November 1st is upon us, and stores are already playing their Christmas albums over and over again. Their shelves are being stocked with Holiday gift ideas, decorations, and more. Each year, more and more new products, formats and seasonal packaging appear.

The food industry lends itself particularly well to Christmas packaging since it is a time where centred around home-cooked meals with the family. It is also the period of the year when people spend the most—and make the most impulse purchases.

While it does have some upfront costs, developing Holiday packaging for your products could pay off big time. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of tailoring your packaging to the Holiday season and share some tips on creating something very eye-catching!

The benefits of seasonal packaging and products 

Example of packaging in Japan for Christmas

Christmas is a festive time of year that is synonymous with family, fun and generosity. It is in the best interest of brands to associate themselves with these positive feelings. By showing that they celebrate Christmas, they make themselves more human and get closer to consumers.

Offering a limited-edition package or seasonal product is also a good way to generate demand. It arouses curiosity and creates a sense of urgency. By creating original packaging or products that are only available during a certain period of time, they become rare. This amplifies their value.

For example, you could release a different flavour or unique reusable packaging each year. Starbucks’ limited-edition Christmas cups are a great example of this strategy. Each year, the company releases a line of cups with novel designs that are available in limited quantities. They have quickly become eagerly awaited collectors’ items.

In addition, Christmas packaging incites consumers to renew their interest in a brand. They make people notice products that they usually don’t pay attention to.

Finally, the Holiday season is the ideal time to be creative and experiment with new designs, formats and flavours since they will only be offered in small quantities. You get to test the appetite for a product, which helps you get to know customers better. And sometimes a seasonal product is so successful that it becomes available all year round!

Example of Christmas packaging in Germany

Our tips for a successful Holiday packaging 

Now that you’re convinced of the importance of Holiday packaging, here are our top tips for getting yours right.

Go for seasonal packaging instead of Christmas packaging

One tip for increasing shelf life is to create packaging with a seasonal theme rather than a specific holiday. For example, instead of doing a Christmas package, consider doing a Holiday- or even winter-themed package. This way you can continue to sell products after December 25.  

If you choose to do Christmas packaging anyway, make it one that can easily be modified, such as a sleeve over the original packaging. If you have unsold product after Christmas, you can simply remove the sleeve and put the product back on the shelves.

Be eco-friendly

Choose biodegradable or recycled materials. Use cardboard instead of plastic. Develop compact packaging to avoid wasting resources. You can take your efforts a step further by creating reusable packaging that people can give a second life to. For example, Starbucks once made a mooncake wrapper that doubled as a projection lamp ! Other packaging can be reused as gift boxes or even become decorative items.

Example of Starbucks packaging in Hong Kong

Do not confuse consumers

It’s not about completely redesigning your product—but rather adding a festive touch to the one you already have. If you change its shape and colours entirely, people simply won’t recognize your product. Your Holiday packaging should also not be confusing with another product or brand. For example, in 2011, Coke had to stop selling its white Christmas cans because they looked too much like Diet Coke!

Focus on your best sellers

You don’t have to develop new packaging for all your products! Focus on the most popular ones or those that are likely to sell more during the Holiday season. You can also offer a single and new-limited edition product with festive packaging.

If you still have questions about creating a package, contact us. We will be happy to add a touch of magic to your products!