This month we will identify and discuss some of the current trends in the packaging industry that are influencing manufacturers, retailers, and consumers. Staying on-trend will give companies a competitive advantage and stay aligned with consumer preferences and priorities.

TRANSPARENCY TO CONSUMERS

The current consumer base will choose to purchase environmentally friendly products and support green conscious companies. As such, companies are becoming more transparent about what the products actually contain. Moreover, they are choosing to utilize clean products, or products that do not contain harmful ingredients. In an effort to inform the consumer of their environmentally conscious choices, manufacturers are packaging their products to make clear what is in their products. Clean and transparent labeling has become very important. Consumers can scan label codes with their smartphones and instantly find out exactly what ingredients make up that particular product. This trend looks to continue as consumers want to understand and trust what they are purchasing.

FLEXIBLE PACKAGING

As detailed above, environmentally conscious consumers are driving how manufacturers present their products. Another trend that follows this ethos is flexible packaging materials, like shrink and stretch film, flexible pouches, bags, and envelopes. The benefits of flexible packaging over rigid packages include:

  • Being more environmentally friendly with a lower carbon footprint
  • Easier to store
  • Longer shelf life
  • Is more attractive on the shelf
  • Less material used means less weight and cost
  • Easier to ship and to open
  • Ideally suited for e-commerce

PROTECTIVE & TAMPER-EVIDENT PACKAGING

The pandemic has brought supply chain safety and certification up to the forefront. Consumers and businesses alike are very concerned with their overall health and safety amidst the slow trek back to normal after COVID 19. Manufacturers have become keenly aware of the importance of protective packaging being clearly visible to the consumer. Tamper-evident packaging gives consumers an immediate visual cue to let them know if their products have been compromised.

PERSONALIZED & CUSTOMIZED PACKAGING

VINTAGE

The pandemic has brought about a myriad of issues and responses from our culture. A prevailing thought is one of “getting back to the way things used to be”. In line with this nostalgia for past glory, companies are using vintage packaging to take the consumer back to “better” times. The throwback designs take from classic American culture and traditions, which harken to earlier eras of simplicity and harmony. They play on the current mood of wanting to feel and remember the time pre-COVID 19.

MINIMALIST

Keeping in line with the simplistic aesthetics of yesteryear, companies have also sought to simplify their packaging to the most basic and minimalist designs. The effect is counterintuitive in that by utilizing simple designs and flat or monotone colors, minimalist packaging manages to actually stand out amongst the multitude of products that have aggressive and loud designs. This anti stand-out approach works to do exactly the opposite; these brands attract the consumer by being unique and simple. Much like the transparency/clear labeling, the minimalist approach plays to the idea of being straightforward, honest, and direct with the consumer about the products that companies are offering.

Central Valley Assembly & Packaging is the perfect solution for your packaging needs. We take on labor-intensive work, so that your company can focus on its’ core business. CVAP offers Co-Packing, Assembly, Skin Packaging, Auto Bagging, Shrink Wrapping, Kitting, Bottle Filling, Warehousing and Inventory services across multiple industries. We have the experienced staff to handle a variety of packaging options, including the trends discussed here. Contact us today and let’s discuss your specific needs and how CVAP can partner with you to help make your operation run smoothly and efficiently!

Sources: “Top 10 Packaging Trends for 2022”, Industrial Packaging 9.07.2021 “2022 Packaging Industry Trends”, York Saw & Knife 1.28.2022