Go Big Or Go Home: Designing Packaging For Big Box Retail

Branders Magazine
Sep 3
3 min read

Getting your product into stores like Costco? That's huge, but it requires making your packaging bigger and better.

By Jacques Rossouw, Creative Director and Managing Partner at Voicebox

Think about it: your six-pack suddenly needs to be a 48-pack, and that single cereal box might need to hold two bags now. Your design must work in an entirely different environment with bright lights, concrete floors, and towering shelves, all while still looking like your brand. It's about taking your brand's look and making it stand out, literally, without losing what makes it special in the first place. Because when you get the structure, visuals, and even the psychology right for these bulk shoppers, the payoff can be massive.

That's precisely why you need to know the rules of the game. And from personal experience, we've designed multiple products that have landed in Costco, and we know the meaning of "go big or go home."

The Landscape of Bulk

Imagine you've just walked into your neighborhood grocery store. The amount of choices can be overwhelming. Think five, ten, or even more options for a single product category.

At a club store like Costco, not so much. You'll discover that your choices have significantly narrowed, often down to just two or three brands for something like protein shakes. That's because they've curated a selection of products that offer a clear reason-to-believe for members. If your product doesn't stand out or carry some kind of relevant benefit to their audience, it won't be stocked. The stakes are that much higher, and your packaging must work overtime to communicate its value.

Another critical difference is how products are displayed. In traditional retail, you might find a single beverage can or six packs of soda alongside a twelve-pack. In club stores, it's gargantuan multi-packs stacked on massive pallets. You won't encounter the individual single-serve version of your product until after the purchase (unless perhaps you wait in a long free sample line). But it changes everything for design, and shopper focus shifts entirely to the outer packaging and how it communicates when hundreds of boxes are stacked together.

What's more, you don't always have control over which side of your package a Gold Star member sees first. In a Kroger or 7-Eleven, designers pour everything into crafting a memorable front panel because that's almost always the primary visual that garners a first impression. In big box retail, a side panel might be just as prominent due to the specific pallet configurations used by the store.

Essentially, every panel of your packaging must be highly intentional.

More Advertising, Less Chatter

You need to consider designing for big box retail less like a nuanced brand conversation and more like a bold advertisement. In traditional retail, the consumer often approaches a shelf, reads benefit claims, and perhaps even picks up the package to read your brand's clever backstory. There's a familiar song and dance routine here: lure them in from afar, pique their interest up close, and, boom, purchase.

However, in a club store, consumers are often 10 to 15 feet away from your product, seeing a mass of outer boxes on a pallet. At this distance, they're not reading fine print or consumed with how the founder quit their hedge fund job to raise probiotic goats. Instead, they get big blocks of color and blunt messaging. That's where the advertising mindset comes in. You can't win them over with minimalist branding. Just like a magazine ad that uses a bold headline and a clear product shot to convey its message, your packaging needs to be direct.

Those protein drinks in Costco? We designed one under the Orgain banner that became a dominant player. To make an impact with customers, we screamed "30 grams of protein" from a mile away. There was no sophisticated brand story at play; it was nothing but a clear, undeniable benefit. Similarly, with IZZE, we designed seasonal, limited-time offerings that increased trial and overall brand awareness. The result? Our packaging initiative helped drive growth, and Costco became a key retailer for IZZE.

It's not about fluff or cutesy details; it's about conveying a call to action in less than a second, with one powerful point delivered unequivocally. Brands that rely on overly minimal graphics and messaging (which might work for a sophisticated look elsewhere) won't cut it.

Designing for big box retailers is a rewarding opportunity for both designers and brands, as it forces them to refine a product's character in a noisy environment where sheer volume and blunt messaging rules all. It's not just about making everything bigger, though there is some truth to that, but understanding the billboard dynamics of a club store and applying these strategic design principles is a priority for all brands.