Online delivery helping to shape produce packaging
The rapidly evolving online grocery delivery channel will have a say in packaging styles and materials over the near and long terms, marketers say.
The growing segment will feed the packaging business in the years to come, they said.
“We believe there’s a great e-commerce opportunity and corrugated containers work well in this environment for strength, protection and shipping,” said Nicole Lipson, segment marketing manager with Atlanta-based package maker WestRock.
There are many sophisticated designs for gift boxes or bulk shipping, Lipson said.
“We know many growers have premium products that consumers want, and e-commerce will allow them to sell to consumers wherever they are,” she said.
Online shipping only enhances attention needed to ensure product integrity, said Karen Reed, marketing and communications director with Union Gap, Wash.-based closure manufacturer Kwik Lok Corp.
“It’s important that food items such as bakery and produce are fresh and safe when they travel to their destination,” she said.
“Good packaging that meets these needs and is sustainable is Kwik Lok’s goal.”
Online sales assure continued growth in packaging options and volume, said Brianna Shales, senior marketing manager with Wenatchee, Wash.-based fruit grower-shipper Stemilt Growers LLC.
“Packaging isn’t going anywhere, and that is because of the growth in online,” she said.
The trend embraces the sustainability aspect of packaging, as well, Shales said.
“We will need to move to more UPC packages for our products, but the consumer is going to want a package that will benefit the environment,” she said.
“It’s going to be a journey, but I anticipate more paper/cardboard and less plastic — or compostable plastic — coming our way in the future.”
That’s an encouraging trend, because “packaging also allows us to tell consumers our brand story — including where their fruit came from and how it was grown, which is something we are passionate about,” Shales said.
Consumers in the U.S. have shifted a significant part of their shopping online, but it is not yet known if this trend will continue at the same trajectory, said Liz Walsh, director of customer & consumer insights with Atlanta-based Georgia-Pacific.
Some industry forecasts predict the penetration of online delivery will reach 10% in 2020, compared to an estimate of 2-3% before COVID-19 pandemic, Walsh said.
“This will have significant implications for packaging design, which has been optimized for traditional retail versus online shipments. Likewise, there is a need to optimize delivery for freshness/cold chain management,” she said.
The Itaska, Ill.-based Fibre Box Association notes that it will be interesting to see how consumer habits evolve after the pandemic dissipates.
Rachel Kenyon, the association’s senior vice president, noted in mid-2020 that many consumers would be jumping into the online marketplace for the first time during the pandemic. She wondered whether shoppers would be impressed with the convenience of online purchasing and “stick with it” after the pandemic receded.
The verdict seems to be in, Kenyon said in November.
“The online grocery shopping trend doesn’t look like it will go away anytime soon,” she said.
The implication for packaging is that it is “far more visible” to the consumer, Kenyon said.
“Also, with so much ongoing, global supply-chain disruption occurring throughout 2020, brands have a huge opportunity to build trust with consumers by delivering products in pristine condition and in packaging that reflects a shared commitment to public and environmental health,” she said.
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