It is amazing to think that the success of some of the global brands, that have become household names, can thank an accident in the Victorian era for their success. Brands like Amazon, Ebay, and Etsy have shipped international parcels around the globe, they built their brand over the last decade or more on a well know commodity that was discovered. The discovery was of course the cardboard box and without it, the fortunes of some of the world’s largest brands might not be where they are today.
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The earliest known version of the cardboard box was in fact invented in 1817 in England; this early offering was not made from the modern corrugated cardboard we are used to today but was merely paper board formed into a box. It was not until 1890 that a man called Robert Gair whilst working for a Brooklyn seed merchant, accidentally stumbled on the idea that has become the globally known cardboard box.
How did the discovery come about? Basically a knife that was set up to crease a piece of paper accidentally cut the paper. The mass production of corrugated cardboard had been available since 1854, Gair realised that this could also work with corrugated cardboard and ‘hey presto’ the cardboard box was born. Gair may not have fully understood the impact his invention would have on the companies of the future, he certainly would have not realised that the shipping of international parcels would become a part of daily life for the average person on the street.
It is difficult to imagine life without the cardboard box and most businesses would grind to a halt. Virtually every manufacturer, wholesale company and retailer uses cardboard boxes to transport their goods around the world. The online explosion of consumer purchasing has led to a massive increase in the shipping of international parcels and has formed the backbone of the success of online companies like Amazon. Amazon and other companies like them were of course started in the United States, however the nature of the internet meant goods would have to be shipped abroad using an international parcels service. They may themselves not have realised the global phenomenon that would drive their company to be one of the most recognisable in the world.
Couriers the world over rely on the humble cardboard box. Cardboard boxes are cheap and strong and ensure that not only domestic goods reach their destinations in perfect condition, but International parcels as well. Parcels can be delivered from one hemisphere to another using this amazing form of packaging.
The success of Amazon and companies like them has seen a huge increase in the use of parcel delivery services, and particularly the express international parcels service. Customers order goods from Amazon and are expecting to be holding their beloved purchase within hours. Companies are expected to deliver domestic parcels with next day delivery, and international parcels are expected within 3-5 days. This is a far cry from the early days of international couriering, where everything could take weeks to ship as most things were transported via sea. Air freight has changed all of this and international parcels can be moved within hours of ordering, winging their way to the corners of the globe.
There are other companies who of course have built their brand on the success and ability of express international parcels services. Companies like Ebay, where armies of home business owners use a variety of cardboard boxes to wrap their products in, and ship them using couriers who offer international parcels service to send orders to expectant customers.
Companies can use the cardboard box to move products and merchandise around the world with impunity, knowing that it is very green and eco-friendly, cardboard is, by the most part, bio –degradable so when the international parcel has reached its destination and its job is done, it can be recycled to make the next piece of packaging and might start another round of product delivery.
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