This month’s Insights report is all about the topic of food packaging. We wanted to understand what influence packaging has on purchasing decisions and what is important to consumers when it comes to food packaging. We have identified 5 key trends from consumers on the influence food packaging has on their purchasing decisions. To gather this we ran an online survey and partnered with ParentsandBrands (https://www.parentsandbrands.com) who ran an online focus group on their private platform.
5 Key Insights On Food Packaging
An online quantitative survey of 17 questions was distributed via email during August 2021 to 531 Irish consumers across the country. The survey was active for 10 days and the total number of complete responses was 504. Contact [email protected] for additional information.
Five trends came out of the feedback that are really interesting:
- What’s important for parents on packaging for kids products
- What consumers check on packaging
- Sustainable packaging
- Reducing packaging waste
- What influence packaging has on new product purchase
Key stats from Consumers about Food Packaging
90% of parents check nutritional information on food products they buy for their kids
51% of respondents always check the nutritional information on food products they buy for themselves.
53% say they would definitely choose one product over another because it had sustainable packaging.
7% say that the responsibility for reducing packaging waste lies with consumers
85% say that packaging is the first thing they notice about a product and great packaging creates great expectations of a product.
Online Focus Group Insights
An Online Focus Group was carried out on the ParentsandBrands (https://www.parentsandbrands.com) private platform in August 2021 with responses from 42 parents from across Ireland.
Here are some of the key insights and feedback:
What’s Important When It Comes To Kids Food Packaging?
“I’d like to see better environmentally friendly packaging for kids snacks made of maybe natural fibres so can be compostable. A lot come in bags. As for looks, it doesn’t really concern me but ease of opening is important especially now my little one has started Montessori.”
What Consumers Check On Packaging
“I would love for labelling to be more clear on most packaging. I usually check the best before date and the nutritional values and it can be quite confusing.”
What’s Important To Consumers When It Comes To Sustainable Packaging
“Price is usually my primary factor when choosing but recently I have begun to pay a little more for certain products if they are in better packaging, especially if it’s reducing plastic.”
Who Is Responsible For Reducing Packaging Waste?
“I believe the manufacturers should be reducing the packaging waste and exploring more sustainable packaging options.”
Influence Of Packaging On Purchasing New Products
“Yes I definitely look at packaging. I recently subscribed to a toilet paper service because their packaging is paper and not plastic.”
Key Recommendations for Brands
- There is always room for improvement for your product packaging – things to focus on would be making the product information crystal clear, the origin fully transparent & the nutritional status & ingredients list being as ‘clean’ as possible. This will increase consumer trust.
- Consider quirky or clever interactive packaging that would strengthen your product’s appeal.
- Consumers consider the onus to be on food brands to make their packaging as recyclable/sustainable as possible.
- Consumers don’t find it very clear which elements of packaging are recyclable & which are not. Communicating this clearly will give you a competitive edge.