Marketing, sales and consumer behaviour – January 2026
Trends for 2026
In a recent eBook, Esko explores three packaging trends for 2026: sustainability, Agentic AI and smart packaging & the Digital Product Passport (DPP). You can download the eBook after filling in your details. A report (4.3 MB) by Bain & Company shows that leading paper and packaging companies are using supply chain performance as a competitive differentiator. The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) has announced the top 5 trends for the robotics industry for 2026. The annual CPHI 2026 Pharma Trends Outlook explores the biggest trends affecting the pharmaceutical sector. You can download the report after filling in your details.
Packaging market information
According to a recent report by Fortune Business Insights, the global market value for industrial packaging is expected to rise from $78.5 billion in 2025 to $114.54 billion in 2032. Amcor, Mondi, Stora Enso, DS Smith and Smurfit Kappa (now Smurfit Westrock) are among the top ten players. You can find more information in the report summary.
Smithers predicts that the value of the global market for secondary and protective packaging will reach $300.7 billion by 2030. A Smithers report (10.72 MB) published by Empack explores the key sustainability trends driving this growth.
Packaging Strategies has published their global 2025 Top 25 Converters. The list, based on annual revenue from the previous year, is headed by Amcor.
According to a new European Bioplastics report (graphics, 1.58 MB), global bioplastics production is set to increase from around 2.31 million tonnes in 2025 to approximately 4.69 million tonnes in 2030. Packaging remains the largest market segment with 41.3% of the total market in 2025.
Consumers and food packaging
According to a recent Rabobank article (in Dutch) on the future Dutch food chain, consumers will pay for more service in 2040: “convenience in a package”, ease of purchase (more home delivery) and mental ease (help in making sustainable and healthy choices).
NielsenIQ research on beverage packaging shows that glass is leading as premium product indicator, but its growth is only +3.6%, while coated cardboard and aluminium are accelerating faster. This gap shows premium cues and material trends are misaligned. You can download an infographic after filling in your details.
Researchers at the University of Naples Federico II conducted a field experiment at a wine fair in Italy. They found that regular wine drinkers perceived aluminium bottles as less environment-friendly than traditional glass bottles. The study (1.83 MB) is published in Food Research International.
Consumers and sustainability
A recent report (915 kB) led by the University of Sheffield reveals that a ‘language barrier’ is undermining the UK’s transition to a green economy as consumers struggle to understand technical terms like ‘bio-based’ and ‘compostable’. Fifty-one percent of respondents said they trusted compostability claims yet only 22% understood what actually happens to waste once it is collected. This gap increases the risk of incorrect disposal.
An Innova study on food packaging trends in the US and Canada finds that consumers response to sustainability can be overshadowed by care about taste, freshness, and convenience. Sustainability must align with priority benefits for the consumer, or it will not be a part of purchasing decisions. Also, most consumers do not fully understand sustainability messaging on packaging.
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