Package Your Farm Products to Sell Out!
It’s easy to forget that packaging is much more than simply protecting your products in transit from your Farm to your customers. The look and feel of how items are packed, how you incorporate your Farm brand, and the quality of your packaging materials will greatly influence how your customers feel about your brand. According to Forbes, more than 60% of consumers will not repurchase from a business if they are unsatisfied with the packaging!
Convenience, too, is critical when buyers are looking to purchase from your Farm. Offering various packaging options (and prices) will attract more buyers and expand your available market opportunity. That’s why our most successful Farms have optimized their inventory for feature packaging options that cater to a variety of buyer needs and household sizes to make the purchase experience easier.
At Barn2Door, we analyze 1000’s of data points across millions of page views every day. That’s why we know when Farms simplify their inventory, pricing, and packaging options, they drive more sales, delight customers, and build a more loyal and diverse customer base. Here are the tactics used by three (3) Farms to drive more revenue with simplified inventory and packaging options:
Old Rich Valley Farm (VA) Leverages Subscriptions to Drive Recurring Revenue
Customers want the ability to “click-it-and-forget-it” with Subscriptions, receiving reliable access to products they love and use consistently. Old Rich Valley Farm pivoted from offering quarters, halves, and wholes to a Herdshare Subscription model. Today, they generate consistent monthly revenue for their business, and customers are delighted to participate in a herdshare – securing ongoing access to quality pastured proteins every month.
As ⅓ of Americans live alone, ⅓ live with 2 people, and ⅓ live with 4+ people, Will and Amy from Old Rich Valley found that by bundling products to cater to more diverse household sizes, they have attracted a wider group of buyers while also moving more inventory (minimizing their cold storage footprint). With 10lbs, 20lbs, and 40 lbs boxes, each customer can find what works for their unique needs. With the Subscription model, they gain peace of mind knowing that their products are moving each month, nothing gets wasted, and there’s more consistent cash flow for their Farm business:
The Subscriptions have been a game-changer for our Farm. We have to schedule processing dates over a year in advance, and Subscriptions help us plan ahead with more certainty. It also helps the customers know they’ll have access to pastured proteins for a year. They can count on our Farm delivering monthly and don’t need to worry about what it would cost because they have locked in their price.
- Farmer Will, Old Rich Valley Farm
Dan and Debbie’s Creamery (IA) Added Bundle Boxes and Sold Out
Josie from Dan and Debbie’s Creamery has built a thriving direct-to-market business by offering routine weekly deliveries of fresh Dairy Products to their local community. After expanding from 2 to 15 zip codes and attracting a loyal customer base with their Delivery service, Josie explored partnerships with local Producers, Artisans, and neighboring Farms to expand their product offerings and sell complimentary items to their Dairy products.
Recently, Dan & Debbie’s Creamery added a Pastured Proteins Bundle Box to their inventory, featuring locally sourced meat, to cater to buyers eager to add-on products with their usual order. Within 24 hours, the new Pastured Proteins Bundle Box sold out! Josie quickly added more to the store, and demand continued to rise.
The desire to purchase complementary add-on products (across categories) is something that many buyers want! Buyers crave easy and convenient purchase options, so consider expanding your product offerings to meet buyer demands. Explore creating local partnerships to incorporate value-added products (i.e., jams, salsa, sauce, fibers, soaps, etc.) to create more attractive bundle box options. Expanding your inventory thoughtfully (while implementing Bundle Boxes to keep options to a minimum) has the power to increase average order sizes and drive more consistent purchases from loyal customers.
You were right, Bundles work! We added a Pastured Proteins Bundle Box to the store and it sold out in 24 hours! We had to add more into inventory and are almost sold out again!
- Farmer Josie, Dan and Debbie's Creamery
Little River Farm (RI) Simplified Packaging Options to Cater to Buyer Demand
Originally, Camille from Little River Farm offered a Buyer’s Choice Subscription model for their Produce, enabling customers to choose a-la-carte what to include with each weekly delivery. Camille recognized that only a small handful of customers actually “customized” their boxes each week, and the “a-la-carte '' Buyer's choice Subscription model was complicated, costly, and consistently left them with leftover produce.
After joining Barn2Door, Little River Farm pivoted to only offering a Farmer’s Choice Subscription model to streamline product assembly, reduce operating costs, and ensure they move more inventory.
Additionally, Little River Farm simplified their packaging options to cater to different household sizes. With three different-sized Farmers Choice Microgreen Subscriptions, buyers can choose what works best for them. Camille also debuted an add-on, “Farmer’s Favorite Micro Salad Blend,” including less popular items; inadvertently, it is now one of their most popular blends that consistently sells out! Expanding to include a bulk option for larger families, Camille implemented a “save money and plastic” campaign, generating revenue and consistently moving large amounts of her inventory.
We always had leftover pea shoots and micro radish, so we decided to blend them into what we call our Farmer’s Favorite Micro Salad Blend. Our customers reacted so well that it is now one of our most popular items! Something meant to move more inventory has become a staple in our store.
- Farmer Camille, Little River Farm
Customers want to access products that are conveniently packaged and priced to suit their needs. When Farms simplify their inventory, align packaging options to household sizes, and incorporate packaging to reflect their brand values, they increase sales and save time and money in the long run.
Barn2Door provides an all-in-one solution to grow and manage your Farm business. If you’re curious to learn why successful Farms run on Barn2Door, watch this 5-minute video.