The world industry of wrapping production is characterized as a powerful economic generator. According to the statistics, the demand for various sorts of wrapping will soon reach $1 trillion. The popularity of covers is determined by the necessity to pack goods. Nowadays, customers can hardly find an unpacked product on store shelves. The industry constantly evolves, develops new designs, and uses innovative technologies and tools to produce upgraded wrapping.
Packaging unites a great class of diverse wrappers, pouches, bottles and boxes. Each cover performs two main functions, namely, marketing and protection. The purpose of wrapping is to reliably protect the content from all sorts of negative impacts from outside and draw customers’ attention to the promoted product.
Like any other sphere of life, the wrapping industry has directions in which it’s developing. These trends cover not only design aspects but also the technologies used. Thus, the appearance and functionality of wrappers are constantly changing.
TOP-10 Trends in the Packaging Industry
Not all trends in packaging are new but it doesn’t mean they have lost their popularity. Let’s consider all the tendencies common in the industry.
1. Flexible packaging
Nowadays, different types of flexible wrappers are produced. These are three-seam and five-seam pouches, bags, foils, and films. Flexible covers are beneficial due to the following features:
- Improved flexibility that allows packing any type of food;
- Wide variety of pouches and bags, which provides more opportunities for manufacturers and companies engaged in the production of food;
- Effectiveness: flexible packages can take any shape ensuring reasonable use of materials;
- Improved barrier qualities: perfect protection from the negative influence of the environment;
- Small weight and easy opening, which gives lots of benefits during the transportation or consumption processes;
- Sustainability: some types of flexible wrappers can be recycled, reused or biodegraded. This is applicable to certain types of plastic bags and boxed (made from mono-structure materials);
- More friendly to E-commerce.
Flexible wrappers take the leading place in the modern industry and come as the most effective tool when packing goods for mass sale.
2. Digital Printing
Our world has become digital. This tendency has penetrated all spheres. Thus, most manufacturers have shifted to digital printing. This innovation in the packaging industry allows applying all colors at once, which automates, accelerates and simplifies the printing process.
This technology allows dealing with a wide range of information for digital labels: logos, bar codes, images, etc., as well as applying lamination and related techniques.
3. Personalized Packaging
The latest packaging tendency implies that one package cannot endear all clients. To become closer to consumers, manufacturers should develop personalized and custom wrappers.
This method is aimed at attracting and engaging the consumer’s attention. Nowadays, the competition in all the industries is high, so companies have to seek new ways to stand out on store shelves and create remarkable covers.
An excellent example of personalization was performed by Coca Cola when they started printing people’s names on bottles with beverages. This trend found a great response from customers, allowing the company to win even more audience loyalty.
4. Transparency and Clean Labels
Such qualities as “transparency” and “cleanness” stand as synonyms of “trustworthiness” and “honesty”. The most demanding customers are used to evaluating the quality of products by their appearance. Those brands that use transparent packaging have a competitive advantage in this case
5. Private Labels and Store Brand Dominating
Modern consumers tend to trust small-size businesses and private brands when choosing similar goods from several manufacturers on the shelves. Private products are associated with more attention and customization and cleaner product composition.
Store brand domination is another new trend in the packaging industry. Nowadays, every chain store has its own brand. Thus, products are represented on shelves under the logo and label of such stores.
6. Playful Colors, Designs and Gradients
Humans perceive 80% of information with the help of vision. Moreover, research proves that consumers make the decision about buying a particular product in the first 1.5 minutes. Thus, the use of vivid colors, unusual designs and color transitions helps to catch consumers’ eyes and make products remarkable.
7. Recycled Packaging Products in Use
New innovations in packaging technology allow re-using waste wrappers. Package manufacturers stick to using eco-friendly materials to produce recyclable, compostable, and biodegradable packages.
Being eco-friendly not only saves the planet but also increases consumer loyalty since more and more people try to reduce the level of consumption and stick to green movements.
8. Vintage Packaging
Marketers point out three important reasons for the popularity of vintage wrapping:
- vintage is associated with a timeless quality;
- such designs bring consumers back to traditions;
- vintage stands as the connection between adults and the younger generation.
Thus, vintage wrapping brings nostalgia and pleasant memories into the customers’ minds.
9. Minimalist Product Packaging
Minimalistic designs are associated with simplicity and cost-effectiveness. Moreover, consumers do not like wrappers with a great amount of information; data abundance on covers repulses consumers.
Decreasing the amount of information and images on packages is an excellent solution for modern companies to endear customers.
10. Sustainable Packaging
The latest packaging innovations are targeted at the reduction of pollution and maximization of the use of sustainable materials that do not harm the Earth and do not emit toxic chemicals into the atmosphere, soil and water. Thus, green materials are preferable for the manufacturing of modern wrappers.
The industry sets various criteria to be followed by packaging manufacturers. And in order to stay on the market, businesses should follow the trends, making their products remarkable and compatible with customers’ needs.
