Transport packaging versus sales packaging

Most products travel inside more than one layer of packaging. The bottle or carton a shopper picks up is one layer. The case it shipped in is another. The pallet, the stretch film and the dividers inside the case are more. Each layer is built for a different job, and the biggest split is between packaging made to sell a product and packaging made to move it. This post explains that split in plain terms for buyers, engineers and anyone who orders packaging for a plant or warehouse.

Two jobs, two kinds of packaging

Sales packaging is the packaging a buyer takes home. It holds one unit of the product, it carries the brand, and it is designed to be seen on a shelf or a screen. Transport packaging is the packaging that gets goods from one place to another. It groups units together, protects them from bumps and stacking loads, and makes them easy for people and equipment to handle.

The Packaging Digest guide to industrial packaging puts the difference this way: consumer packaging puts the focus on brand communication and shelf appeal, while industrial packaging puts the focus on protection, durability and logistical efficiency. The guide also notes that industrial packaging works behind the scenes and is seen mostly by manufacturers, distributors and the people who handle the supply chain.

Primary, secondary and tertiary layers

Packaging people often talk about three levels instead of two.

• Primary packaging is the material that first holds the product. The Wikipedia article on packaging describes it as usually the smallest unit of distribution or use.
• Secondary packaging sits outside the primary packaging. It may group primary packages together or help prevent theft.
• Tertiary packaging, also called transit packaging, is used for bulk handling, warehouse storage and shipping. The same article names the palletized unit load as its most common form.

The EU packaging directive uses matching terms. It calls primary packaging "sales packaging" and defines it as packaging that makes up a sales unit for the final user at the point of purchase. It calls secondary packaging "grouped packaging", which groups a number of sales units and can be removed without changing the product. It calls tertiary packaging "transport packaging" and defines it as packaging that makes it easier to handle and transport a number of sales units or grouped packages, so they are not damaged by handling and transport.

What sales packaging is built to do

Sales packaging has to do several things at once. The Wikipedia article lists the main purposes of packaging as physical protection, barrier protection against things like oxygen, water vapor and dust, information, marketing and security features such as tamper evidence. For a retail product, marketing and information carry a lot of weight. The package has to identify the product, show the brand, give instructions and meet labeling rules, all while protecting a single unit.

Packaging Digest describes consumer packaging as needing to be eye catching and easy to understand for retail shoppers, and built for safe, attractive presentation in stores. That is why sales packaging often uses printed graphics, windows, special finishes and shapes that stand out.

What transport packaging is built to do

Transport packaging has a narrower brief. It has to protect the goods, hold them in a stable load and make handling efficient. Appearance matters very little. What matters is whether the load arrives without damage and whether people, forklifts and conveyors can handle it easily.

Packaging Digest says industrial formats are built to stand up to harsh warehouse and transport conditions. It groups them into rigid options such as drums, pails, crates, pallets and intermediate bulk containers, flexible options such as bulk bags, industrial sacks and films, and specialized protection such as corrosion inhibiting films and hazmat containers. Common materials include steel, plastics such as polyethylene and polypropylene, and paper based materials such as triple wall corrugated board.

The guide also points to load stability practices like blocking and bracing and proper unitization. Inside a shipping box, that same idea shows up as dividers and inserts that keep parts from moving into each other.

How the two work together

Sales packaging and transport packaging are not rivals. They are layers of one system. A well designed shipment uses each layer for what it does best. The sales package protects and presents a single unit. The grouped package or case collects units into a size people can handle. The transport layer, such as a pallet, stretch film and the partitions inside cases, keeps the whole load stable from the dock to the customer.

Problems show up when one layer is asked to do the job of another. A retail carton that is shipped on its own without an outer case may arrive scuffed or crushed. A transport case without dividers may let parts rub or knock together. Thinking in layers helps you see where protection is missing and where you may be paying for more than you need.

Testing packaging for the trip

Because transport packaging is judged by whether goods arrive undamaged, it is often tested against the hazards of shipping. The International Safe Transit Association publishes test procedures for this. ISTA describes its 3 Series tests as a simulation of the damage producing motions, forces, conditions and sequences of transport environments, including random vibration, drops from different heights and conditioning for heat, humidity or cold. Its 1 Series and 2 Series tests are screening tests that are useful during design but are not meant to predict shipping performance.

Questions to ask when you order

Knowing which layer you are buying makes it easier to write a clear request. A few questions help:

1. 01Is this packaging seen by the end customer, or only by people in the supply chain?
2. 02What does the product need protection from: impact, vibration, stacking, moisture or parts touching each other?
3. 03How will the load be handled: by hand, by forklift, on a conveyor?
4. 04How far will it travel, and how many times will it be loaded and unloaded?
5. 05How much of the packaging do you want on hand, and how often do you need it delivered?

The answers tell you whether you need more attention on presentation, on protection or on supply.

The short version

Sales packaging is built to sell one unit to one buyer. Transport packaging is built to move many units safely and efficiently. Most shipments need both, layered on top of each other. When you know which layer you are working on, it is easier to choose the right materials, spot gaps in protection and order what your operation needs.