinness or thickness. Even aluminum foil works well for protecting chocolates and other sweets as a layer of inner packaging. Thicker aluminum makes excellent trays for frozen foods.
Since metal can protect perishable foods for several months, it's a great choice for precise inventory management. Metal cans have the capability for longer storage periods than food or beverage items packaged in paper or plastic. Not only do cans provide longer shelf life, they don't have to be sold as quickly. It allows for greater flexibility in tolerating demand fluctuations.
Confidence in Tamper-Resistance
Damaged goods can be the result of rough handling in the shipping process. Compromised paper or plastic packaging can lead to losses during the the product's journey through the supply chain. Sometimes damage occurs to packaging as a result of attempted theft. But metal is a strong deterrent against tampering due to its difficulty to destroy. While paper or plastic can be easily punctured with a sharp object, metal is resilient against all forms of tampering.
By making tamper-resistance a top priority in packaging, management can track and forecast inventory more accurately. When tampering is unchecked, it can lead to significant financial losses over time. Managers can feel more confident about minimizing losses during shipping by choosing metal packaging over less secure materials.
Light Weight and Space Efficiency
Aluminum and tinplate are light weight materials that help keep global shipping costs low and predictable for a wide variety of food items. Both types of metal can be shaped in efficient ways that make stacking easier for inventory and shipping. Brand managers can achieve further cost reductions through recycling, since all metals are recyclable and last for centuries.
Space efficiency matters in global shipping because it adds assurance that items can be easily and accurately counted. Certain metal containers can be folded or collapse to increase space efficiency. Metal tubes are desirable for beauty products that can be packed in larger containers.
Striving for Customer Satisfaction
When a brand aims for a global market, it must go the extra mile to satisfy customers since alternative choices are so easy to find. Therefore, brands hoping to gain global market share must choose the most sensible packaging that will ensure the product is not degraded from shipping activities.
Metal packaging provides the strongest barriers to extreme temperatures and other adverse conditions that lower quality materials cannot guarantee. It raises the bar for successful deliveries so that customers can appreciate the products as they were intended.
All it takes is one bad experience for a consumer to consider switching to a new brand. But once a consumer has enjoyed many good experiences with a brand, they will likely be more tolerant when shipping problems do occur. Paper labels can get torn, but product information printed directly on metal poses less risk that the content will be difficult to read.
One of the best ways a brand can gain a loyal following with its target market customers is to consistently deliver quality beyond what people expect. By protecting food products in the most caring and careful ways, brands will delight consumers who are concerned about the importance of overall food safety and quality.
