JCPenney

Amy Lea Raglin

Recent Advancements in Packaging

Although not recent in inception, RFID continues to evolve and become more attainable and affordable for retailers. It has been proven to have a huge impact on our business where it is in use. It certainly aids accurate inventory counts, but it also helps drive BOPIS, avoid out-of-stock missed sales, and reduce internal shrink numbers. Currently, improved technologies and more diverse sourcing options are helping RFID gain traction across US retailers, resulting in a measurable ROI that can be redirected elsewhere in the enterprise to drive improvement in the customer experience.

"Sustainable materials can be quite cost-prohibitive in some regions of production, so I focus on responsibility vs. sustainability alone"

Predominant Industry Challenges

The biggest challenge I see in retail packaging today is the ability to be good stewards of the world entrusted to our care. The fact remains that 90 percent of what we put in packaging produce is end-use consumer trash; it simply gets thrown away. I personally start with the low-hanging fruit and use post-consumer materials vs. virgin materials when possible while also limiting the number of packaging components per item to the minimum necessary to maintain brand standards and provide our consumers with the information they need to make a purchasing decision. Sustainable materials can be quite cost-prohibitive in some regions of production, so I focus on responsibility vs. sustainability alone. I believe this perspective allows a broader approach to decision-making based upon accountability for not only sustainable practices but those providing environmental, economic, and social support as well. Research into alternatives to chemicals, plastics, vinyl, etc., is going to be critical to our ability to make positive progress in not only materials but also the health of our environment and its inhabitants.

Overcoming the Hurdles

My advice is to build a strategy plan and break it down into achievable steps. Will there be hiccups and exceptions? Of course, retail is ever-changing and always evolving, but with a plan in place, you can always re-focus on the goal, then the next one, and then the next. It's easy to be overwhelmed and attack each project and deadline in a silo, but it's critical that you give yourself time to stop and think before you act. Step back, allow yourself to question and truly understand the ask, process the need and desired result, review hindsight learnings and results, and then proceed with problem-solving options that align with your strategy and move your brands forward.