Two recent purchases.
First, this Lexar SD card. The packaging is 28 times the size of the product. Many consumer electronics segments are becoming commodified. Memory tops that list: there’ s little to differentiate Lexar from Sandisk and others beyond branding and advantages such as packaging design. I understand the need to convert browsers to purchasers on the shop floor. But I wonder if better graphic design couldn’t do it better. Ever increasing the package size seems lazy at best, and irresponsible at worst.
I felt the same way when I bought these headphones from Creative last month:
Decent headphones, excessive packaging.
Better approach to packaging? This light, which came on recycled cardboard packaging maybe 3x its size, and two tiny zip ties. In fact, MEC does many things well in responsible retailing.
B
Check out more: Featured Posts - Brand - Design - Marketing - Economy - Environment
![[Post to Twitter]](http://www.cashewman.com/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter-micro3.png){kind=icon}
![[Post to Delicious]](http://www.cashewman.com/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-delicious-micro3.png){kind=icon}
![[Post to Digg]](http://www.cashewman.com/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-digg-micro3.png){kind=icon}
![[Post to StumbleUpon]](http://www.cashewman.com/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-su-micro3.png){kind=icon}
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Here’s a point I have been harping on… disposable alkaline batteries! All throughout these big box stores, like Walmart or Target, there are displays for cheap, disposable batteries because so many of the electronic products we buy are designed to use them. But a majority of these batteries end up in our landfill. Why are there no incentives to by rechargeables? Or better yet, why isn’t there a tax on them? We’ll have to pay for them eventually. And trying to find a place to recycle used batteries is not easy, even in the “progressive” Palo Alto. Just sayin’.
[Reply]
raff Reply:
January 6th, 2010 at 12:31 am
I’d be happy to see a deposit on stuff like that. Of course you’d still find some getting into the landfills, but it would get a lot of it into a controlled disposal/recycle loop.
Those funky metals end up on the groundwater/ocean every time.
[Reply]
Costco as a store is the worst for packaging. They’ll repackage DVDs in larger plastic cases. It’s just awful.
[Reply]
raff Reply:
January 6th, 2010 at 9:07 am
For real. I noticed last time I was there that they had these big plastic jobs (like the above mentioned data disk) for event tickets and gift certificates. I walked around for 10 minutes trying to find somebody to complain about it to. I eventually settled on a shitty comment box.
[Reply]
raff Reply:
January 6th, 2010 at 9:12 am
oops, I mean this kind of bullshit:
[Reply]
My understanding is that retailers feel they need the mega-packaging to reduce shoplifting. Maybe they should have memory vending machines instead of having them on racks - like the ipod vending machine. Or like bubble gum machines, even better :)
[Reply]
Brendan Reply:
January 6th, 2010 at 7:10 pm
Sure but I suspect the impetus for packaging design is from the producers/manufacturers, on the basis of triggering sales. Perhaps someone more dialed in with package design can school us!
B
[Reply]