Designing Effective SRP Packaging Design for FMCG & CPG Brands – 8 Tips

As an FMCG or CPG brand, your product’s packaging design is crucial to its success on the retail shelf. Shelf-ready packaging (SRP) plays a particularly important role, as it is the packaging that retailers use to display your products on the shelf. Effective SRP packaging design can help your products stand out from competitors, catch consumers’ attention, deliver additional brand messaging and claims – and ultimately drive sales.

Your SRP is an additional chance to convert a packaging pickup to a product purchase – make sure you use it!

Here are 8 tips for Designing Effective SRP Packaging Design for FMCG & CPG Brands:

1. Consider the retail environment

Before designing your SRP, take into account the retail environment where your product will be displayed. Consider any restrictions or guidelines set by the retailer before making expensive mistakes.

Be sure you understand exactly how much shelf space you have with your retailer – an SRP which creeps into other brands space will be an immediate and expensive “no” from your buyer…

2. Go bold with colour

SRP printing can be as expensive as your product packaging – most brands may choose to only print a single colour to keep costs down. Use a bold colour which is synonymous with your brand and will enhance your shelf standout.

Heinz use a flood of Red to gain dominance and standout on shelf

3. Consider shelf blocking

Shelf blocking does what it says on the tin – creating entire blocks with a focus on your brand, this could be through brand assets (like the below example from Polo), or from using solid colours (like the above from Heinz).

Shelf blocking allows your brand to really stand out on shelf. When sat right next to your competition – whose packaging and SRP’s are working the hardest and demanding the most attention? If it’s not yours, it’s time to take it back to the drawing board…

4. Make use of messaging

What important pieces of messaging did you not manage to get onto your main packaging design? What virtue claims and USPs will set you apart from the category competition?

Holy Moly have gained an extra 10 pieces of messaging from just using the front of their SRP…

5. Make it easy to open

SRP packaging should be easy to open, both for retailers stocking shelves and for consumers purchasing products in bulk. Use perforations, tear strips, or other easy-opening mechanisms to make your SRP user-friendly. Consider getting mockups printed before doing a full large-volume run to make sure your format and cutter guide actually work properly.

Think of the basic functions of an SRP, 1) Protects your product in transit, 2) Makes it easier for shelf filling for your suppliers

6. Make sure it aids recognition (not just for consumers)

Brand recognition on your SRP isn’t just for consumers – it makes it easier for retailers to pick at the back of store when filling shelves. Your warehouse/logistics/3PL is also likely to have hundreds (if not thousands) of pallets of other brand stock, when picking stock they need to be able to quickly and easily identify your brand to ensure mistakes aren’t made.

When your SRPs are stacked and wrapped on a full pallet – is your brand clear from every angle?

7. Keep it simple

While it’s important to create an eye-catching design, keep in mind that cluttered or overly complex designs can be confusing to consumers when looking at a category full of brands already trying to grab their attention. Keep your SRP design simple and focused on key messaging, or brand recognition.

Propercorn have focused on a flood of Yellow – like a suitcase, with some additional calorie messaging. This would not only standout in retail, but also be perfect for sending to consumers with DTC orders.

8. Think of the environment

Customers will be stood in a physical store at a distance from the shelf – is your messaging readable from a distance? When several feet away, how much does your SRP stand out in comparison to other brands?

Our design for Miso Tasty keeps ownership on the Miso Tasty Red within the category. The front features “Take A Taste Trip” – reinforcing Miso Tasty as an authentic Asian brand within a category of much larger restaurant players.

By following these tips, we hope you can create an effective SRP packaging design that helps your products stand out on the retail shelf and drive sales for your FMCG or CPG brand.