Stock Goes Custom

Custom packaging may be a hallmark of luxury but for most brands it’s simply not in the budget. Customized stock packaging gives cosmetic and personal care brands an affordable packaging alternative that lends itself to a huge variety of applications.

Apart from the limitless deco and configuration possibilities, the most exciting thing about stock bottles, tubes, jars, closures and applicators is that packaging providers are constantly updating and broadening their library of available designs—there is literally something for everyone.

“The major drivers in considering stock packaging options are speed-to-market, lower costs of goods and the ability to successfully harness available decorating technologies and know-how to enable the transformation of some generic designs to unique and branded looks,” says Mike Warford, director of sales, ABA Packaging, Holtsville, NY.

Beth Joyce, marketing director, CPP Global, Mocksville, NC, believes there are two types of stock packaging customers. “Some of our larger customers are focusing on design customization for appearance and/or functionality that they can then use across different lines—essentially, their own ‘stock’ product—partially for differentiation and partially because they want ownership and control of the molds,” she says. “Conversely, many of our other customers are still looking for a wide range of stock options to minimize capital costs while achieving customization through various forms of decoration. This approach can be very effective both from a cost perspective, speed to market and an ability to achieve aesthetic customization that makes their products stand out.” 

And the money that brands save on stock packaging and related componentry can be put toward higher end decorative techniques to help create a more unique look.

“Stock packaging lends itself very well to the new techniques of decoration—spraying, powder coating and hot stamping on glass bottles all allow for the common package to become custom,” says Jim Slowey, vice president of marketing and sales, Baralan USA/Arrowpak, Richmond Hill, NY.

Strides in Sustainability

After cost, sustainability, recyclability and overall environmental-friendliness are additional high-ranking considerations for beauty brands as they consider their packaging options. “We are seeing, really for the first time, a sincere effort to implement more environmentally friendly product or process solutions, be it post-consumer materials, packaging methods or light-weighting,” comments CPP Global’s Joyce. “There is still work to be done in this area as current sustainable materials can be lower quality, not conducive to processing consistency or cost-prohibitive. That said, there has been some progress that we are implementing in recyclable packaging options, material reduction and some proprietary processes that are very interesting and ready for the market.”

To this end, CPP has taken a multi-pronged approach with its stock products to help create a greater value for its customers. “In some cases, we are partnering with them to reduce capital costs, essentially providing these customers with priority to production, but allowing us to realize a return on our investment by selling excess capacity to others,” Joyce says. “This paradigm keeps capital and piece-price down for the customer since we can recover our investment through greater utilization.” 

Another of the company’s approaches is to provide partial stock/partial customization solutions. “In this approach, we use our stock product, and the customer only needs to invest in a component of the assembly or decoration that is custom to them,” Joyce explains. “Naturally, we continue to expand our stock products to meet customer and market demands. We are fortunate to have several customers who understand the value of a true partnership that benefits everyone.”

In addition to launching a new post-industrial, 100% recycled PETG jar, CPP also debuted a proprietary innovation called the Metalook process, a decorating technique that they say delivers a completely recyclable metallized finish on virtually any plastic product. “In addition to sustainability, Metalook has many advantages over comparable processes, including the ability to decorate in a rainbow of colors and, in many cases, lower cost,” Joyce says. “The fact that we employ this process in our U.S. (as well as China) facility creates advantages in lead-time and meets many of our customers’ goals of increasing domestic sourcing. 

“Both of these initiatives represent some of the value we are trying to bring to our customers from a cost, lead-time and sustainability perspective,” she adds.

See-Through Selections

At retail, on-shelf competition in the beauty and personal care segment is ultra-high stakes. So, stock packaging suppliers know that their standard offerings need to be more than just run of the mill.

Kelly Gardi, who handles sales for New High Glass, Miami, FL, says brands are always on the lookout for new stock shapes—and for prestige panache, skin care companies often make use of complex decorations and custom caps, spatulas or pumps for a personalized effect. “We have had requests from skin care companies that are looking to switch from plastic to glass in order to offer more eco-friendly packaging,” he says. “This is due to the fact that cullet [broken or refuse glass that’s added to new glass material] is used in the process of manufacturing new glass containers.”

Gardi says New High Glass and its manufacturers are constantly working to develop new stock shapes to complement its current selection. “After having presented new items at Luxe Pack New York, we are going to be adding additional families of glass bottles to our current selection featuring the same shaped bottle in different sizes with matching components,” he notes. “Brands are always hungry for new shapes in order to differentiate their products from others on the same shelf. New High Glass assists them in doing so by also offering various in-house decoration options.”

David Hou, director of marketing and sales, Cospack America Corp., Edison, NJ, has observed what he calls a strong resurgence in the interest in glass packaging. This is due, he said, to the inherent “eco-friendliness as well as the perceived value a glass container provides in comparison to its cost.”

Cospack carries several lines of glass bottles and jars in frosted and clear finish as stock components, and Hou says the company additionally strives to meet the evolving demand for new “custom-like” components available “on floor” in the U.S. “We listen to suggestions and feedback from our clients as well as studying the current trends to develop and add new items into our carefully curated In Stock In Style stock packaging program,” he says. “One such item is our recently launched new in-stock airless line called London Flair that met the market demands for a tamperproof airless bottle that is both highly functional as well as visually appealing.”

Chuck Lee, president, ISPEC Inc., Edgewater, NJ, agrees that when it comes to looks, clear, thick-walled packages have been a clear favorite among creative personnel and potential buyers. “Also, a wider compatibility range with ingredients has been asked for in many cases,” he says. As for related decorative options, popular techniques include heat transfer label printing as a go-to choice, especially when artwork is complicated. 

In addition to heat transfer label printing, ISPEC also offers other sophisticated techniques such as vacuum metallizing. Last year the company also began producing heavy blown PET packages. “Traditionally, PET packages have been injection molded resulting in straight inner walls with limited sizes and shapes,” Lee says. “Now, we can blow mold heavy PET packages in any shape.”  

Sublime Applications

Having already enjoyed careers as both a renowned singer and makeup artist, Dorothy Lata ventured into the realm of fragrance by following her lifelong mantra, “Do what you love and the rest will come.” Earlier this year Lata launched her E/4 Element fragrance collection, a line developed to combine “the essence of individual personality with the scents of nature.”

The E/4 collection is comprised of four unisex fragrances: Fire, Earth, Water and Air. Each scent can be worn alone or layered in combination to create a complex, custom blended fragrance suitable for any time of the year.

Rooted in the aesthetic “less is more,” Lata implemented stock from ABA Packaging because of its “flexibility, cost effectiveness, in-stock/quick turnaround.” And given that the line was her first, she also had a budget to adhere to. “ABA...accommodated me with a great deal based on my needs and timing,” she says.

ABA’s Warford says Lata approached the design process with a clear vision and was open about both her starting quantities and her budget. “We realize that start-up companies like Dorothy’s need some additional attention as the process is new to them and [ABA’s] Veronica Cruz and I were more than happy to provide this guidance and assistance,” he says.

After meeting with Lata and her designer, ABA presented stock options that helped Lata zero in on a bottle family. “By choosing a bottle from a family of products stocked by ABA Packaging, we were able to provide the finished packaging complete with decorating in a matter of weeks,” Warford says.

For a customized touch, Lata oriented her label on the narrow side panel of the bottle, rather than the front panel. “It was just a perfect spot for it and a modern concept leaving the front of the bottle so nice and clean just with the logo and a brand name,” she remarks. “Transparency was my main direction and the fact that simplicity in a unisex concept makes a lot of sense.”

Lata is currently working with ABA to package a travel-sized iteration of her E/4 collection. At present, the project is in the prototype phase. Lata says the look will be “simple and stripped down to a minimum.”

New York-based HCP Packaging USA Inc.’s stock packaging portfolio spans a large number of full color cosmetic product lines and also innovative skin care, ancillary and promotional packs, with a wide range of finishing options and processes. One of its recent stock packages is the Fusion Glass Lip Gloss container, which Damien Dossin, HCP Packaging’s president, says embodies an affordable entry point into the prestige market. “Displaying all the desirable qualities of glass but none of the fragility, the thick-walled, plastic construction takes on a subtle minimalist form, making it adaptable across the market by offering a hint of glass-like luxury for everyone,” he comments.

Dossin says demand for rounded square stock packaging is on the rise. HCP’s recently designed Luna Square stock range emulates this trend with soft, structural shapes and organic forms. “Clear, domed windows allow for ease of color identification, and rounded edges look and feel fluidly futuristic,” says Dossin, noting that the range is currently at the model stage.

HCP’s stock offerings have additional traction in the nail color market segment. Milani’s Color Statement Nail Lacquer comes in a whopping 37 shades with finishes including cream, sheer and metallic. Dossin says HCP’s Radii Round Nail Polish packs are the ideal platform for the brand because the cap boasts a clever customizable top plate feature that can accommodate the 28 gel and nine injection molded top plates. 

Baralan USA/Arrowpak has also enjoyed traction in the nail polish segment, having recently launched its Twin Over Cap package—a cap designed to snap onto two nail polish bottles to effectively hold them together. Slowey says the package was inspired by the creativity of a visitor to their booth at Cosmoprof Bologna. “We took the original stock package two pack and redesigned it to not only match their existing packaging but also expanded the package and re-engineered it into a four pack, carry together that is known as The System to Go, a cleanser, base coat, nail color and top coat in a quad pack travel size,” he says.

Kendo Products took the stock package and reimagined it into a package compatible with their existing line.

Lou Della Pesca, president, 3C Inc., Wyckoff, NJ, says the eye color and facial cosmetic segments have been particularly fruitful for his company. “We recently provided a stock cushion compact for the cosmetic and treatment customer,” he remarks. “It’s currently being used for sunscreen, makeup base/foundation, whitening and anti-wrinkle products.”

On-trend with the wildly popular Korean beauty movement, 3Cs’s airtight cushion compact is made of ABS to prevent product dryness and contamination. “It keeps moisture and oil fresh with an easy open and close innovative push button system designed for perfect sealing,” he says. “A replaceable inner product compact can be sold as a refill.”

And when it comes to stock eye makeup packaging Della Pesca says 3C’s single automatic eyeliner pen gives end-users enhanced flexibility for applying a range of perfect eyeliner looks. “The application can be a very fine line or a thicker line with the stroke of the brush,” he says. “Our dual brow and eyeliner automatic pen gives the customer the convenience of having the two most important products for the eye in one package.”

Packaging suppliers continue to push the bounds of stock packaging innovation, adding new designs and capabilities to their standard packaging and componentry lineups, as well as new opportunities for decorative differentiation. For beauty, fragrance and personal care brands this unparalleled packaging choice means design creativity is limited only by their imagination.