Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Top takeaways
- Impact of COVID-19 on household packaging and format trends
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- Figure 1: Short, medium and long term impact of COVID-19 on household care and household packaging, December 2020
- Opportunities and challenges
- An opportunity to trial new packaging and formats
- Support new shopping behaviors
- Convenient packaging is highly valued
- High tech labels enhance the brand story
- What to watch
- Push the material development envelope
The Market – Key Takeaways
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- There is still no sustainable packaging cure-all
- Growth in online shopping will change packaging requirements
- A very uncertain economic picture
- New paper structures show potential
Market Trends
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- Impact of COVID-19 on household packaging and format trends
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- Figure 2: Short, medium and long term impact of COVID-19 on household care and household packaging, December 2020
- Lockdown
- Reemergence
- Recovery
Market Factors
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- There is still no sustainable packaging cure-all
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- Figure 3: Packaging recycling rates by material, 2018
- Growth in online shopping will change packaging requirements
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- Figure 4: Total US retail ecommerce sales and forecast, at current prices, 2015-25
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- Figure 5: Shopping more online during the pandemic, April 6-November 9, 2020
- An uncertain economic picture
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- Figure 6: US unemployment rate and underemployment rate, Jan 2019-Sept 2020
Market Opportunities
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- New paper structures show potential
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- Figure 7: The paper bottle developed by ExoXpack and used by Carlsberg Brewing (Denmark)
Competitive Strategies – Key Takeaways
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- The pandemic has reversed some existing trends
- DTC brands develop packaging for better ecommerce
- P&G brings the cartridge format to single-use laundry care
- Metal shows signs of a comeback
- A slow transition to refillable packaging
- Packaging is evolving to complement ingredient transparency
- New printing techniques will improve communication and design
- Augmented reality labels tell the whole brand story
Competitive Strategies
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- The pandemic has reversed some consumer trends
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- Figure 8: Charmin Forever Roll, designed to last a full month
- DTC brands develop packaging for better ecommerce
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- Figure 9: Truman’s and Amazon’s cartridge-based spray cleaner systems
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- Figure 10: Dropps laundry brand
- P&G brings the cartridge format to single-use laundry care
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- Figure 11: P&G’s new One Wash Miracle 3 oz, single-dose canister.
- Metal shows signs of a comeback
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- Figure 12: Seventh Generation’s Zero Plastic cleaning portfolio
- A slow transition to refillable packaging
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- Figure 13: Interest in refillable packaging, by age, April 2020
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- Figure 14: Brands with contrasting refill strategies, 2020
- The US has seen some of the fastest refill growth
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- Figure 15: Surface cleaners, laundry and fabric care and dish care products with available refills, by region, 2015-October 2020
- The US has the least-diverse refill formats
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- Figure 16: Global launches of household care refills by package type, 2020 (January-November)
- Packaging is evolving to complement ingredient transparency
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- Figure 17: Brands with transparent packaging to convey ingredient transparency
- Limited ingredients are a growing facet of transparency
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- Figure 18: Household care brands with limited ingredients
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- Figure 19: Interest in cleaning products with familiar natural ingredients, by age, April 2020
- New printing techniques will improve communication and design
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- Figure 20: Toast Vodka prints directly on the bottle
- Augmented reality labels tell the whole brand story
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- Figure 21: Flexible Pack’s augmented reality label
- Liquid detergent packaging focuses on better dosing
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- Figure 22: Laundry detergent bottles calibrated for accurate dosing
- Concentrated products are positioned on reduced plastic waste
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- Figure 23: P&G Eco-Box
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- Figure 24: Nature Clean laundry detergent strips
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
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- Household shoppers want convenience
- Wipes are the most frequently used format
- Performance and safety are top label attributes
- Nearly half of consumers experience dispensing problems
- Stackable products help pandemic pantry loading
- Reducing product waste creates value for consumers
The Consumer
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- Packaging is integral to product performance
Preferred Packaging Attributes
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- Convenience is still king
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- Figure 25: Important packaging features, by rank, October 2020
- Seniors have the most issues opening packages
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- Figure 26: Interest in easy-open packaging, by age, October 2020
- Childproof packaging is most preferred by…parents
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- Figure 27: Interest in childproof packaging, by age of children in the house, October 2020
Preferred Product Formats
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- Wipes have become the most frequently used format
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- Figure 28: Use of and interest in household care formats, October 2020
- Use of convenience formats aligns with income and parental status
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- Figure 29: Use of wipes and pods, by age, income and parental status, October 2020
- Nearly half of consumers experience dispensing problems
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- Figure 30: Problems encountered with household care packaging, October 2020
Preferred Label Attributes
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- Performance and safety are top label attributes
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- Figure 31: Most looked for label information, October 2020
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- Figure 32: Use of labels for safety warnings, by age, October 2020
- Seniors have trouble reading labels
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- Figure 33: Problems reading labels, by age, October 2020
Attitudes toward Household Packaging and Formats
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- Stackable products help pandemic pantry loading
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- Figure 34: Attitudes toward household packaging and formats – Agree, October 2020
- Younger consumers are most averse to plastic packaging
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- Figure 35: Society should phase out plastic packaging – Agree, by age, October 2020
Interest in Innovations
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- Reducing product waste brings value to consumers
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- Figure 36: Interest in household care packaging and format innovations, October 2020
- Low-income consumers interested in health and economy innovations
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- Figure 37: Interest in select innovations, by household income, October 2020
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
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