Amazon.com promoting "Frustration-Free Packaging" for web merchandise

[Sporkman]

For nearly two years, Amazon has been trying to get manufacturers to adopt “frustration-free packaging” that gets rid of plastic cases and air-bubble wrap — major irritants for consumers and one of Amazon’s biggest sources of customer complaints.

...

For brick and mortar retailers, traditional packaging remains popular because it can help deter theft. But in Web shopping, there is general agreement that the alternative packaging is a hit with consumers, and that it is simple for packaging companies to create. It is also environmentally friendly, using recycled and recyclable cardboard rather than plastic and wire ties, quicker to produce than the retail packaging and costs less.

Now Amazon, still determined to get more manufacturers to sign up, is making the case by taking the angry customer feedback on old-school packages directly to the product makers. Compared to the traditional versions of the products, frustration-free products have earned on average a 73 percent reduction in negative feedback on the Amazon site...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/08/technology/08packaging.html

[Dustin2128]

I read about this a while back... its about time, I hate those vacuum sealed industrial diamond packages.

[LowSky]

I remember someone did an article about how their new packaging idea was great for certain things, and not so great for others, like Hard Drives.

[Sporkman]

I remember someone did an article about how their new packaging idea was great for certain things, and not so great for others, like Hard Drives.

Yes -


While there were hiccups, like hard drives damaged in transit (http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/03/amazons-frustration-free-packaging-leaves-a-trail-of-dead-disks/) (Amazon switched that packaging back), for the most part, the change has been popular.