The Effect of the Growth of Business to Consumer E-commerce on the Packaging Industry in the United States

Packaging is an essential component in the storage and transportation of goods, and businesses should optimize it for their supply chains. Business to consumer (B2C) e-commerce, which is a noticeably growing industry, has different supply chains and market characteristics than traditional in-store markets. Therefore, B2C needs to change its packaging to accommodate a growing understanding of customers and supply chains in the e-commerce market. This study reviewed how the rapidly growing e-commerce market has affected the packaging industry in the United States. E-commerce has significantly affected the overall packaging industry to satisfy changing customer desires. E-commerce supply chains require more packaging materials, due to more severe distribution environment than for the supply chains of traditional in-store retailers. At the same time, customers have critical concerns for e-commerce packaging regarding wastes, recyclability, accessibility, and visibility. Various packaging sectors, including manufacturers, online retailers, carriers, and associations have collaboratively responded to the changes in customer desires and the supply chain environment. Optimized and innovative packaging technologies and systems will enable the e-commerce industry to add value to its supply chains.