The latest NOA PRISM Multi-user research assignment, STRATEGIC EUROPEAN CORRUGATED REPORT (2018 – 2028) is now in the DATA GATHERING stage:

We are currently gathering data, statistics and carrying out extensive interviews with retailers, industry specialists, paper mill owners, corrugated and carton converter industry contacts and brand owners.

Brand owners need to understand consumer retail patterns in order to build their packaging strategy, so their interviews are particularly enlightening for us and the industry as a whole – they will be detailed in the STRATEGIC EUROPEAN CORRUGATED REPORT (2018 – 2018)

Here are a few snippets of information already gleaned from Brand Owners during our latest research:

1. The explosion in demand for packaging suitable for the eCommerce “last mile” is giving Brand Owners a MAJOR challenge. Delivered goods must offer consumers a “great buying experience” whilst their packaging must be robust enough for a range of different delivery vehicles:

“The current debate is whether we should design packs suited to a retail outlet or to an outlet for facilitating the packing process (fulfilment centres, retail stores, warehouses) for onward delivery to the consumer”.

2. An increase in consumer demand is very welcome, but the responsibility for disposing of additional packaging is mainly down to consumers and they are not happy. There is a backlash brewing – and consumers are a powerful force to reckon with !

This week NOA staff came across several examples of consumers biting back over packaging (or over-packaging !)  One follows a recent Clarins product purchased from Debenhams being labelled as “overpackaged” by consumers who are reportedly returning the outer cartonboard sleeve to the Debenhams retail store in their droves:

3. What are Brand Owners saying about plastic packaging ? Here it is !

The packaging industry is already responding to this statement. There is a huge amount of investment going into researching viable alternatives to plastics, including all things paper and cardboard based – as well as innovations looking at reducing the amount of packaging being used: “PERILS OF PLASTIC: WHY PAPER, PRAWNS AND PLANTS MAY HOLD THE ANSWER”  The #EcoBricks UK FaceBook page (now up to 33,500 followers compared to Michael Gove’s 6275) is calling for consumers to return their plastic food packaging in individual parcels addressed to Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs or to DEFRA or indeed direct to the retailer that sold them the packaged goods:

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