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Levain Bakery Builds a Better E-commerce Box

A 200% increase in online orders driven by the pandemic impels NYC-based bakery to design a new shipper that better protects its famed but fragile chocolate-chip cookies, reduces the complexity of the packaging, and brings the brand to life.

An eight-count box of cookies uses two universal inserts to protect the cookies during transit.
An eight-count box of cookies uses two universal inserts to protect the cookies during transit.

A neighborhood institution turned national brand, New York City-based Levain Bakery is famous for its decadent, freshly-baked cookies. The bakery’s mostly chocolate chip-based cookie assortment has become so popular, in fact, that when COVID-19 shutdowns hit, Levain’s online business rose by 200%. The boost in e-commerce orders prompted the brand to redesign its packaging, resulting in a more operationally efficient and more vibrant package that also more clearly reflects the brand’s home-grown roots.

Levain Bakery was founded in 1995 as a small bread shop on the Upper West Side of Manhattan by two friends, Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald, both of whom were passionate about baking—and about competitive sports. One day, they created a generously portioned chocolate-chip walnut cookie to give them energy while training for a triathlon. They decided to sell a batch in their bakery, and the palm-sized, 6-oz cookies flew off the shelves. After that, the cozy shop on West 74th Street became a neighborhood favorite and a destination for epicurious travelers from around the world.


Read article   Read related story, “Dutch Bakery’s E-Comm Pack Keeps Cakes Cool.”


Since then, the company has expanded its brick-and-mortar reach, growing to 10 stores and launching a frozen-cookie retail product, and now offers its decadent cookies online. Prior to the pandemic, Levain packaged its e-commerce orders, available in four-, eight-, or 12-cookie sizes, in cartons that were then placed in corrugated shippers filled with protective packing materials. But the increased demand in online orders required a packaging refresh.

Vibrant graphics depict the ‘cookie parade,’ with a mix of individuals reflecting the diversity of the neighborhood in which Levain Bakery was founded.Vibrant graphics depict the ‘cookie parade,’ with a mix of individuals reflecting the diversity of the neighborhood in which Levain Bakery was founded.“We were already a growing brand, opening new bakeriesscaling our e-commerce business, and expanding into grocery retailers,” says Levain Bakery CEO Andy Taylor. “The challenge was creating a packaging solution that not only ensured our customers would receive our product in pristine condition, but also improved our efficiency to better meet demand. When COVID-19 caused New Yorkand the rest of the worldto shut down, we saw online orders multiply, and we needed a supplier that had the flexibility to meet accelerating demand on a greater scale.”

Universal insert protects product, reduces packaging

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co. (RRD) was chosen for the project by Levain due to its ability to meet the bakery’s package design, printing, and warehousing needs. RRD’s first task was to design an e-commerce shipper capable of delivering product protection, while reducing excess packaging materials and complexity.

Shares Lisa Pruett, President of RRD Packaging Solutions, “We supplied different iterations of packaging and inserts for the Levain team to evaluate. They then thoroughly transit-tested the prototypes to ensure there would be no tearing or crushing of the packaging, so customers would receive their cookies perfectly protected for the best possible experience.”

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