How important is user-friendly food packaging? What about eco-friendly packaging? In a word: VERY. Even when you consider everything that the food and beverage industry has to keep in mind- FDA approval, breathability, protection and temperature control- user-friendliness and eco-friendliness both fall pretty high up on the list of satisfying consumer demands.
But, savvy businesses in the food industry know that it’s not just about satisfying consumer packaging demands…it’s about keeping ahead of them.
Senior-Friendly Food Packaging
The nation’s expanding senior population demonstrates the importance for businesses to keep food packaging designed with seniors in mind. From blister packs to shrink-sleeved beverages, the aging population often struggles with opening everyday packaging.
But it’s not just seniors who are struggling. User-friendly packaging, also referred to as “frustration-free packaging” by Amazon, is key to a great shopping experience. As Amazon puts it, “Frustration-Free Packaging is an initiative designed to alleviate “wrap rage” by featuring products in recyclable boxes that are easy to open and contain fewer excess materials.”
Food packaging should be designed to alleviate wrap rage.
If products are difficult to open, customers may end up taking their business elsewhere; therefore, manufactures must work to make food packaging easier to handle. Not sure where to start? With so many forms of flexible packaging, the experts at Hughes can help you find the right materials and the right use of automated equipment to broaden your brand’s consumer appeal and usability.
Minimal Food Packaging
Another food packaging consideration Americans take notice of is reducing packaging waste. Consumers want to buy food items from companies that they believe are the best choices for their families and the environment. According to research in Mintel’s 2016 US Food Packaging Report, 80% U.S. food shoppers agree that reducing food waste is as important as reducing packaging waste. To limit waste, more than half of consumers indicate they would prefer to buy foods with minimal or even no packaging.
52% of consumers say they prefer to buy foods with minimal packaging
Research from Mintel also shows that 63% of U.S. consumers actively seek out re-usable packages. This statistic reveals a big opportunity for brands and manufacturers; if they take advantage of it correctly. For example, brands can build trust and boost consumer purchase confidence by printing on-pack messaging and making their eco-friendly mission very clear to customers.
Become an informed manufacturer: read our latest blogs, “4 Ways Distribution Centers Can Reduce Packaging Waste,” “Minimize Packaging with Instapak,” and “What Is Eco-Friendly Secondary Packaging and Why Is it so Important?” to learn more about going green.
Green and Easy-To-Use Food Packaging
Whether it’s senior-friendly packaging or waste reduction, food and beverage manufacturers must listen to customer feedback and start swapping out the current cumbersome and excessive packaging practices for more green and easy-to-use packaging. Because with the right food packaging supplies and equipment, businesses can increase customer satisfaction and reduce costs at the same time.
Hughes Enterprises offers green consulting services and has a range of eco-friendly commercial packaging to choose from. Contact us to find out how we can create a custom packaging solution that will work for you.