Shelf ready packaging (SRP): 5 benefits for you and your customer

What exactly is shelf ready packaging?

In a nutshell, SRP is bulk-packaging for your product that comes ready-merchandised. It makes it possible to deliver a product to a shop and transform it in a matter of seconds into a display package presenting the products on the shelf.

SRP offers 5 important benefits. It’s easy to:

No wonder then, that SRP is increasingly widespread. In the UK alone, the share of SRP in many categories exceeds 80 to 90% of the ‘shelf share’.

In fact, the system is so user-friendly major player Walmart even invented its own term for it: PDQ – pretty darn quick, which quite nicely captures the essence of this type of packaging.

Let’s zoom in a little closer on the 5 main advantages of SRP.

1. SRP is easy to identify

SRP provides the perfect blank canvas for your branding. Even better: done well, it basically serves as free advertising space. Your SRP should be viewed as an extension of your primary packaging, repeating the same clearly identifiable colours, lettering, and logos. That way you’ll visually occupy more space on shelf.

3 things to pay attention too:

1. Make sure your SRP doesn’t obscure the message on the retail packaging but extends it.
2. Use all angles of the packaging to communicate your brand message. A hasty or inexperienced shop assistant might turn your SRP the wrong way.
3. Don’t forget to make use of the inside of the packaging as well. If a product moves fast, staff won’t always have time to replace the package immediately. Blank cardboard is not a good look.

2. SRP is easy to open

Traditional retail packaging often requires case cutting, which takes up a lot and time and effort. Even worse: a slip of the knife could cause damage to your product. About 56% of shoppers have experienced damaged products, which has a negative impact on the way your product is perceived.

SRP helps with that by eliminating the need for knives and avoiding any unnecessary double handling of your product.

The ideal SRP either has:

• a two-part tray and hood that’s easy to remove
  or
• sufficient perforation to swiftly tear open boxes.

3. SRP is easy to shelf

Because SRP requires little unpacking or set-up, staff can replace empty SRP’s much faster, which helps cut down on staff and labour costs. Since there’s currently no way to automate this process, making it as quick and efficient as possible is a major benefit.

80% of the retailers believe SRP can deliver a sales uplift of 4% or more. Offering them the convenience of SRP, therefore makes you a wanted business partner and gives you a competitive edge.

3 more ways in which SRP aids on-shelf availability:

1. Improved code rotation and checking.
2. More accurate stock counting.
3. Faster identification of products in the back of the store.

4. SRP is easy to shop

Because SRP improves the quality of the product display on-shelf, shoppers are more likely to notice and grab your product. They’re aware of it too: 53% think SRP improves brand communication (also note that 85% of shoppers think in-store marketing is more influential than out of store marketing) and around 42% found that SRP makes shopping easier.

3 more ways to ensure your SRP’s provide maximum shopper comfort:

1. Don’t make your SRP too big. Big packages are harder to sell out because customers don’t like to reach all the way to the back of the box to grab your product.
2. Check the stability of your product in the box: make sure the other products don’t fall over if your customers takes one out. Messy displays are not attractive.
3. Get innovative and use your SRP to boost brand activation. And why not experiment with QR or barcodes to unlock additional information about your product?

5. SRP is easy to recycle

Because SRP uses a minimum amount of packaging material, empty packages are easy to flatten and recycle. But even before they’re recycled, opting for efficient SRP instead of traditional retail packaging offers benefits for your supply chain and the environment.

Since SRP’s are more compact, you can fit more product onto one pallet. This results in fewer delivery vehicles on the road. And less warehousing space needed.

Want to know how shelf ready packaging can help your business?

Visit an Impact Centre nearby to see what’s possible.