Lets be honest, manufacturers, retailers and consumers alike, are all obsessed with primary packaging. The primary pack is like the oscar statue at the Academy Awards every year. We hear about the best consumer packaged goods in the trade press but they rarely mention the secondary packs. But what about the outer case or outer carton? The humble corrugated brown and white box? To say things have changed is an understatement. Branding has grown to become 360 degrees around the product; from product display bins, shelf ready packaging (SRP), convenience packs (with handles!), to fully printed boxes with graphics (craft beer anyone) and lots more innovations and exciting developments.
“80% of brand owners agree that packaging influences brand value.” – Flexible Packaging Association, Brand Value Study, 2015
It is no longer the case (sorry) that the outer box is the boring brother to the primary pack. Traceability remains a key feature of secondary and current packaging legislation means it will always be the case (sorry again). But the brand is now centre stage. Consumers know what they are looking for and want to be able to recognise it more easily. The retailers want the convenience of buying shelf ready packaging so their workers can stock the shelves quicker. Its win win for everyone. To this vein, DS Smith have given us 5 reasons for the rise in SRP:
- Easy to identify
- Easy to open
- Easy to shelf
- Easy to shop
- Easy to recycle
It should come as no surprise then, that recent research indicates SRP continues to be a high-growth niche in the packaging market, with global shelf-ready packaging approximated to reach $72.4 billion and 37.1 million tonnes by 2022.
So with this in mind, we thought we would celebrate #casecodingweek to pay tribute to the great outer case. Let your products stay safe, give efficiency to your supply chain and may the surface be your canvas. Look out for the hastag on our social media. The icons are listed below in our website footer.
