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The e-commerce industry is growing at a rate faster than ever imagined. With every passing year, trends also change. Custom packaging ideas for e-commerce brands in 2025 have become outdated, and using them in 2026 is not a good choice at all.
E-commerce businesses don’t only rely on the protection of goods, but it’s also about the packaging’s look and visual appearance. In this blog post, we are going to share the best custom printed packaging ideas for e-commerce brands for 2026.
2026 is almost here, and there should be something new in e-commerce packaging design. On every new day, customers demand something new, and here, the year has changed.
Here is a list of customised packaging ideas for e-commerce brands.
When you would pack tiny-sized products in massive heavyweight boxes with bubble wrap, that’s done easily. But it will eventually increase your shipping costs, and your customers will feel like they are drowning in unnecessary packaging when they open the box.
That is why we always emphasise that brands must use the right-sized box. The size of the box should be such that it fits snugly, no matter what the product size is. You may be thinking this is an old idea, but in reality, e-commerce brands faced heavy losses in 2025 due to unnecessary excessive packaging.
To some brands, the purpose of packaging is only product protection, but it’s wrong. Packaging is actually more than protection; it represents your brand in a crowded marketplace. Hence, it is proven that packaging does double duty.
As an e-commerce brand, design boxes that not only attract customers but also encourage them to use them again. For example, custom mailer boxes that change into organizers and custom folding boxes that can be used as drawer dividers after folding flat. This is a must-try clever design for 2026.
Opening a box must not feel like customers need a knife, scissor or 5 minutes. Tearing through layers of packing tape is frustrating. Nowadays, customers love self-sealing boxes, and unlimited options are available, like pull strips, tear strips, and interlocking flaps.
Besides the above, many other options can make your unboxing experience smoother and memorable. Plus, it makes your packaging easier to recycle since customers don’t have to peel off all that tape first.
Just like the right-sized box, material type also matters. 2026 will be all about sustainability, but no one knows what’s the psyche behind sustainable packaging. Let me tell you.
Brands will move from those glossy and laminated materials that cannot be easily recycled. And 2026 is all about using plain packaging material with a few customisations, like stylish textures and interactive add-ons that make the recycling process smoother and easier.
Brands use customisations wisely and smartly rather than juggling with messy things that almost all are using or have been used. For example, if you print every customer’s name on a box, it might create an inventory nightmare.
You can integrate QR codes into your product packaging that will get them directly to landing pages. Or you can also include handwritten style notes inside the packaging to make it memorable for customers, rather than adding simple paper that gets tossed out after unboxing.
Customers want to see what they are going to buy, so it is a good idea to let them decide. But the real problem comes when a few e-commerce brands use plastic window patches that are hard to recycle; it’s unfair to the environment.
Then what should you use to protect the environment while creating ease for customers? Glassine windows (which are paper-based and recyclable) or designing packages where the product itself is visible through strategic die-cuts.
Great ecommerce packaging in 2026 is not about being expensive or flashy; it’s actually all about following these custom packaging ideas. Do something that gives customers a reason to remember your brand for a long time.
YBY Boxes Australia creates complete packaging strategies for e-commerce brands that want to grow. We don’t stay stuck in one approach; we constantly review and update our methods to keep up with the latest trends in the packaging industry
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