Industry overview
What is shaping pulp & paper
Paper and packaging demand is shifting from writing and printing grades towards packaging, hygiene and recycled products. Buyers are printers, converters, brand owners and schools, each with different priorities.
- E-commerce is driving packaging demand
- Recycled and sustainable grades are gaining preference
- Price and delivery reliability dominate B2B buying
Client background
A corrugated box manufacturer, working in Australia, New Zealand & Canada. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.
- Organisation
- A corrugated box manufacturer
- Sector
- Pulp & paper
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Business panel, Online surveys, E-commerce marketing
Client challenge
The manufacturer wanted to sell standard shipping boxes online to small e-commerce businesses but knew little about how they bought packaging. Small sellers typically bought boxes from local wholesalers or marketplaces, and the manufacturer had no direct relationship with them.
Research objectives
- Answer the core question: what online sellers need from shipping cartons.
- Understand the views, needs and behaviour of small.
- Produce results that can be compared across groups and locations.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 6 weeks.
Target audience
The work focused on 650 small.
- small650
Audiences we typically reach in pulp & paper
Printers and convertersPackaging buyers at brandsPaper tradersSchools and stationery retailersRecycling businesses
Geographic coverage
Coverage: Australia, New Zealand & Canada. Markets: Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Canada
Research methodology
A structured quantitative design, so results could be compared across groups, locations and time.
- 1Brief
- 2Survey of online sellers
- 3Online ordering research
- 4Insight
We surveyed online sellers about order sizes, box types, branding needs, delivery expectations and purchasing channels. The survey also explored damage rates in transit, sustainability preferences and willingness to pay for branded packaging, with quotas by country and seller size.
Business panelOnline surveysE-commerce marketing
Sampling strategy
- small
- 650
- Business respondents were screened on role, company size and involvement in the decision before being invited.
- Online respondents were drawn from verified panel members who matched the screening criteria, with quotas on key profile attributes.
Data collection
- The online survey was mobile-friendly and offered in respondents' languages.
Data quality & validation
- Digital fingerprinting and duplicate checks
- Attention, speed and straight-lining checks
- Review of open-ended answers
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
- Significance testing on the differences that mattered
Key findings
- Sellers wanted small minimum orders, fast delivery and simple custom printing.
- Early sales came largely from sellers who had never bought directly from a manufacturer before, and repeat order rates were encouraging.
Small customers valued flexibility over unit price.
Recommendations
- Build on the core insight: small customers valued flexibility over unit price.
- Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: sellers wanted small minimum orders, fast delivery and simple custom printing.
- Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
Business impact
- The manufacturer launched an online store with low minimum quantities and a print-on-box option.
What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.
Deliverables & next steps
- Cleaned data file and data tables
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: how price-sensitive are converters?
Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.