The growth of e-commerce.

With the rapid development of the online retail space coupled with the increase in demand in online shopping due to the challenging impact of the global pandemic, the need for packaging efficiency at the end of line operations to remain competitive has never been more significant than it is today.

On a global scale, e-commerce sales have seen an explosion in growth, expected to reach 4.2 trillion dollars (USD) by the end of 2020.¹ In Australia, the online shopping industry market size is $29.4 billion, with the annual growth rate experiencing an increase of 15.4% over the last 5 years. As multiple generations of consumers now embrace e-commerce, companies need to reassess their manual packaging operations and embrace automated technologies that can contribute to their growth. Solutions with the potential to increase their back-end capabilities in terms of speed, efficiency and safety to deliver their products on time, and ensure they land at their final destination in an exceptional state.

Key trends in e-commerce, warehousing and distribution centres.

The world of e-commerce is booming. Online shopping is experiencing a significant increase in activity in comparison to in-store foot traffic and set to grow into the future. The shift in consumer attitudes and expectations has given rise to e-commerce and the challenges that follow for warehousing and distribution centres. Eight out of 10 Australians currently shop online, with one out of every ten items purchased from e-commerce stores.² Keeping up with the latest developments is paramount to growth, below are some key trends that operators need to look out for and take into consideration:

As e-commerce continues to expand, warehousing and distribution facilities are benefiting from its rapid rise. Today businesses need to transform their operations to keep up with consumer expectations in our digitally connected, always-on world, allowing them to respond to their demands and remain competitive in this fast-paced, crowded space. Whether its embracing elements of automation to a fully automated facility, increasing operating efficiencies benefit the bottom line. Are you’re struggling to keep up with the demand for your products? Are your packing and shipping operations causing bottlenecks in your business? Upgrading your packaging capabilities may be the answer to help boost your output, ensuring it can keep up with demand. By taking advantage of the many benefits that automation provides, you can get more products packed and out the door to your customers faster and without delay, in the same amount of time.

3M your partner in e-fulfilment.

Are you still sealing your cartons by hand? Today, more than ever, companies need to be fast and flexible in every phase of their operations - and that includes end-of-line packaging, to keep up with customer demand and stay one step ahead of the competition. 3M-Matic™ Case Sealers can help you increase plant safety, reduce labour costs and decrease downtime. Thanks to the equipment’s extensive safety features and improved processes compared to hand taping or stapling, or using older machinery, even if your packaging requirements are relatively light. In short, you can expect a safer, more efficient, more productive operation. 3M-Matic™ Case Sealers have been setting the bar in automated packaging for over 50 years, there’s a model for virtually any packaging requirement, in any size operation, from a growing food or e-commerce business to an optimised large scale enterprise.

3M packaging system program, the total package.

Are you ready to scale up to faster, more productive box sealing options? 3M has the right tapes, the right system and now for a limited time, the right offer. With dozens of durable, reliable and consistent 3M-Matic™ Case Sealer models designed to meet your case sealing applications, for simple, safe and efficient operations. Our new innovative packaging system program allows you to accelerate your return on investment through an innovative program, one that combines both tape and equipment to save on the overall capital and ongoing consumable investment. Benefits to your business include:

Savings
Save on Capex, Opex, labour costs and material wastage

Growth
Grow through fulfilling more orders every day

Uptime
Reduce downtime with free scheduled asset maintenance

Quality
Deliver your goods without damage, contaminants & tampering

Safety
Increase plant occupational health, safety and social distancing

Explore our offers below, there is one to meet your business needs.

Switch to using 3M™ Scotch® packaging tape and receive a FREE* 3M-Matic™ box sealing machine.

* Terms and conditions apply, find out more in our 3M Packaging System Deals brochure.

3M Packaging System
Deals brochure

Not sure which offer is right for you? Need help finding the right machine for your packaging needs? Get in touch with a 3M Packaging Specialist who can ask the right questions to uncover the best deal for your business needs, to help your operation perform at maximum efficiency and productivity levels.

3M also offers packaging, shipping and fulfilment products that enable solutions for both transport and at-shelf packaging, enabling efficient, cost-saving processes that get your goods where they need to go with the quality your customers expect. View our Packaging, Shipping and Fulfilment Applications.

References:

1. Statista, accessed on 4/08/2020, <https://www.statista.com/statistics/379046/worldwide-retail-e-commerce-sales/>.

2. Yip, Lieu & Foo. (2018). Inside Australian Online Shopping, 2018 eCommerce Industry Paper, Australia Post.