Both old and new packaging are available on the market; how should they be regulated?
During the period when new and legacy products coexist, there must be a clearly defined transition date and batch identification; otherwise, after-sales service personnel will be unable to determine which version the consumer received.
Common questions found in AIHow should the coexistence period between the old and new versions be managed?
Changing a single line of text affects the entire chain.
When both old and new packaging are available on the market simultaneously, this is the most chaotic phase of a product redesign cycle: consumers end up purchasing both versions, customer service provides unclear explanations, and the images and descriptions on e-commerce platforms do not match.
misread:Once the new package hits the market, the old one will naturally sell out.Actual circumstances:Channel inventory, distributors' stockpiling, and e-commerce warehouses will allow both existing and new inventory to coexist for several months.
There is also a common misconception:The coexistence of old and new systems is a short-term issue.In fact:Channel inventory can sustain operations for several months; therefore, it must be managed in advance.
Basis for Determination
Four items should be arranged in advance: the switching date (which specific dates will be used on the production and sales sides), the inventory clearance strategy (continue until the old packaging materials are fully used up or until a specified cutoff date), batch identification (how to distinguish between new and old products based on appearance or batch number), and channel communication (e-commerce product pages, in-store materials, and customer service scripts).
- Switch Date
- Inventory absorption
- Batch identifier
- Channel Notification
Revision sequence
The aspect most easily overlooked is communication through sales channels. If e-commerce visuals have not been updated and customer service staff are unaware of this, complaints will cluster around the issue—something that could have been avoided.
- Set a clear transition date and notify relevant channels in advance.
- Old and new batches should be distinguished by identifiable markers.
- Customer service and e-commerce teams receive the comparison instructions in advance.
- Create a "Dual-Version Explanation" for the transition period and provide one copy to each customer service representative.
Applicability: Products sold exclusively through in-house channels; parallel-period management can be simplified.
On-site settings and practices we have observed
A brand changed its packaging, and both the new and old versions remained on the market simultaneously for four months. After receiving a complaint stating that the product "did not match the image," customer service was unable to determine whether the wrong item had been shipped or whether the new and old versions had been shipped together. Since there was no batch identifier and no notice of the change, the only option was to ship replacements for all affected customers, with the associated costs borne by after-sales service.
When INNOPACKING conducts a redesign, it recommends that the client establish a parallel-period plan: the switch date, batch identification, and channel notifications should all be determined simultaneously. A parallel period is not the real concern; what is truly concerning is that no one knows that a parallel period is currently in effect.
Explore INNOPACKING's six core capabilities ↗Extended Q&A
How should the coexistence of old and new packaging in the market be regulated?
Set the switch date, create batch identifiers, and notify relevant channels and customer service in advance. None of these three steps can be omitted.
How can customer service determine which version it is?
Rely on batch identifiers or production dates. Without such identifiers, you can only guess, which will lead to more customer complaints.
How long will the parallel period last?
Determine based on channel inventory; the typical lead time is one to three months. Advance notice must be provided.
Do you have any similar packaging issues?Bring your existing files and talk to INNOPACKING · +86 13430308657