Ever buy a bulk pack of something, sock it away in the closet, and then find that it’s basically petrified by the time you’re ready to use it? This happened to me recently, even though the product was nowhere near the expiration date — if it had one at all. Apparently, I would have needed to shake up the item periodically in order to keep it limber.

Of course, there was nothing on the package that indicated how to store the product. And even if there was an expiration date, it wouldn’t have been enough. What’s needed here is a sort of tip sheet about how to keep the product fresh until you’re ready to use it. For instance, a liquid that comes in a bottle might say “Store upright, and shake once a month to prevent drying out.”

Granted, most people wouldn’t bother reading the instructions on the package. But for those that do, the extra guidance would help them get more value from the product — while encouraging them to make bulk purchases again in the future.