DEERFIELD, Ill. (News release) -- Last year, the e-commerce industry grew nearly three times more than in 2019 -- and this record-breaking order volume remains strong in 2021. Since March 2020, fulfillment centers have continued to work past capacity, as consumers increase their expectations surrounding lightning-fast and damage-free home deliveries.

In February, Digital Commerce 360 and Bizrate found that 68 percent of consumers would be more inclined to place an order if fast shipping was available. And it's not just e-commerce companies affected by demand -- retailers are bearing the brunt, too. The same survey reported that 26 percent of shoppers ordered online for same-day delivery from major brick-and-mortar stores, almost double the rate from August 2020.

As fulfillment managers look at every possible solution to meet demand, automation solutions like Pregis' Sharp bagging systems are taking center stage, thanks to their benefits in reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and sustainability.

Supply Chain Dive reported that 21 percent of manufacturers have operations that rely primarily on human labor. When the pandemic hit and social distancing regulations went into effect, that became a major problem. That's where automated solutions like Sharp bagging systems come in, which can greatly increase labor efficiency. For instance, one customer saved over 32,000 hours per year after implementing automation. Each machine can reallocate four to six packers, giving them the chance to focus on other areas, such as customer service or other operational management tasks.

Improved labor efficiency translates directly to another major benefit: reduced operating costs. In addition to lower payroll expenses, Pregis' automated bagging systems can process more packages in a smaller space, lowering the cost per shipment. This then translates to lower facility and storage costs as well.

Manually packing orders is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. When automation is put into practice, it can speed up operations by as much as 15 to 35 packages per minute. In fact, one replacement parts retailer reduced their packing and shipping times by 60 percent after installing Sharp bagging machines as part of their cohesive automation system.

Increased speed doesn't hurt package presentation, either. Sharp's thermal transfer printings create clear, well-designed labels in record time, without any delays in packaging.