5. One Vendor's Brilliant Product Packaging Solution

Now, here's a totally different approach to packaging. Hoodman makes some very nice LCD screen wipes. Like many such products, they come in two parts: a moist disposable cloth for cleaning the LCD and a cloth for drying and polishing the LCD. They work extremely well, for example removing fingerprint oils without smearing them first.

What really sets Hoodman wipes apart from some others on the market is their packaging. As you can see in the picture below the package is held closed by two little cylindrical outcroppings on the back of the package that fit into two slightly larger cylindrical outcroppings on the front of the package. The packages aren't sealed at the outcroppings. They're just held closed by friction.

What a brilliant idea! Not only don't you have to risk your appendages to open the package, but you can easily open and reseal it each time you remove a set of wipes.

Of course, this packaging isn't really secure from in-store thieves, but it's great for stuff sold on the Internet where I bought the wipes. I have no idea if Hoodman delivers its wipes in different packaging for sale in brick-and-mortar stores where the threat of theft would be much higher. But I've got to hand it to them for creating packaging that facilitates rather than frustrates.

Now for you Freddy Kruger vendors, how hard would it be to wrap your products in customer friendly packages for sale on the Internet? Such packaging should be less expensive than the horrid blister packs you now use. I know staff at Internet stores might steal the stuff, but the threat of theft should be much less and more controllable there than in brick-and-mortar environments where hundreds to thousands of potential thieves pass by daily.

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