Greetings Readers!

Do you buy products that come in packaging that is impossible to open without something short of a stick of dynamite?  If so, you have likely experienced “wrap rage.”  If you are tired of turning yourself into a bloody mess just to open your precious new gadget or gadget accessory, Amazon is coming to your rescue with frustration-free packaging!

I couldn’t even begin to count how many times I have cut myself on that impossible to open hard plastic packaging whenever I purchase a new set of headphones or memory stick for my PSP.  I have been wondering for pretty much my entire life, why can’t companies make packaging that I don’t have to use scissors or a very sharp knife to get into, only to still end up with several cuts?  I understand the whole idea of not wanting things easily stolen from a store, but to protect your product at the cost of my hands is beyond stupid.  Thank goodness, finally a company such as Amazon is standing up against this evil packaging practice and is on the side of the consumer.

Before you get your hopes up just yet, this is a multi-year initiative, not an overnight change.  They have this to say on their announcement on the Amazon home page.

Amazon is working with leading manufactures to deliver products inside smaller, easy-to-open, recyclable cardboard boxes with less packaging material (no frustrating plastic clamshells or wire ties).

It sounds like it will be a while before it reaches the majority of products typically contained in the clam shell packaging (the hard plastic stuff), but at least its coming.  Currently, you can only purchase select products from Mattel, Microsoft, Fisher-Price and Transcend with the frustration-free packaging.  To view the entire list of products available with this great new packaging, you can visit http://www.amazon.com/packaging.

While this is great for the consumer, I can only imagine how mad the bandaid makers are right now.  I expect to see a considerable drop in their revenue from this great development.