Marketing, sales and consumer behaviour – March 2024

Packaging – market information and trends
Inkjet is steadily increasing its penetration into the total print and packaging market. Smithers provides an insight into the inkjet printing market to 2029 in a recent infographic that you can download after filling in your details. Smithers also estimates the global market value of corrugated packaging and containerboard at just over $226 billion in 2023, which is less than the value of the market in 2017. You can download an infographic providing a snapshot of the market after filling in your details.
The annual CPHI Online 2024 Pharma Trends Outlook identifies 12 key industry trends shaping the industry in 2024. One of the trends is consumer driven packaging innovations. You can download the report after filling in your details.

Packaging for (craft) beer
PMMI has published a report entitled ‘Craft Beer and Spirits: Success Through Packaging’. 132 industry professionals were asked to expound on their experiences to better understand the unmet packaging needs. You can download an executive summary after filling in your e-mail address. ETSIAMB research provides insights into how beer consumers, especially craft beer consumers, respond to sustainability signals on packaging. The study (484 kB) is published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Research.

Global average robot density
IFR reports that the global average robot density has hit an all-time high of 151 operational industrial robots per 10,000 employees in 2022. The Republic of Korea is the most automated country with 1,012 units, followed by Singapore (730 units) and Germany (415 units).

Influence of material and colour of food packaging consumers’ perception
IED research (2.95 MB) published in Food and Humanity studies the influence of material and colour of food packaging on consumers’ perception. Food items with cardboard packaging were rated as more sustainable and expensive than the same food items packaged in plastic, while green coloured packaged food received higher healthiness ratings.

Tethered caps more difficult to open
A Kassa poll (in Dutch) shows that about three quarters of people have more difficulty opening and closing bottles since the cap is attached. In particular, people with hand impairments say they are not happy with the new caps.

Consumers and the environment
Research commissioned by ALPLA shows that while all of the US consumers surveyed, appreciate sustainable packaging and making sustainable choices, when consumers get older they are much more likely to put more of a premium on their own convenience. A new report (3.23 MB) published by WRAP shows that UK shoppers would like more opportunities to buy unpackaged fruit and vegetables. A University of Hohenheim study suggests that more accurate information and financial incentives best motivate consumers to sort plastic waste correctly. Uncertainty and confusion over the packaging material were found to be the most severe hindrances. The study (565 kB) is published in Waste Management.

Prices for plastics
Dutch trade magazine Vraag en Aanbod publishes a weekly overview of the prices for plastics (in Dutch). The prices given are estimated averages between the gross prices published in the trade journals and the net prices.
 

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