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New Packaging Formats Affect Secondary Packaging Process

Package configurations are changing due to retailer and consumer demands, with significant implications for secondary packaging.

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Recent consumer trends such as demand for sustainable packaging options, convenience packaging, and SKU proliferation, mean more package variety and more crowding on-shelf. Because of this, many manufacturers are switching up packaging configurations and building in value propositions to their secondary packaging.

According to a report by PMMI Business Intelligence, there are four secondary packaging requirements that retailers have today:

·     Shelf-ready cartons for easier product display

·      Multi-packs / variety packs

·      Biodegradable or recyclable materials

·      Traceability and product security

Shelf-Ready Cases

Shelf-ready display cases have seen growth in recent years in response to both consumer and retailer demands, and while not a new concept, this growth is perhaps the most significant to secondary packaging because it adds a new layer of complexity to the end-of-line strategy. Manufacturers adopting shelf-ready displays need to ensure that the bottom half of the case, which will remain on the shelf with the products, is properly branded, and that graphics survive the distribution supply chain in a shelf-ready state.

This growth may also be playing a role in brand manufacturers’ growing interest in automated vision inspection systems, which can assist in detecting graphic and labeling defects before the secondary package exits the production line. With 75% of report respondents pursuing shelf-ready strategies, the challenges created by the popularity of this format remain top of mind.

Other Alterations

Beyond shelf-ready displays, many brand manufacturers are altering their secondary packaging to better suit the needs of their customers. Reasons vary depending on the market, channel, and individual product, but the trends are an industry-wide occurrence. Format changes mostly revolve around goals of material reduction, seeking more sustainable packaging, and improving efficiency in line operations. With those goals in mind, manufacturers are making changes to their secondary packaging strategies such as: moving to display-ready or wraparound cases (75%), replacing their corrugated boxes with shrink film (30%), eliminating cases in favor of rigid trays (45%), and adjusting how they seal their corrugated cases – be it with glue or with tape (50%).

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