A couple of months back, I watched a short report on CTV. Do you know what the number one consumer complaint about products is? Poor quality? Nope. Lack of batteries? Well, that's to be expected. No, it's packaging. Consumers are tired of packaging.
The worst part is how it takes twenty minutes to open something that you want to use right away. You're afraid to use scissors because you don't want to damage the product. CDs and DVDs are the worst offenders. Many of them come in some sort of plastic quasi-box, and then are wrapped in some sort of plastic sheet that doesn't have any apparent seams except for along the edges where you have to use your fingernails, even though you don't want to scratch the case.
Manufacturers say that it's a security measure. Thieves are less likely to be able to open something in a store and then walk off with it. That may be true, but it's difficult for the rest of us. Especially for the kids who want their toys...NOW!!!
An editorial I read a while back, The Perils of PC Packaging, tells of the trouble we go through to get all our hardware packaging opened up. The sad part is that this is the new norm. We can't escape it. Every time we open something we need to have band-aids at the ready!
Thankfully, we still have bubble wrap to keep us amused.
