What are the best practices for communicating new packaging and branding changes to wholesale partners and retailers?

Members emphasize that the key to a successful packaging launch is clear communication of the reasoning behind the change—both to trade partners and consumers. People appreciate understanding the logic, not just being told about it.

For online retailers specifically: - **Amazon**: Add "packaging may vary" to the SKU name (e.g. "Three Spirit Livener 70cl packaging may vary") to avoid one-star reviews from customers receiving old stock during the transition. Amazon will typically be the last channel to fully update. If you can time your product photo refresh and stock depletion together, that works; however, if Amazon holds owned stock, timing the changeover perfectly is nearly impossible. A vendor-managed approach makes more sense. - Time your picture updates and stock rotation together where possible, though perfect synchronisation is rarely achievable on major platforms.

Members found that explaining *why* the packaging changed—whether to retailers or end consumers—led to better reception than simply announcing the update. This reasoning helps trade partners feel invested in the rebrand and reduces confusion about the transition period.