Deck The Shelves
Boost Your Shelf Appeal With Holiday Packaging
‘Tis the season! By now, your halls may be decked, but what about your product packaging? The holiday season presents a unique opportunity for brands to get festive with their packaging design, incorporating seasonal motifs such as bows, baubles, glittering snowflakes, and classic winter patterns. Research by Roamler found that 79% of consumers reported that festive packaging designs influenced their intent to purchase a product. While many brands can already expect to see an increase in sales during Q4, can the addition of holiday-themed packaging really boost your brand’s shelf appeal and drive sales this season?
Let’s unpack it!
Emotional Storytelling
Analysis from DesignAnalytics indicated consumers preferred holiday themed packaging compared to standard packaging at a ratio of 2 to 1. They found holiday motifs were able to amplify brand messaging, contributing to emotional storytelling around treating yourself and your loved ones. Packaging can spark an emotional response in consumers in mere seconds using visual cues.
Consider how you want your product to make shoppers and gift recipients feel this holiday season. Nostalgic? Cheerful? Glamourous? Tapping into the aesthetics of this celebratory time to evoke these powerful emotions can be highly effective in increasing appeal both on the shelf and in digital advertisements. During uncertain economic times, as consumers are impacted by tariffs and becoming more conscious of their consumption levels, building an emotional and meaningful connection with your target audience is more essential than ever before.
Scarcity Psychology
“This might not be here if I come back.” We’ve all experienced a similar thought while shopping or even browsing exclusive products online. FOMO, or the fear of missing out, often drives a “buy now or regret it later” mentality. But why is this? Our brains are hard-wired to protect us from scarcity, processing risk and prompting us to act quickly. This instinctive reaction rewards us with a rush of dopamine when purchasing hard to find or limited-edition products.
The exclusivity of time restricted product offerings, such as seasonal variants and trendy giftables, not only increases their perceived value, but also encourages impulse buys. Launching your seasonal goods in distinctively exclusive packaging, can be an effective way to leverage “FOMO” around major holidays, when consumers are actively searching for gifts that feel special.
Consumer Convenience
For many consumers, convenience remains a key motivator in purchasing decisions. Dressing up your product in festive ready-to-gift packaging provides a polished but low effort solution for gift shoppers during the holiday season. Consider incorporating elements like gift tags, ribbons, or custom tissue paper can give your product a giftable feel. These personal details also help create an unforgettable unboxing experience for gift recipients, who may be encountering your brand for the first time. This is an opportunity to create a memorable first impression and encourage brand loyalty and repeat purchases.
In 2023, consumers spent over 18 Billion USD on gift wrapping materials, with peak demand surging around major holidays. Research indicates that consumers in North America are willing to spend more on higher quality and unique gift-wrapping products to make their gifts more memorable to the recipient. To meet this demand, many retailers have also begun offering secondary gift packaging, like paper gift bags, tissue paper, gift card holders, and all-in-one Gift-It Kits. Adding ready to go gift wrapping materials alongside your products is an effective way to take advantage of this market without necessarily changing your core packaging.
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