The Packaging Rap
SKS Bottle & Packaging Newsletter

Customer Loyalty Program

In early 2019, SKS launched a loyalty program that allows customers to earn points on purchases to put towards future discounts. Customers who sign up for the loyalty program earn points for every dollar spent, minus any applied discounts. 300 points automatically converts into $10 in Container Cash, which can be used as a discount towards another purchase. Container Cash can also be earned by following SKS on social media or referring a friend, as well as each year on your sign-up anniversary. Container Cash can be combined with other promotions and discounts for even greater savings. All Container Cash is valid for one year after the date issued and can be used as soon as it is added to your account. Take advantage of promotions that offer double points to earn Container Cash even faster.A total of five tiers are available starting from the bronze level up to VIP. The higher the tier level, the more points earned per dollar spent. Bronze tier earns 1 point per dollar spent, while VIP tier earns 2 points. To move up a tier, a qualifying amount must be spent over the course of the year: $1,000 for Silver, $5,000 for Gold, $10,000 for Platinum, and $25,000 for VIP. Monitoring rewards and tier status is easy and convenient through the customer portal. Simply sign into your account and select "SKS Loyalty Program" from the menu.

Customer Pickup Center

In July of 2019 a new customer pickup center opened at the Saratoga, NY facility. Local customers now have the option to eliminate shipping costs and pick up orders for free at their own convenience. Customer Pickup displays as an option alongside the shipping screen at check out as long as your account is Northeastern US based, all products in the order are available at the Saratoga location, and the order meets a minimum total of $150. When choosing customer pickup, select your pickup date up to one month from when the order is being placed (excluding weekends and holidays), as well as the pickup time. Next day pickup requires at least 12 hours to process. An option to prepay or pay at the time of pickup is also available. If pre-paying, the order can be completed as normal. If paying at the time of pickup, discounts and/or Container Cash can be applied before continuing to the order confirmation screen. An email notification is sent containing further instructions and directions to the pickup center once the order is ready.

Behalf

In October 2019, SKS introduced free Net30 terms or financing through Behalf. This convenient new payment method can be used to buy now and pay later on any order over $300 for eligible business accounts. To expedite the process, get pre-approved by logging into your account and filling out the signup form. This process is quick and easy and, once approved, the form can be used to track your account status and available balance. Behalf financing appears as a payment option on the checkout screen and can be selected in lieu of a credit card or Paypal. If already pre-approved, you are just prompted to sign in to Behalf to check out. Once logged in, simply select your preferred payment option. Net30 terms are always free, while all longer-term financing plans are subject to a fee. Behalf financing choices range from the free Net30 option to up to 180 days. By clicking any payment option, you can view the amount owed, as well as weekly or monthly payments. The first time an order is placed through Behalf financing, it is reviewed by the Behalf Internal Risk team, which can put an order on hold for up to a few hours. Behalf payments are authorized at the time when the order is placed and funds are captured in full at the time of the first shipment. After the payment is captured, your payment plan with Behalf begins. Email communications are sent directly from Behalf with information on how to proceed with payments and all balances due are owed directly to Behalf, rather than SKS.

Search Suggestion Dropdown

The following month, in November, SKS improved the bottle site search with a new autocomplete feature. This feature allows search suggestions to drop down and populate as keywords are typed. Suggestions are displayed based on keyword match. As the search terms become more specific, so does the drop down. Hovering over any item in the drop down list will display the top 10 search results for that item or keyword to the right of the list (for desktop and tablet views only). Use the arrows by "More Options" to scroll through the available matches. Any item shown under "Top Items" can be added to the cart directly from the drop down. Simply enter the quantity using the arrow buttons and click "Add". Clicking on any of the "Top Items" will also redirect to that specific product page. This feature can be used to save time and easily place an order for a specific item without scrolling through stock numbers or product pages.

Packaging Tip

Budget-Friendly Packaging

Product packaging is the first thing the customer sees and is a marketing opportunity businesses cannot miss out on. Nice as it may be to have the best packaging design out there, it’s not always in the budget to do so. Some alternatives to help jazz up packaging, without breaking the bank, include adding branded tape or stickers. This is far less expensive than printing on boxes or containers and can feature a wide range of colors and sizes. Plus, much like custom labels, designs can easily be added and swapped out as needed.

Product of the Month

Clear Glass Mason Jars

SKS offers clear glass mason jars in two sizes, paired with a variety of metal cap options. Mason jars are an iconic packaging choice for a wide range of canned goods, but are also known to be used for drink recipes, home decor, storage, and more. Choose between single and two-piece canning lids. All gold and silver metal lids feature a plastisol liner, which creates an airtight, tamper evident, hermetic seal when heated correctly. Bronze and antique silver metal caps are unlined for use with products that do not require canning.