Amazon is consistently innovative.

Now THAT is a fantastic idea! Not only does it reduce their costs due to lower package weight and volume, but it reduces waste and frustration as well. Well done Amazon, well done.

... if any of the manufacturers will actually go for it.

Its pretty simple. The only reason toys have to be roped in like that is because they cut the window in the box so you can play with it. Without the window, stealing the product becomes 10 times harder, and thus doesn't need to be hermetically sealed anymore.

So then we won't know if Amazon is sending us brand new, used or refurbished stuff. More money FTW!

Buying your child's Christmas presents used would solve these problems and you could save a bunch of money in the process. When you buy something new your paying for flashy packaging that will just be torn open and discarded on Christmas morning. Of course this doesn't apply to all items and some items you definitely want to buy new, but those played with once toys that are missing no pieces are just as good as new without the hassle of packaging.

The only problem with this is that I hope amazon is verifying the contents before sending it to you or in the future I see a lot of "I got a brick instead of item x" stories here on the Consumerist.

@BeeBoo: I think that shipping things in a "box" would be more "retro" than "innovative". :-)

Hooray! Anything that gives me and my kids more time to play on Christmas instead of a rather vulgar vocabulary lesson is greatly appreciated.

I would be happy if they would adjust the way DVDs are sealed. Between the plastic wrap and the 20 sticker seals, it takes forever to open those.

As an undecided voter I wonder what the candidates stance is on this breaking news?

What is this "box" thing you speak of?

Madness I tell you, simply madness...

I hope woot does this too. It took about 40 hours and 10 injuries to get my universal remote control out of its clamshell. I almost damaged the remote too, trying to get it out

Of course, if the price of something at Amazon goes down in 30 days, you can still no longer get the difference refunded.

@Bladefist: I don't think that Woot's business model would allow for anything like that. As far as I know, Woot just buys whatever it can on the cheap.

@Taed: I demand my goods be shipped in a barrel. None of that fancy-pants corregated cardboard for me.

@midwestkel: Though its a HUGE ecological waste to have unsaleable returns.

@Oranges w/ Cheese: There's also the fact that in the stores, products are on shelves and available to damage or shoplifting. On Amazon, it's in the warehouse, in the mail, or in your house, so that's not a problem.

I can tell you first hand the main reason why these clam-shell packaging from doom exists is because of Walmart. Theft IS a gigantic problem for them. And they dictate that any supplier makes their packaging as theft resistant as possible, or they won't buy their stuff. Even large companies like P&G will jump through gigantic hoops and spend millions designing new packaging just for Walmart's sake.

I stopped using Amazon after I had several problems with the packaging. Books arrived damaged, having to pay to send them back, the replacements not arriving, dealing with customer disservice people in India, etc.

This is awesome!

@yajjo: Obama will insist that he pushed for fair packaging for his entire political career, while McCain will clarify that he fought against government intrusion into the fair packaging measures of the early 2000s despite that the current administration had taken no stance on the issue.

I typically use a pair of outdoor trimmers (like ones used for cutting branches). It cuts plastic like butter.

@Triborough: Odd I received an Alton Brown book that was damaged and they sent me a shipping label to sent it back. Not sure why you had to pay for it.

@Applekid: What is this "cardboard" of which you speak? I ship my packages in mahogany and/or teak.

@ThunderRoad: Doesn't hurt to ask though - My new GPS price dropped significantly ($40) and they refunded it as a "one time" thing.

Everyone knows that kids prefer the box over the expensive toy inside anyway.

I wonder if they will use that biodegradable plastic that's coming out now to go a little more green? Hopefully it doesn't shrink like those water bottles.

Apparently, it has occurred to Amazon.com that they really don't have much of a problem with shoplifting.

I certainly appreciate the sentiment, and every "initiative" has to start somewhere. But as a non-parent with no kids in my life, this sadly doesn't really affect me, though I'd like it to (particularly with electronics).

Are companies going to go for making two different sets of packaging, one for the brick-and-mortar stores, one for online retailers? Are there numbers for how much companies do in sales online vs. in person?

@Bladefist: You're missing the whole point. The idea is that the remote is supposed to be given as a gift - and thusly it includes a free day's worth of puzzle-solving fun and excercise for the recipient.

I hope Dear Old Dad likes it!

This is great, one of my pet peeves is shrink wrap of any kind and the stupid plastic packaging you have to cut through. It's so wasteful and just a hassle all around.

Also agree with PP about DVD's.

Ah marketing. Cutting back on packaging costs and selling it as a "feature."

Wait...I'm not sure what to be cynical about here.

*APPLAUSE*

**STANDING OVATION**

I have been buying my SD cards from them in non-retail packaging for the past few years. One small ziplock baggie and no freaking lacerative clamshell down, a bazillion Christmas toys to go.

@mmmsoap: Of the 19 items currently part of this initiative, several are computer mice and memory cards. It'll get there; just give it time.

I like this idea a LOT and can't wait to see it get expanded more. Between their prices (and lack of tax) and this, I'll just be spending more money with them in the future. *sigh*

about.frigging.time.

Not that I'm somke kind of squirrel-loving, tree-hugging earth nut, but these kinds of packaging excesses are great for enticing POP call to action or blowing a kid's mind at christmas, but for day-to-day action, they're nuts.

Here's a suggestion, manufacturers: develop a set of boxes just for display and send only a couple to the store. Have the store attach them somehow to the display area so that they can be handled, interacted with and turned everywhichway but not purchased. Point out the pile of simple box/packaging for the product adjacent.

Frankly, my hope is that in 50 years most products will be robotically manufactured directly at the retail location, reducing the need for transportation of final products, excessive packaging, out-of-stock inventory woes, size of store (what the hell would we do with those extra walmart big boxes however?) etc. and would allow for customization and real-time product updates and additions.

*dream*

@Vilgrom: True, but as companies grow, even woot, they get more and more clout. Obviously Amazon is up there. Walmart could do this as well.

IF you look at the different packages that ae part of this iniative they all have "Amazon.com" cobranding which begs to ask how much of this is a PR move by Amazon? Will it really catch on? I like the idea but there's no way that stores would adopt this. Think of the aisles of brown boxes you could pick up at Wal-mart. No way would theygive up the marketing potential or the theft prevention.

@sir_eccles: We redid the kitchen and kept the range and dishwasher boxes. The kids played in them for 2 months before they finally wore them out.

MOMMY! I want a barcode on my neck just like my GI. Joe!

@sir_eccles: Ain't that the truth! My 19 month old loves the box his diapers came in.

@Bladefist: Woot generally buys factory left overs, so I don't think they can do anything more than ride this wave, as well generally factories don't really want to put effort into getting rid of their extras.

Besides, a good portion of woot's merch is refurbished and that tends to be packed sanely enough.

@U-235: Many manufacturers have already been roped by Wal*Mart into specific "Wal*Mart" packaging. (Insert question here about whether those same manufacturers cut corners on the Wal*Mart version to bring the price down, as long as they have to specially package it anyway.)

I think that Amazon does enough volume, especially in items like toys and gadgets, that they can wield this sort of clout. They don't face the same shoplifting issues as a brick and mortar, so it is indeed wasteful to pack the products sold through them with all of the elaborate anti-shoplifting "stuff".

I hope more manufacturers sign on. They can sell their products for the same cost and spend less on packaging! It's a win/win!

@Triborough: I have never had to pay for shipping on the way back for damaged items from amazon.

Nor have I ever had to deal with customer service for a simple thing like that. You just go to the order, and indicate that an item was damaged.

@Bladefist: But I doubt Wal*Mart will, because most of that packaging mess is there as an anti-shoplifting deterrent. If the package wasn't too difficult to open for someone to rip the toy out and shoplift it, it would require more staff at their retail locations to walk the floor to make sure people aren't stealing. I just don't see that happening.

I actually just needed new USB/PS-2 extension cables and I purchased them from a "discount" online store that sends them in minimal packaging. That was one of the selling points to me, as well as the great prices for their non-branded, non-trussed-up cables. They work really well, and I'm very satisfied with the purchase. I wish all techie gear could be sold the same way.

I remember reading about this in Consumer Reports - they've reported on the packaging scourge numerous times. It all came from marketing. They wanted the toys to sit on the shelves enticing kids. So, they added the 'try me' crap (that runs all the batteries down) and all of that other stuff - but it created an easy way to shop lift. thus, the jailhouse toys that are so hard to open.

@yajjo:

Well, Obama would pledge funds to have the box opened for you.

Anyone with a young daughter who get anything Barbie knows the trials of extracting Barbie from Mattel's packaging all too well. It takes wire cutters, a utility knife, and the jaws-of-life to remove her and all Her accessories from their box.

I know someone who worked for Mattel who said that the packaging also serves as a fixture while assembling the toys.This may be good for manufacturing but terrible for the poor Dad who has to risk life and limb to make their little girl happy.

@Dacker: The Bratz dolls are some of the worst offenders of this, and we have had to put up with it year after year, try explaining to your 6 year old cousin that she can't have her new doll until she gets home because its impossible to open... It seriously takes at least one hour just to get the doll and all the pieces out (thats one hour less of playtime, and one hour more of darling screaming and crying for her doll that is stuck in the package), and half the time we ended up damaging the hair because we couldn't get the piece that holds the hair in off correctly.

Barbie's weren't too bad in the 80s when I was a kid, I was able to get them out of the package with no problem even as a kid but these Bratz dolls are something else.

@Taed:

Think of it, shipping in a box inside a box is just genius.. sort of like those gag christmas presents that you'd get.. thinking you got a Nesco American Harvest Food Dehydrator, then suddenly finding out that you got a micro SD card