Marketing, sales and consumer behaviour – May 2026

Market for packaging
The NOS (in Dutch) reports that the Japanese snack manufacturer Calbee (366 kB) is changing the packaging for some of its products due to a shortage of ink raw materials caused by the war in Iran. As of 25 May, fourteen products will be sold in black and white packaging.
According to Smithers, the global post-consumer recycled (PCR) packaging market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 5.7% from 4.9 million tonnes in 2026 to 6.5 million tonnes in 2031. More information can be found here and you can download an infographic after filling in your details.

Food processing and packaging machinery market
According to a report by PMMI and FPSA, the US food and beverage processing machinery market reached $6.2 billion in shipment value in 2025, with a modest growth of 3.2% over 2024, and is expected to continue expanding, with projections indicating the market could reach $6.7 billion by 2027. You can download a summary of the report after filling in your details. An accompanying infographic (1.43 MB) shows that meat and poultry (29.2%), prepared foods (14%), and dairy (12.4%) represent the largest shares of the market.
VDMA reports that 2025 was a positive year for German manufacturers of food processing and packaging machinery despite the difficult underlying conditions. Packaging machinery manufacturers in particular can look back on a strong year, achieving a growth of 8% to €9 billion.

Food packaging design
Drawing from a survey of 15,000 consumers across ten markets, McKinsey identifies the most impactful consumer behaviour shifts shaping the global food and beverage market in the years ahead. Leading players are taking a structured approach, distinguishing between relative affordability (offering better value per unit through larger packs or multipacks) and absolute affordability (ensuring there is a true entry price point that allows cash-constrained consumers to buy in).
Glass is still the top choice for US consumers when it comes to packaging preferences for wine, but sustainability concerns may open the way to other container types, a study led by the University of Arkansas has found.

Packaging design for beauty products
On 2 April 2026, Anouk Schiphorst held a presentation entitled ‘Bringing the Rituals shower foam packaging to the future, a study on environmental impact, luxury, and legislation‘ as part of her master assignment at the University of Twente. Chairman of the assessment committee was prof. Roland ten Klooster who holds the NVC Chair Packaging Design and Management.
In a recent study, researchers at Universidad Católica del Norte aimed to identify the determinants of purchase intentions for skincare products with sustainable packaging. The study (1.02 MB) is published in Acta Psychologica.

Research: transparent packaging boosts sales
Brands and retailers could increase their sales by simply using more transparent packaging for desirable items, according to new research co-authored by Bayes Business School and Vienna University of Economics and Business. The findings suggest that transparent packaging breaks down barriers between consumer and product, enforcing a desire for ownership.

NVC members receive this information with all the relevant links in the monthly NVC Members-only Update. If you have any questions, please contact us: info@nvc.nl, +31-(0)182-512411