Hello, MyFBAPrep Sellers!

Today we’re sharing the differences in packaging needs across different sales channels, from DTC, Amazon, retail, and wholesale. Our CEO and Co-founder weighs in on what’s most important for each.

Then, we’ll share more about how to go multi-channel to leverage all of the packaging tips you’ve learned.

Engineering Packaging That Wins: A Founder’s Perspective on Designing for D2C, Amazon, and Retail

D2C, Amazon FBA, and club/retail channels are entirely different operating environments. Each has its own rules, constraints, and friction points. Trying to force a single packaging solution across all three? That’s like bringing a carry-on to ship freight. You’re going to slow everything down, and that friction kills scale.

Here’s how I think about packaging design across channels and what we’ve learned helping brands build packaging systems that support growth.

D2C: Build the Brand, Win the Second Sale

Here’s what matters:
* Brand-first presentation. Use materials and visuals that align with your positioning. You’re building perception here.
* Unboxing moments. Small details go a long way—tissue paper, inserts, even a sample. These aren’t gimmicks. They’re growth levers.
* Durability without excess. You don’t want breakage, but you also don’t want to ship air or overpay dimensional weight.
* Operational fit. Make it easy to pick, pack, and return if needed. Your warehouse team (and your bottom line) will thank you.

Amazon FBA: Packaging Built for Compliance, Cost, and Speed

Amazon-ready packaging needs to:
* Meet every FBA rule. Box type, labeling, polybags, expiration dates—miss one and your inventory sits.
* Protect against chaos. Units get picked, tossed, scanned, repacked. They need to survive all of it.
* Minimize dimensional fees. Small changes in box size can save thousands per month.
* Speed up ops. Clean barcodes, no surprises—make it easy for the robots and the humans.
* Bundle smartly. If you kit SKUs, it needs to be scannable, shippable, and repeatable at scale.

Retail & Club Stores: Design for Distance, Durability, and Dollars

To win here, your packaging has to:
* Pop from across the aisle. Big claims, bold branding, and ultra-clear value props.
* Stack and survive. These pallets get moved—often. Your trays and outer cartons need to hold up.
* Load efficiently. Pallet dimensions, ECT ratings, and replenishment protocols matter more than design awards.
* Be self-service. Floor staff won’t fuss with your box. It needs to open cleanly and reset easily.

B2B & Wholesale: Think Clean, Strong, and Standardized

Selling to retail chains or foodservice distributors? Packaging here needs to disappear into the system. Quietly, efficiently, and without drama. That means:
* Pallet stability. No overhang, no weak cartons, no toppling stacks.
* Smart labeling. They need to know what’s inside without opening anything.
* Standard case counts. Predictable SKUs are easier to reorder.
* Barcodes that scan. Re-labeling is a deal-breaker.
* Durability. From dock to store, this packaging needs to hold up across environments.

Read the full article ➔

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Scale Your Brand By Combining AI with Human Intelligence

On its own, AI is not a magic bullet for growth. While AI-powered tools can unlock significant efficiencies, the real competitive advantage emerges when these technologies are strategically paired with human expertise. It’s the thoughtful combination of machine intelligence and human oversight that truly works wonders, transforming potential into palpable results and driving your brand’s success.

Learn how to use AI in branding, where human oversight is needed, and common mistakes to avoid when implementing AI in your brand.
Read the full article ➔

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Partner Resource: The Top Mistakes Brands Make When Selling on Amazon

ExpertCPG has teamed up with MyFBAPrep to share our observations of the mistakes that Amazon sellers make the most and what to do about them).

This resource is packed with quick and actionable tips that you can read and digest over a cup of coffee.

You’ll learn about the importance of listing set-up, fee structure, inventory management, authentic reviews, and much more.

Just click the link for instant access!
Get Instant Access ➝

Top Industry News

Ecommerce Fulfillment: How to Keep it Rolling (Inbound Logistics)

Recent shifts in international trade policies, particularly the introduction of higher tariffs on Chinese imports, have placed increasing financial pressure on Amazon sellers. For businesses relying on the first-party (1P) marketplace—where Amazon purchases inventory directly from suppliers—these changes have amplified the challenge of maintaining profitability. Rising costs squeeze margins, leaving many brands searching for alternative strategies to remain competitive.

Disney Doubles Down on Shoppable TV with ‘Virtual Concessions,’ Content-Based Ecommerce (Retail Touchpoints)

As its roster of streaming services continues to grow and expand, Disney is upping the ante on shoppable TV. The latest additions include new digital storefronts centered on specific content and developed in partnership with Shopsense, as well as a “virtual concessions” feature that allows TV viewers to order snacks from Gopuff from the comfort of their couch.

HIVED Raises $42 Million For All-Electric Delivery Network (PYMNTS)

eCommerce logistics platform HIVED has raised $42 million in new funding. The U.K.-based company said its Series B round, announced Monday (July 7), will allow it to scale nationwide as it builds an all-electric delivery network. “The U.K. has the third-largest eCommerce market in the world, after China and the U.S., responsible for ~10% of our GDP with incumbent logistics firms retro-fitting for eCommerce by shifting their legacy systems,” the company wrote in the post.

How Tech Startups in Emerging Markets are Scaling Ecommerce so Fast (Techloy)

In many ways, the global ecommerce playbook is being rewritten—not in Silicon Valley or major European capitals, but in cities across Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. Tech startups in these regions aren’t just playing catch-up. They’re moving fast, solving local problems with fresh approaches, and building online retail systems that rival those in more mature markets. What’s driving their growth isn’t just access to technology—it’s how they’re applying it.

The Gen Z Factor: Differentiating Delivery to Offset Slowing E-commerce Growth (SupplyChainBrain)

The pandemic-fueled e-commerce boom is winding down. While retailers keenly recollect when e-commerce sales penetration in the U.S. more than doubled to about 35% in 2020 — roughly the equivalent of 10 years’ growth in a single year — online purchasing growth today is slowing. In the U.S., e-commerce sales are projected to grow by 6% annually, a far cry from the 18% to 20% growth seen during the pandemic years.

Alibaba Resharpens Focus on AI and eCommerce (PYMNTS)

Alibaba Chairman Joe Tsai said the company is focusing on eCommerce and cloud computing with AI embedded across all operations, shedding non-core assets like its physical retail holdings to streamline its business.

AI Overviews: The Next Battleground For E-Commerce Success (Forbes)

Showing up in AI Overviews is about being genuinely helpful, not just technically optimized. The brands that embrace this new reality by being clear, conversational and credible are the ones that will win the next chapter of e-commerce. The future is here, and it’s being summarized by AI.

Online Shopping Sees Biggest Slowdown in Over Decade as Tariffs Disrupt eCommerce (CNBC)

The e-commerce sector is experiencing its most disruptive period in more than a decade as a result of President Trump’s trade war and tariffs policy, according to a new survey from Alix Partners. It finds steep declines in online shopping activity, and shipping and return policies being adjusted to cut costs for companies.

Online purchases for home delivery experienced double-digit percentage, year-over-year declines across major categories, including office supplies, down by 13 percentage points; sporting goods, down 12 percentage points; and cosmetics, furniture, home furnishings, and large electronics, each falling by 10 percentage points, according to AlixPartners’ data.

Big Box Retailers are Running Longer Deals Alongside Prime Day This Year (Retail Brew)

For the first time Amazon is hosting a four-day Prime summer event from July 8–11. Prime Day usually lasts two days—last year it ran from July 16–17. Walmart is also hosting its Walmart Deals sale for six days to July 13, instead of the usual four. Meanwhile, Target has not increased the number of days for Circle Week scheduled from July 6 through July 12, but it will overlap with Prime Day like it has in years past. Kohl’s is also running its summer deals from July 7 to July 10 in direct competition with Prime Day.

Until next time,

Rachel Go

Marketing Director, MyFBAPrep