The e-commerce and retail environment is both fast-paced and continuously changing, where every detail and marketing choice can either boost your brand or sink it. It’s no wonder then that packaging has evolved into a critical touchpoint for many small businesses’ product integrity and overall image.
It’s with this in mind that many Australian business owners are moving away from traditional rigid packaging such as boxes, jars, and cans. In this move, they’re embracing more flexible solutions such as coffee bags and the ever-popular stand-up pouch (SUP). This post takes a closer look at what SUPs are and how they can benefit your packaging process.
Stand-up pouches can be defined as flexible, self-standing retail bags that feature a bottom gusset, zippers, or tear notches. Their purpose is to enhance the shelf life of a product while at the same time creating a streamlined packaging solution. SUPs are typically used to store everything from pet food, dried foods, medicines, and even electrical components.
Often mistaken for their coffee bag counterparts, it’s essential to point out that while both versions are often used interchangeably, there are a few key differences. For instance, SUPs have a single W-shaped gusset at the base, which means they rely on a lower, rounded or V-shaped bottom to stand up. When too full, these can be unstable.
Coffee bags, on the other hand, have flat, box-shaped bottoms that offer a more stable, box-like structure with five printable sides. These boxes are specially designed to safely keep coffee grounds dry and fresh, but can also be used to store and package other items. Whether you opt for SUPs or coffee bags depends on factors such as personal branding choice and the types of products to package.
Whether you’re running an established business or you’re just starting, understanding the various benefits of coffee bags and SUPs will go a long way toward transforming your packaging processes. Our team of packaging product experts have narrowed down the top benefits you should know about SUPs as you shortlist potential packaging solutions.
A simple walk down any grocery store aisle will highlight just how many brands of a specific item are usually crammed together on one shelf. This means that in an already crowded retail environment, you’ll want to capture an intended buyer’s attention as quickly as possible.
A huge plus here is that stand-up pouches are designed specifically for high visibility, allowing them to stand as tall as the cans and bottles they’re going to be squeezed between. In addition to this, their flexible shape allows for “edge-to-edge” branding, which means you have a flat, wide canvas to use for high-definition labelling.
In most instances, you’ll have more surface area to work with than you would if you were using a rounded bottle or small jar. Branding on SUPs is often created using complex graphics and glossy finishes.
The number one goal of any business owner is to find the best packaging that keeps their products as fresh as possible for as long as possible. SUPs are specially engineered using multiple layers of specialised barrier films.
These layers are then laminated together to create maximum protection from the following factors:
In many industries, sustainability has become a consumer or even regulatory requirement. Some good news here is that most stand-up pouches typically use about 60% less plastic than a similar-sized plastic bottle.
In addition to this, less energy is required to manufacture these pouches, as well as less fuel to transport. Ordering 1000 SUP units can easily be packed into a few boxes, considerably less than it would take to store the same amount of bottles or jars.
Another huge benefit of using stand-up pouches as your packaging medium of choice is that they’re highly adaptable. This means that SUPs of different shapes and sizes can be used in any industry to store a wide range of products.
The most common examples of this include the following:
With the benefits highlighted, it’s easy to see why there has been an increasing shift towards stand-up pouches in many different Australian e-commerce sectors. Opting for these flexible packaging solutions is not only more efficient but also offers sustainability and cost savings. The best news of all is that they are readily available at your local packaging supplier!
