Packaging needs a diet: Over 75% of consumers are fed up with oversized packaging
Thomas Reiner | 09.03.2021
Too big and too much – three in four consumers are fed up with oversized packaging and demand a diet. The results of a recent e-commerce study by Mondi also show clear majorities in favour of sustainable packaging. Around one in two consumers are willing to pay extra – under certain conditions.
Too big to fail? On the contrary! Goods that are oversized or packed with too much non-functional packaging have it increasingly difficult. According to a quantitative study by Mondi across five European countries, 79 percent reject oversized packaging and 73 percent reject too much packaging.
Consumers also attach great importance to sustainability. This is important for an absolute majority of 80 percent. So the pressure on the packaging diet continues to increase, not only in e-commerce. What is exciting is that more and more consumers are willing to walk the extra mile. Around one in two are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging – but only if it meets the requirements for product protection, circulatory capability and ease of use at the same time.
Online commerce, sustainability, customer requirements
Mondi conducted its study together with the opinion research institute Karmasin Research & Identity. A total of 3,052 consumers were surveyed on online consumer behaviour and packaging requirements: in Germany, Austria, Poland, Romania and the Czech Republic, although the results do not differ significantly across the countries.
The key findings:
- Almost one in two consumers has been shopping more and more frequently online since Covid started.
- The most common customers are young women.
- The most frequently ordered products are clothing and shoes, drugstore and perfume articles, books and electrical appliances.
- 80% of the total respondents place greater emphasis on sustainable packaging.
- More than half (57% in all countries, 48% in Germany) are willing to pay more if the requirements for the protection of the goods and easy handling are guaranteed.
- The majority rejects oversized packaging (78%), cumbersome disposal and recycling (78%) and too much packaging (73%).
- The most positive assessment is for easy opening and easy re-use (42%).
- Corrugated board (57%) dominates material perception in terms of sustainability.
Maintaining new opportunities through sustainability, circulatory capacity and moderation
Pressure continues to mount on brand owners and retailers to review and rethink their existing packaging. Less is more, especially when it comes to packaging. However, only if functionality and convenience do not suffer and the sustainable solution is recyclable. If you can reconcile all of this, the development offers first-class opportunities for differentiation – not only in online retail.
