Case Study
How Knockout's 100% North American sourcing cut Upfront Cosmetics' lead times and shipping costs by 20 percent, with full supply chain transparency.
Upfront Cosmetics is a growing B Corp specializing in nutrient-rich shampoo and conditioner bars. Each bar typically saves three plastic bottles from entering recycling streams, and all products are vegan, Leaping Bunny certified, and made in-house.
Upfront takes pride in knowing where every ingredient comes from, and prides itself on sourcing the best possible ingredients, a value they wanted extended to their packaging too.
Learn more about Upfront Cosmetics →
Upfront had previously engaged other packaging companies but were disappointed by variations in color and print consistency batch to batch, plus a lack of transparency about where the packaging was really being sourced from overseas. With long lead times, rigid ordering restrictions, and national retailer deals on the line, Upfront needed a change fast, without facing prohibitive switching costs.
Knockout's 100% North American sourcing and manufacturing gave Upfront full transparency and quick lead times, using FSC-certified paper for sustainably harvested materials. Digital print avoided the high switching costs of traditional plates and gave Upfront flexibility around order quantities, while hard copy print proofing let the team physically verify color and quality before production.
Knockout's process delivered a 20% reduction in lead time and shipping costs, with reorders now averaging a 2-week production lead time. Upfront can easily add or remove SKUs and vary order quantities per SKU, and their packaging is now fully recyclable after removing a plastic matte lamination they hadn't known was there.
Sourcing and manufacturing paperboard and printing entirely within North America removes the shipping delays and customs steps involved in importing packaging from overseas suppliers.
Digital print does not require the printing plates that offset printing does, so a brand can update designs or run smaller quantities without paying setup costs for new plates every time.
Matte lamination is a thin plastic film applied over paperboard for a soft-touch finish. Removing it in favor of an uncoated, textured paper stock can make the carton fully recyclable.
A physical print proof lets a brand check color accuracy, print quality, and paper feel in person before a full production run, catching issues that a digital file preview cannot show.
Brands earning B Corp certification often update their packaging graphics to reflect the new certification, which a flexible digital print process can accommodate without a full packaging redesign.
