Everyone Hates Clamshell Packaging

At one point or another, we’ve brought home a shiny new toy only to discover that it’s protected by some custom shaped force field that prevents us into easily freeing our purchased good as quickly (and sometimes safely) as we’d like.

What we’re referring to, of course, is the custom plastic “clamshell” packaging that holds many consumer goods on store racks.

Earlier this month, Amazon started a charge to abolish the consumer-unfriendly packaging by launching a special storefront that sells products that are free of the clamshell.

"I think we’ve all experienced the frustration that sometimes occurs when you try to get a new toy or electronics product out of its package," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com.

The New York Times’ report on the subject cites the Consumer Product Safety Commission for the figure of 6,000 Americans each year sent to emergency rooms with injuries caused by plastic packaging.

The clamshell packaging was originally designed to make it harder for shoplifters to steal the product, but online retailers such as Amazon.com have no such worry. Now it appears as though brick and mortar stores are joining in on the movement – Best Buy and Wal-Mart will soon be stocking items from Microsoft and Sony that aim to make things less hazardous for the buyer.

“None of us intentionally tried to make this a hassle for consumers,” said Mike Fasulo, chief marketing officer for Sony.

Microsoft will be selling its some of its Explorer mice in Best Buy in packaging that will feature “plastic zippers” similar to packaging found on food products.

Sony will test three new types of packaging in Best Buy and Wal-Mart stores, with one prototype that’ll use a special adhesive that, according to the NYTimes, “is easy to pry open but makes a loud Velcro-like noise – intended to deter thieves.”

Could this be the beginning of the end of the clamshell? We hope so.