by Lisa Pierce
This Christmas, I was a grandma on a mission, determined to get the best price on those gifts that would make my little goobers squeal with delight. After some intense Internet shopping (thank you, CouponCabin.com) and a couple trips to the stores (including an early stint on Black Friday, something I vowed never to do), the pile grew, teetering like a Jenga tower.
What more could I do to make the kids go gaga with glee? Well … I seriously considered taking the toys out of the boxes before wrapping them. Toy makers come up with all these creative products, then blow it when it comes to designing the package. You need an engineering degree and three hours to separate the toy from the box. It’s sadistic to make kids wait so long to get at their prize.
But what if the toy had to be returned? I chickened out and did what I always do on Christmas morning: kept the scissors handy, like most parents. (I did look into the easy-open “frustration-free” packaging at Amazon.com, but the plain kraft cartons are so booooring. My little loves deserve eye candy!)
All this made me ask (for the umpteenth time), why can’t toy packages be easy to open and protect the product and look tear-me-open irresistible? The answer is: They can, and they should. In the future, I predict they will. Because consumers are done with making concessions and tired of hearing excuses about why packages can’t meet their expectations. No satisfaction = no sale.
