Marketing, sales and consumer behaviour – June 2025

Report on the future of packaging
The Retail Institute at Leeds Beckett University has published a study (2 MB) on the future of packaging. For the study, experts from the FMCG supply chain discussed their current challenges and past experiences, and this helped to identify possible goals and other outcomes expected for the coming decade. Each section of the report summarises the existing challenges and the future outcomes that the group identified as either plausible or desirable.

Packaging for luxury products
A survey by Bain & Company amongst experts in the packaging of luxury products reveals that sustainability has risen in importance. According to the experts, the evolution is driven by consumers, who are demanding packaging that matches their growing concern for minimising environmental impact. Tighter regulation is the second-biggest catalyst for the change.

Global market for sustainable barrier coatings
According to Smithers, the value of the global market for sustainable barrier coatings will increase from $9.2 billion in 2025 to $11.7 billion in 2030. The move to more sustainable barrier coatings, including more bio-based, easy-to-recycle, and biodegradable grades, has been led by brand owner commitments, supplemented by new legal requirements. You can download an infographic after filling in your details.

Packaging for the elderly
Researchers at Yangtze University studied how sensory factors in packaging design can meet packaging usage requirements for the elderly. They identified three positive functions of combining visual and tactile senses in packaging design: (1) conveying product information, (2) guidance on the package opening method, and (3) facilitating packaging opening. The study (849 kB) is published in the Journal of Sensory Studies.

Counterfeit food and drink in the EU
EUIPO (209 kB) is highlighting the worrying threat posed by counterfeit food and drink products in the EU. The 2025 European Union Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment (SOCTA) Report from Europol highlights that the growth of e-commerce has provided counterfeiters with new avenues to distribute fraudulent food items, making it increasingly difficult for consumers to identify authentic products. The EUIPO campaign What's on your table? provides practical advice for consumers on how to protect themselves against counterfeit products.

Do US and NL consumers care about sustainability?
US consumers rank the quality, price, and convenience of products as more important than the environmental impact of products, according to a McKinsey survey. The survey also reveals that packaging appearance has fallen in importance since 2020. In a Deloitte (in Dutch) survey on sustainable choices in supermarkets, almost half of Dutch consumers (46%) say that sustainability is important to them. However, opinions on what this means vary widely. More than half think of organically produced products (54%). Seasonal (48%) and/or sustainably packaged products (46%) are also considered by many to be sustainable choices. Only a third of the consumers (34%) say they have confidence in quality marks and certifications relating to sustainability.
 

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