Are you shopping for spout pouch packaging for your small business? Just not sure which way to go and how to do it. Well, you’ve come to the right place. You will be guided step-by-step through the buying process in this guide.
1. Understand the characteristics of the spout pouch
First, if you want to invest in stand-up pouches with suction spouts, you’re doing your start-up a favor. It’s a great way to showcase your brand, promote your business, and stand out from the competition. But before we start the buying process, let’s take a quick look at the spout pouch feature.
Key spout pouch features
- Ideal for packaging liquid products such as beverages, liquid detergents, oils, juices, and sauces
- Excellent barrier protection
- Tamper-resistant, indicating it won’t leak and get damaged
- It has rounded corners for easy handling.
- It stands on its own to save space and has great shelf appeal.
- Ideal design for busy clients
- A reclosable spout in the corner or top middle of the pouch
- Easy customization
- Including side seals or handles for convenience and ease of use
- Available in a variety of styles i.e. gusset or stand-up pouches and burst or bi-component pouches
Your spout pouch packaging can also be customized with many other features and add-ons.
2. Determine the requirements of spout pouch packaging
After understanding the various characteristics of spout pouch packaging, we can move on to the buying guide. The first and most critical step is to determine what you need regarding the product, target market, and trade site.
- Product: Any special packaging requirements can be realized.
For example, if it is sensitive to light, oxygen, or moisture, you may want to consider additional barrier protection. Also, consider the external environment, primarily if you supply products through external distributors. Find out what their packaging requirements are and include them in your brand guidelines. - Buyers: Spout pouch packaging should provide the best customer experience.
So look for pouches based on what you know about your customers, their buying trends, and demographics. - Trade site: If the trade site of your products is a retail store. Customized designs are ideal if your product is on the same retail display as your competitors.
After assessing your business and product needs, the next step is to check out the competition. For example, if you’re making a sauce, check out other sauces on the market and pay attention to their spout pouches. Be sure to cross-check a range of brands, including those sold in different store categories.
Pay special attention to what stands out in terms of color, design, size, and messaging. Note the key features that make their pouches better. Check out the comprehensive general material and find out the standing ones.
This information will help you choose a more durable, safe, and high-quality spout pouch material. More importantly, examine what is currently missing and find out how it can be improved. At the same time, don’t copy other brands’ designs. Instead, use their strengths and weaknesses to inspire your design.
Next, decide on the volume of the mouthpiece pouch you need for priming. Keep in mind that many spout pouch suppliers and manufacturers have minimum requirements.
In any case, you must have an estimated package volume ready before proceeding with the buying process.
3. Make research on the spout pouch price
Once you have determined the style, material, and quantity you want, the next stage is budgeting. As a start-up company, you may be wondering about the cost of spout pouches and the budget for your packaging needs. But unfortunately, there is no direct answer.
First of all, this is because pricing in the flexible bag industry is complex. Getting the right price estimate can be a challenge.
In addition, due to the many variables that affect the price, not many packaging manufacturers are willing to quote blindly. Considering this, the only realistic way to budget for your spout pouch is to research and determine how much it will cost.
This way, you can easily plan your budget and maneuver to save on these costs.
Spout pouch packaging cost
The various costs associated with spout pouch packaging are:
- Material costs
Spout pouches are made from multiple layers of materials including foil, polypropylene, and polyester. Depending on the product and shelf life requirements, layers will vary in the pouch. So basically, the more material you have in your pouch, the more expensive it will be.
- Volume
The number of units you order will significantly affect your final cost. Generally, the larger your quantity, the cheaper the price; if you order a small quantity, the cost will be higher.
- Cost of production
The production process has costs that are directly related to your spout pouch packaging. Tooling and setup costs are major costs. Tooling is when special molds are created for manufacturing your custom design. Its cost is paid separately.
Setup refers to setting up the production line of various machines used to produce packaging. There are labor charges associated with this, again, they are paid separately.
In short, production costs will depend on the complexity of your design and the number of changes made during the design process.
Note that custom tools are only made after your design is approved. Once production starts, you cannot make modifications to the design as this would require new tooling and therefore increase costs.
- Shipping fee
This is the cost of shipping the spout pouch from the supplier/manufacturer to your facility. As with many things, shipping costs vary based on several factors, namely distance, shipping method, and shipping volume/weight.
All in all, it is essential to know how much the spout pouches on the market usually cost, and then plan your budget. You can ask different suppliers for prices and compare quotes to get an idea.
Since your business is just getting started, the aim is to find a spout pouch that fits your needs and budget.
4. Find the right spout pouch supplier or manufacturer
Choosing the right spout pouch supplier or manufacturer is very important for your business. So choose your provider carefully.
You can start by researching some companies based on finding some references or internet research. Pick 3-5 companies and compare their reputation and pricing to help narrow your options.
Other things to check are the supplier’s industry experience, minimum order quantities, and typical turnaround times for both stock and custom bags. In addition, long-term considerations must be taken when selecting a spout pouch supplier or manufacturer. Look for a vendor that promises scalability.
As a startup, there will come a day when you will want to expand, and that will come with an increase in the volume of your packaging. Your supplier should have no trouble meeting your current and future spout packaging needs.
Don’t forget to check their quality assurance certifications and read reviews of brands they’ve worked with before. It helps ensure they provide the highest quality products and services.
By utilizing state-of-the-art machinery and dedicated staff, we are able to provide both stock and custom spout pouches in the quantity and quality you need.
We are also accredited to a number of widely accepted codes and standards, including FSC, GMP, ISO, and even the FDA. Generally speaking, you can trust us to provide fast, affordable, reliable, and high-quality bag service.
5. Buy an existing product or design your customized spout pouch
Your product and brand requirements will determine whether to purchase a stock pouch or a custom pouch. Cost is also a deciding factor between these two packaging options. Stock pouches are pre-made packages ready to use.
On the other hand, custom spout pouches are designed from scratch according to your product and brand requirements. While you can always add basic customization to stock packaging, it’s no match for custom designs.
A custom spout design will cost more initially but will be worth it in the long run. Custom spout pouches offer a more eye-pleasing design that can help differentiate your product from the competition. Moreover, you can also customize spout pouches in various colors and graphics to make your products more attractive.
In today’s market, consumers are drawn to packaging that is vibrant and engaging. With custom spout pouch designs, your packaging will stand out and catch the eye of every customer.
That is to custom spout pouch design follows these three steps:
1) Outline your needs
The more you frame your spout pouch packaging from colors, fonts, graphics, and other assets, the better the result. When outlining your custom design, be sure to follow your branding guidelines.
2) Know your message
Good packaging engagingly communicates with consumers. Make sure your packaging directly represents your brand and vision.
3) Design process
There are three ways to go about this: DIY, hire a graphic designer, or work with a vendor who provides artwork and design support.
Do-it-yourself is an excellent way to save money and get directly involved in the creative process. However, this is time-consuming due to the need to endlessly tweak and revise the design and may end up taking even more time. Also, DIY designs are only feasible if you have an in-house design team.
The second option is expensive. But you get professional help that might be right for your startup. Small businesses and startups should let their manufacturers handle the design process.
Most suppliers have a team of established designers who can help you get exactly what you want. Plus, the factory design helps make the buying process seamless and stress-free as everything is done under one roof.
What’s more, they’ll create your design based on your brand guidelines and key messages, while involving you every step of the way.
6. Request samples and check the quality
Sampling helps you see exactly what the finished product will look like before committing to a large order.
Note that the manufacturer offers three sample options: existing samples (factory designs), custom samples, and blank samples (no branding). When requesting samples for evaluation, you need to know what you want.
Things like product assembly, verifying material and print quality, and identifying design flaws are only possible when you have physical samples. With this, you can easily change elements you don’t like before actually ordering.
7. Place an order for all spout pouches
After completing the above steps, please proceed to contact the supplier or manufacturer to place an order. You can start with a short term, ordering a small quantity to test it in the market. If successful, you can proceed to bulk order. But if not, you can adjust the design based on feedback before ordering larger quantities.
8. Arrange shipping, customs clearance, and delivery
Most manufacturers will let you know when your order is nearly ready so you can arrange shipment. Depending on your location and the urgency of your delivery, you can choose between road, rail, air, or sea freight for your packaging order. Air freight is faster than all other forms.
Received packaging will depend on the size of your order, shipping method, and requested schedule. Constant communication with your supplier or manufacturer will ensure you are on track and able to schedule shipping and customs clearance on time.
For customs clearance, you can have your freight forwarder handle it or hire a qualified customs broker. As import regulations vary from country to country, you will need to confirm with customs authorities that any requirements are met before your packaging is allowed to enter.
9. Conclusion
Like anything else, buying a spout pouch for the first time does require preliminary information.
But a good supplier or manufacturer will help and support you every step of the way. We provide excellent consulting services, which can help expedite your buying process.