Snack producers have their eyes set on new packaging types and SKUs as the biggest anticipated change coming for their industry, according to PMMI Business Intelligence’s “2024 Snack Foods Packaging Trends” report.
In an in-depth interview conducted for the report, participants said the biggest change they see in the future of snack foods processing and packaging is already occurring: a proliferation in different types of packaging and SKUs and sizes driven by both the consumer and the customer (Wal-Mart, Costco, etc.). This includes growth in variety packs, single-serve or individual sizes, and different product counts per package, among other shifts.
“We were looking for a more modern, more innovative connected worker. Now it’s ‘what size snack bag do we want? Do we want two ounces, four ounces, six ounces? And how do we want them packed? Do our customers want to buy it in big cartons that they can put on the shelf where they just break the perforation off?’” said an interviewed procurement manager for a pretzel company. “Packaging has become a really fad topic. Out of everything that I do, I deal with something in that area [box changing and packaging changing] every day. The trend right now and what I see here at our company is, we’re trying to find the sweet spot in those small snack bags. How small should it be? What’s the market for those? Is it still lunchboxes or is it commercial like hospitals? Is it convenience stores? Or is it all those things? We have to have a different size snack bag for each one of those issues. From my point of view, I see a change in how the bag is sealed, if it can be resealed, and the size of the actual package.”
Other changes that have been happening or participants believe will be more pronounced in the future include the following:
- Longer shelf life
- Clean and healthy snack foods
- Sustainable packaging
- New flavor profiles
- Addition of the convenience store channel
The changes being experienced or anticipated by snack foods processing and packaging interview participants will require machinery and equipment to be more flexible and customizable.
SOURCE: PMMI Business Intelligence: 2024 Snack Foods Packaging Trends
For more insights from PMMI’s Business Intelligence team, find reports, including “2024 Contract Packaging and Manufacturing: Drivers of Machinery Investments” and “2024 Craft Beer and Spirits: Success Through Packaging” at pmmi.org/business-intelligence.
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