Customers continue to demand the best from watchmakers, with personalization and craftsmanship as critical components of superior luxury watch packaging designs. But, as the market evolves, the secrets to designing the right packaging solutions within this industry are evolving alongside them.
We’ve researched the demands of younger demographics, who increasingly expect custom sustainable packaging and greener initiatives from their premium brands. To further assist companies in finding the best luxury brand packaging, we’re also going to cover the logistics behind the sector, with a mind to protect premium watches throughout their entire product journey.
The first thing luxury watch manufacturers usually think about when it comes to their particular form of jewelry packaging is how the end-user will perceive this packaging. This is because, at least in certain respects, many buyer demands within this industry are the same as they’ve always been; luxury watches continue to represent high-end, statement pieces.
For some, they’re seen as investment opportunities in their own small economy or prized collector’s items, but for others, buying a luxury watch is a once-in-a-lifetime purchasing moment and a product they’ll use for decades. Luxury brand packaging in the wristwatch industry must therefore project the exclusive, intricate nature of the products they’re encasing, with customer experience at the forefront.
Presentation boxes represent the final stage of a buyer’s journey with luxury watch purchases and need to be used to romanticize the occasion of unboxing. For collectors and regular buyers, these boxes also have a secondary use as keepsakes and are often treasured alongside their contents for an extended period of time. Because of this secondary use, companies need to be able to express the uniqueness of their brand through these boxes. Creative approaches to packaging design can achieve this, such as by mirroring certain aspects of watch designs through packaging or being able to provide personalized messages or engravings where requested.
Many brands in the industry are already considering these areas when designing their luxury brand packaging. However, new customer research continues to emphasize an unexpected move away from this ‘exclusive’ feel and more towards an inclusive, ultimately greener buyer’s journey.
Younger buyers no longer just want to feel a part of an exclusive club when buying luxury watches, instead, they’re also hoping to invest in premium products provided by companies that are visibly purposeful, and who share their values.
The move towards operating within a more circular economy has already been adopted by many luxury watchmakers worldwide, from designing entirely recyclable products and launching watches made from upcycled waste to embracing a more sustainable supply chain. A recent study by Deloitte further confirms this, as 72% of Swiss watchmakers reported increased investments in sustainability throughout 2021 to meet shifting customer demands.
This change shouldn’t just be reflected in product designs, but also via more eco-friendly packaging. There are several ways this can be achieved, with a core approach being to embrace alternative, biodegradable materials in luxury brand packaging designs.
Companies should also be looking to avoid overpackaging watches with unnecessary wrapping or containers. Today, it’s entirely possible to meet the sustainability demands of customers whilst also producing luxury brand packaging that exudes quality, as our team at GPA proved recently in the luxury cosmetics market.
But for luxury watches, or any form of jewelry packaging to be truly sustainable, companies also need to be assessing their entire supply and logistics chains.
Watches aren’t shipped from factories to distribution centers in their presentation boxes, but this more behind-the-scenes aspect of watch packaging needs just as much attention if companies are hoping to improve their operations and reduce their overall scope 3 emissions.
Bulk packaging in the luxury watch industry must also be sustainable and made from reusable eco-friendly packaging, whilst also conveying brand identity.
Providing a superior customer experience with a luxury product today means considering not just the entire buyer’s journey, but also the journey taken by the products themselves before the purchasing process even begins. Companies should therefore also be looking towards additional logistical solutions like nearshoring, which can reduce emissions whilst furthering the move towards a more circular supply chain.
At GPA Global we have an extensive track record of providing sustainable, luxury brand packaging for companies in a wide variety of industries.
We’re able to produce both bulk packaging and high-end presentation boxes for the luxury watch market, whilst also assisting companies with their logistics to create a superior, more sustainable packaging supply chain.
If you’d like to find out more about how we can improve your luxury brand packaging, or provide custom sustainable packaging for your watches, please make sure to contact us directly.
