E-commerce continues to grow as a distribution channel for sales—in fact, 18% of all beauty and personal care sales took place via e-commerce channels in 2021, compared to just 8% in 2016. To remain competitive and top of mind among consumers, brands must place the same amount of thought and care into their online buying experience as they do their brick-and-mortar spaces.
Global regulations are increasing, most notably around shipping, to better meet consumers needs and habits regarding online shopping. New standards and tests to ensure a product’s integrity throughout the supply chain are being requested more and more from global e-commerce giants like Amazon, and packaging brands must be able to keep up with the various certifications to be deemed suitable for e-commerce.
With this in mind, and as part of the continuous improvement of our products, we’re always evaluating performance and looking for ways to make incremental changes to meet the changing needs of the market. It’s in this spirit that we’ve proactively made changes to our LX pump, which is one of our core products and has been trusted and used by globally-recognized brands for over 20 years.
Improved Drop Test Performance
In answer to e-commerce applications and testing such as ISTA and ASTM drop tests, we have added two pillars to the LX screw cap to improve the axial resistance of the actuator in its locked position. This change has resulted in improvements in LX’s drop test results and provides added security when being transported.
A Solution to Non-Standard GCMI Norms
Due to the variety in measurement and standards of bottle neck dimensions across different bottle manufacturers, we have increased the shell platen thickness and reduced the gasket thickness of our LX pumps. These changes will help to reduce any deformation during gasket compression onto a thin bottle neck wall and compensate for any thickness added on to the shell, avoiding any dimensional change in specifications. All this means is an optimized sealing area on a wider range of GCMI standard bottles, which leads to less leakage.
Taken together, these changes significantly improve protection against any damage or spillage of product while in transport.
While these improvements are the new standard for our LX pumps, there has been no impact on performance and functionality. LX provides the same reliability and comfortable use our customers have come to rely on for the past two decades. End users can trust that LX’s lockable design will stay mess free—from shipping, to home and on-the-go in your cosmetic bag.