5 Signs It’s Time to Find a New Flexible Packaging Supplier

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The signs your flexible packaging supplier can no longer keep pace with your brand tend to be subtle at first. A new size, product format, or finish kicks off a back-and-forth that slows down production. Excess inventory is stacking up in your warehouse. Your once tight brand identity has started to look just a little bit different across different SKUs and aisles.

Before you can put your finger on what’s happening, the relationship that once worked is now adding friction to your growth trajectory. Sometimes you see the cracks, but the idea of switching feels like an insurmountable task. Especially when you’re gaining traction with retailers, adding new SKUs, or expanding into new territories and time has never been more of the essence.

Regular evaluation of your packaging supplier relationship can surface disconnects early on, so when it is time to move on, you can do so on your terms. Knowing what signs to watch for also helps brands spot a new supplier who can grow with you as a true partner.

Sign #1: The order minimums no longer make sense for your business.

When a brand first enters the market, the packaging math is often simpler. There’s one product, one size, one format, and volume is relatively set. With this in mind, they sign on with a supplier who offers order minimums that align with their product strategy.

Growth changes this math. Suppliers raise minimums to a number that no longer matches the volume you’re moving. Your portfolio has expanded and counts within each SKU vary dramatically, but the supplier’s minimum order quantity remains inflexible. Suddenly you’re left with excess inventory that represents capital you could have invested in launching a seasonal flavor or trend-driven collaboration.

Make the switch to: a supplier with no order minimums.

When a company finds themselves sitting on eight months of flexible pouches they can’t use because the product has changed, it’s not a packaging problem, it’s a partnership problem. The right partner will never put order minimums ahead of client needs.

Sign #2: Lead times creep up with little rhyme or reason.

Early on, it can be easy to overlook this red flag. When you’re small, selling direct to consumer, or testing products at smaller boutique businesses, you have wiggle room built into your deadlines. The demands of larger retailers aren’t so forgiving. Major buyers expect product on shelf by the date they set. Failure to to hit these dates jeopardizes retailer relationships and triggers financial liabilities. Across the CPG industry, fulfillment delays cost brands more than a billion dollars every year.

The impact of this misstep makes it critical to catch early on. The tell is as much communication as it is speed. If your supplier is consistently missing deadlines, providing vague, ever-moving delivery windows, and making you chase down answers, it’s time to find someone new.

Make the switch to: a responsive, communicative team.

In some cases, delays are inevitable. Materials are in short supply, your design team misses a file deadline, someone forgets to update the ingredient list. A partner who values your business will let you know what’s happening, offer solutions, and adapt to protect your shelf date.

Sign #3: You’re stitching together three packaging vendors for one brand.

It’s not uncommon for brands to source pressure sensitive labels from one shop, flexible pouches from another, and still another for flexible cartons. It can be done, but it does add unnecessary complexity to your packaging program. Complexity that further compounds as you scale. More suppliers mean more to manage and more that could go wrong.

Brands often notice missed color targets first. The green on your flexible pouches doesn’t match the green on the carton that houses them. It may start slight enough that only your brand team would take note but eventually it can signal a quality problem to your shoppers.

Make the switch to: a partner that reduces complexity.

Consolidating formats under one umbrella buys back the hours your team spends coordinating vendors and reconciling proofs. One point of contact owns the whole program, matches color across every format, and flags any discrepancies that could compromise your brand.

Sign #4: Packaging blocks your ability to meet the needs of your consumer.

There are a couple ways packaging can put up hurdles between you and your customer. The first, and most apparent, arises when you’re ready to launch a flavor they’ve been asking for or a format that travels with them . In theory, it should be simple, but for many vendors a new SKU is treated as a brand new undertaking that bloats lead times and throttles business growth.

The other hurdle comes in when your packaging fails to reflect the values your customers expect you to carry across every aspect of your business. The most clear example of this is sustainable materials. Packaging that delivers on your sustainability commitments automatically builds trust among your customers.

Make the switch to: a partner who prioritizes the consumer.

As you must understand and adapt to the needs of your customers, an innovative packaging partner must stay out ahead of these shifting needs. They’ll be able to source the materials you need and quickly spin up new SKUs to keep up with consumer and market demand.

Sign #5: You’re owning the relationship.

The symptoms of this one can sneak up on you and often they show up within one of the other four signals. Lead times creep up because you’re the one pushing the timelines forward. You’re bringing quality issues to the attention of each of your vendors. You’re left to drive the conversation about new formats or sustainable materials. Somewhere along the way, it becomes your job to manage your packaging partnership.

Make the switch to: an expert who takes the lead.

A good partner will make your life easier. Problems are met with solutions. Innovative materials, formats, and finishes are brought to your attention before you see them on your competitor’s packaging. Reminders hit your inbox long before missing artwork puts your deadlines at risk. Everything hums along behind the scenes, so the only job you have to worry about doing is your own.

Get ready to make the switch.

Recognizing the problem is the first step. The next one is a conversation. If two or three of these signs describe your last few months, it’s worth talking with a strategic partner who can guide you through your options before your next big run or retail commitment locks you in.