Beauty of e-commerce: Smurfit Kappa unveils paper-based cosmetics and fragrance packs

08 Oct 2021 --- Smurfit Kappa is launching a range of circular packaging solutions for the rapidly growing online health and beauty market. 

The new customizable eHealth & Beauty portfolio includes paper-based packaging solutions for shipping vulnerable products, such as fragrances, cosmetics, and skin and hair care products, and tamper-proof packaging designed for vitamins, supplements and sports nutrition. 

The portfolio addresses some key challenges for the e-commerce supply chain, including product damage, void fill and environmental sustainability. 

The entire portfolio has also been designed to meet the International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) standards, facilitating Amazon’s packaging certification process for specific products.

“In the health and beauty segment, the speed to market needs to be combined with a unique consumer experience. Our new eHealth & Beauty product range offers fit-for-purpose and bespoke packaging solutions,” says Arco Berkenbosch, vice president of innovation and development at Smurfit Kappa. 

Tamper proofing ensures products are not meddled with before reaching consumers.“These are suited to different size businesses from entrepreneurs to globally recognized brands.” 

Tamper evident design
One of the portfolio’s central features is its tamper evident design, which has a double self-locking mechanism not requiring tape. The mechanism ensures any opening or manipulation of the pack before a sale can be easily seen. 

An additional solution, the Beauty Sleeve, is designed to protect small products like skincare and cosmetics, while the curved edges create a unique look intended to enhance the brand experience. Similarly, the design of the Hammock Fit box delivers an unboxing experience while adding extra protection to the products through the supply chain. 

Recently, tamper evident packaging was highlighted by Ima Benhil at FachPack 2021, whose butter and margarine wraps guard against meddling before consumer purchase. 

E-commerce continues to deliver 
The health and beauty e-commerce market in Europe is one of the largest and fastest-growing categories, valued at €17.6 billion (US$20.4 billion) in 2020, according to Smurfit Kappa. 

As online purchasing continues, with double-digit growth both in Eastern Europe (37%) and Western Europe (22%), this growth presents a “significant opportunity for retailers to capitalize on,” says the company, with the overall e-commerce retail market estimated to be worth €380 billion (US$439 billion). 

Recent research carried out by Smurfit Kappa shows consumers are continuing to push for higher standards in delivery: 

• 80% expect their parcel to arrive in perfect condition
• 59% prefer parcels that are easy to open
• 74% say easy return is important for their convenience
• 69% prefer paper-based packaging for environmental sustainability reasons

Alongside the eHealth & Beauty range, Smurfit Kappa also offers a host of automated solutions to optimize the packaging process and accelerate growth for businesses. 

The portfolio launch is the latest addition to the company’s range of Better Planet Packaging solutions, which seeks to positively impact billions of supply chains and consumers by reducing the environmental footprint of packaging and its traces on the planet.

Innova Market Insights also recognized this trend, marking “Home Delivery Haven” the top trend for 2021, noting a rise in online retail as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Edited by Louis Gore-Langton 

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