The Hero of the E-Commerce Boom Is on Your Front PorchThe cardboard box has emerged as a sustainable solution that’s helping retailers keep pace with soaring digital sales during the Covid-19 pandemic. Here’s how.

$523.64

+14.9%

+13.6%

+18.0%

$601.65

$709.78

$461.03

2017

2018

2019

2020

This year has already seen 7.4M new digital buyers.

In the era of free shipping and two-day delivery, U.S. e-commerce sales were already growing rapidly. Months of quarantine have only accelerated that rise, with 2020 figures forecast to increase substantially.

U.S. retail e-commerce sales (in billions):

Source: eMarketer, May 2020

Source: eMarketer *Projeected

As a result, the pandemic has helped drive the trend of e-commerce sales comprising a larger and larger portion of overall retail sales.

E-commerce as % of overall retail sales:

This reflects a 62.4% YoY increase

10.6%

3Q191Q19

10.4%

2Q19

10.1%

4Q19

12.8%*14.8%

3Q201Q20

12.1%

2Q20

16.4%

4Q20

*15%

This 28% increase is actually larger than the increase in people who wash their hands more frequently (+21%)

APRIL 10, 2020

41%

MARCH 10, 2020

13 %

Chances are, you are one of those buyers. In the span of just one month, a survey of U.S. adults revealed a huge shift from physical to digital shopping.

U.S. retail e-commerce sales (in billions):

Source: Ipsos/USA Today

61.5%Food and Beverage

27.4%Books

29.5%Video Games

60.0%Household Products

46.1%Fashion, Clothing,

Apparel

43.3%Electronics 46.4%

Baby Care Products

64.6%Cosmetics and Personal Care

Groceries are far from the only products that U.S. internet users are having delivered directly to their doors during the pandemic.

% of adults who have bought these products digitally:

Source: OnePoll (via eMarketer)

This trend doesn’t only impact giant retailers. Small and medium-size businesses are also adapting, with nearly two-thirds expecting to lean more heavily on digital sales in the future.

How much will U.S. SMBs rely on e-commerce post-pandemic?

30.7%Rely the same amount

34.8%Rely somewhat more

31.6%Rely much more

3%Rely less

Source: Pymnts.com

Fortunately, research on consumer sentiment shows an enduring preference for the humble cardboard box.

of Americans rely on

corrugated cardboard boxes

to ship merchandise safely on

a four-year average

81%are more likely to buy brands

that package their products in

paper or cardboard

71%agree that paper and cardboard

packaging is less wasteful than

other packaging

84%

Source: Paper and Packaging Board, Ipsos

This has resulted in steady growth for the corrugated box industry in the United States.

U.S. corrugated consumption in tons:

Source: American Forest & Paper Association

65.7%1999

82.2%2009

92.0%2019

The average corrugated box contains 48% recycled content.

But the increased use of corrugated boxes hasn’t come at the expense of the environment, and that includes strong forest stewardship practices. In fact, the recycling rate of corrugated packaging now sits above 90%, the culmination of decades of sustainability efforts.

Recycling rate of old corrugated containers (OCC):

Source: Corrugated.org; American Forest & Paper Association

33.514M2019

34.379M

33.576M2017

32.416M

32.152M2015

31.713M

31.131M2013

2014

2016

2018

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