Packaging for snacks is an important element in its marketing. Over time flexible packaging for snacks has emerged as a key trend.

Flexible packaging is lightweight and cost-effective. It also provides better visibility and printing compatibility which makes it more attractive.

use of transparent packaging is another growing trend. Transparent packaging provides an option to the customers to see the packaged product without opening the packaging and thus helping them to purchase the product.

Food pouches with ziplock and the resealable feature are also popular and is widely used.

This helps to keep the snacks fresh and avoid wastage. Use of eco-friendly packaging is becoming inevitable.

Most of the leading snacks brands are using eco-friendly packaging which can be recycled and does not endanger the environment.

In this article, we will talk about

  • sanck food pouches market share
  • famous brands
  • importance of pouches
  • food pouches materials
  • food pouches type
  • snack packaging design tips
  • example of good snacks packaging
  • example of bad snacks packaging

Market Share of Snack Food Pouches

The global packaged snacks market is growing at a healthy rate. A fast-paced lifestyle and increasing incomes are the major drivers of packaged snacks industry.

Europe is the largest market for packaged snacks with a market share of 45% in 2015, followed by North America at 33%.

The growth in these markets is saturating while the Asia-Pacific and Latin America will continue to grow at the fastest rates.

Savory snacks are growing faster than sweet snacks. The market for savory snacks was estimated at $94.3 billion in 2015 and is expected to grow to $220 billion by 2025- a healthy CAGR of 8.8%.

Famous Brands

Packaged snacks market is growing steadily. The market has many established names which have proven themselves over time.

Nestle is the largest food and beverage company globally with a revenue of $78.9 billion in 2017.

It dominates the coffee industry and has become a global household name for snacks. PepsiCo Inc. comes second on this list.

The company has 22 iconic brands in the snacks market. It had revenue worth $63.53 billion in 2017 and it is promoting healthier snacks option which drives its popularity.

Coca-Cola is another iconic brand in the snacks market. It has a wide variety of packaged snacks which are popular globally.

Importance of Pouch in Increasing Sales

Stand-up pouches are the latest trends in food packaging. Flexible stand-up pouch packaging provides many benefits over traditional packaging and helps to increase sales.

They provide excellent printing compatibility, resulting in the creation of impressive graphics on the pouch.

As they can stand erect on their base, they are more noticeable and high-quality printing makes it more noticeable than the conventional food packaging.

snack photo

They also have a see-through transparent window which allows the customers to see the packaged product.

Stand-up pouches also provide utility features like ziplock and resealable option which keeps the snacks fresher for longer.

Spout stand-up pouches are ideal for liquid food items like sauce, ketchup, etc. and ensures minimal food wastage.

Popular Materials for Food Pouches

Different materials are used for manufacturing of food pouches. Some of the most common materials used for food pouches manufacturing are as follows:

PET

PET is commonly used for the manufacturing of stand-up food pouches. PET is a chemically resistant material and is relatively inert.

It does not react with the packaged food materials and thus is considered safe for the manufacturing of food pouches.

PET is lightweight and offers considerable flexibility in designing the packaging elements.

PET has good barrier properties and protects the packaged food from external elements and thus keeps the food fresh for longer periods and also avoids wastage of food.

PET is also one of the most widely recycled plastic polymers, thus the stand-up pouches made from it are also recyclable.

Polypropylene

Polypropylene is another widely used plastic polymer for manufacturing stand-up food pouches.

The pouches made from polypropylene are lightweight and highly cost-effective. They are durable and provide adequate protection to the packaged food items.

They also protect the food from external elements and keep them free from any contamination and damage.

The material is resistant to most of the acids and alkalis and hence is ideal for using in food packaging as it does not react with the packaged food and contaminate them.

Polypropylene-based stand-up pouches are recyclable and completely eco-friendly.

Paper

Paper offers many distinct benefits over plastics for manufacturing of stand-up food pouches.

Paper is more lightweight and provides greater cost-effectiveness compared to plastics.

It reduces the cost of packaging and also the cost of distribution as a greater volume of products can be shipped to the retail shelves using the same fuel.

Paper is also completely recyclable and biodegradable and is environmentally friendly.

Recycling of paper requires much lesser energy than the recycling of plastics. Paper made food pouches also give a minimalistic and elegant feel.

Paper food pouches are commonly used to store food items like tea, coffee, snacks, spices etc.

 

Metalized Foil

Metalized foil pouches use additional layers of metal to enhance the quality and durability of the packaging.

metallized stand up pouches

Metalized foil pouches use more metal which enhances the barrier properties of the packaging.

Due to enhanced barrier properties, metalized foil pouches protect the packaged food from moisture and oxidation better.

Metalized food pouches also provide better versatility in designing and branding elements.

They have more gloss and look much more premium compared to the normal food pouches.

Use of hot embossing and digital printing provides visibly improved graphics and packaging design which differentiates the packaging from competition and drives the customer’s purchase decision.

Common Type of Food Pouches

Food pouches come in different shapes and sizes. The flat-bottomed food pouch is a very popular choice for food packaging.

It can stand up on its flat base and provides additional printing space as it has 2 side gussets which can be printed upon.

Food pouches come with ziplock and tear packaging which makes it easier for the customers to open the packaging and then reseal the food after use.

Spouted food pouches are popular for packaging liquid food products. Due to their high squeeze rates, there is no or negligible wastage of packaged food in the spout pouches.

Snacks Packaging Design Tips

Some of the key considerations in designing snacks packaging are discussed below:

Protective Packaging

Snacks are very vulnerable to external elements like moisture, oxygen, UV light, etc.

They can easily get spoiled and contaminated when subject to external elements. Thus, the packaging for snacks should be done using materials which have excellent barrier properties which will protect it from contamination.

snack photo

The packaging should also be impact resistant and protect the snacks from damage during their transit to the retail stores.

Another consideration is using chemically stable and inert materials. Packaging should be done using chemically resistant materials which will ensure that they do not react with the packaged snacks and do not contaminate them.

Consistent Packaging Design

Snacks packaging should be consistent with the brand image. If the snacks are a natural and healthy option then the packaging should be earthier and in pastel shades.

Use of bright and bold colors for such a snacks brand will look odd and out of place.

In addition to this, brands should also evaluate the strategies adopted by competitors.

They should design their packaging which differentiates them from the competitors.

Use of consistent packaging designs helps to create brand awareness and recall for the customers and they can identify the product easily on the retail shelves among competing brands.

 

Clear Labeling

Labeling plays a very important role in the packaging of snacks. The labeling should provide key information related to the product to the customers.

Details like ingredients of the snacks, whether it is vegetarian or non-vegetarian, its packaging date, best before date etc. should be clearly mentioned on the packaging.

Such details on the packaging help the customers to make their purchase decision.

stand up pouches

Misleading labeling information can damage the reputation of the brand and negatively impact the sales.

 

Convenience and Utility

The packaging for snacks should provide the user’s convenience for accessing and using the product.

The packaging should be easy to open and access the products. The packaging should also provide features like resealable packaging and ziplock which allows the flexibility to use the product and then reseal again.

This keeps the snacks fresher for longer and avoids food wastage. The packaging should also make use of transparent die cuts which allow the customers to take a sneak peek at the packaged product from the outside without opening the packaging.

This helps them to make a quicker and better purchase decision.

 

Eco-Friendly Packaging

There has been a global trend of moving towards green and sustainable packaging across all product categories.

Snacks packaging is also increasingly making use of eco-friendly packaging. Customers are becoming more conscious and eco-friendlier.

They prefer to purchase brands which use sustainable packaging over traditional product packaging.

The eco-friendly packaging ensures that the packaging can be recycled and do not end up in landfills thereby not causing any adverse impact on the environment.

Examples of Great Snacks Packaging

Some examples of good snacks packaging are provided below:

Snacks Food Pouch Trends

Feliz

Feliz is an African brand of snacks whose portfolio consists of brown sugar and different types of nuts.

The brand focuses on providing healthier snacking options. The packaging makes use of lovely smiles of the African kids and uses two smiles, one from a boy and the other from a girl.

Real Handful

Real Handful is a healthy snacking brand. The packaging stands out by using bold colors and different surreal characters on the packaging.

The packaging is also driven by an unruly flavor design essence.  The use of bold colors and engaging characters creates better brand awareness and recognition among the consumers.

Snacks Food Pouch Trends

Don Bugito

Don Bugito is a US-based brand which makes snacks from insects and native ingredients from the American continent.

The packaging is full of bright and vivid colors inspired by the Mexican culture. The illustrations printed on the packaging relates to Mexican events and scenes.

These illustrations combined with bold colors differentiate the brand from the competition.

Snacks Food Pouch Trends

Cacao 70

Cacao 70 chocolates use innovative illustrations on the packaging. The packaging is printed with illustrations of “The State of Chocolate”- an imaginary world where the brand intends to carry the consumers for a while.

The result of this innovative packaging is the creation of a unique visual brand identity and stories associated with each bar of chocolate.

Snacks Food Pouch Trends

Quinn Popcorn

Quinn Popcorn’s new packaging is minimalistic but very elegant. The use of minimal colors on a white background looks eye-catching.

The packaging box is free of clay and chlorine and eco-friendly. The packaging gives a premium feel to the product and catches the customer’s attention.

Snacks Food Pouch Trends

Bruneus Naked Organic Fruits & Nuts

Bruneus Naked Organic Fruits & Nuts are the ideal snacks for mid-day hunger cravings at work or outside.

The snacks come packaged in small and perfectly cubical boxes which are very handy and can be easily carried to work in a bag.

The packaging uses a transparent cut die on the front which enables the customers to see inside.

Snacks Food Pouch Trends

Popti

Popti makes biscuits, crackers, and thins. The packaging is full of playful and colorful elements which make the brand stand out from the competition.

The front of the packaging has a die cut which resembles the sun setting over Barrel Rock in Bude.

Snacks Food Pouch Trends

Zamora Handmade

Zamora Handmade signifies homemade food. The design of the packaging uses a judicious blend of traditional and modern design elements.

The use of only black and white elements for packaging makes the packaging more elegant and contemporary.

The packaging is easier to identify and recall for the customers.

Snacks Food Pouch Trends

Examples of Bad Snacks Packaging

Some examples of bad snacks packaging are as follows:

Tropicana Orange Juice

Tropicana redesigned its orange juice packaging. The new packaging removed the original orange with a straw through it on the front with a glass of orange juice with the words “100% Orange”.

The new packaging did not go down well with the customers as they perceived the earlier packaging as pure due to the illustration of an orange.

The sales dipped by 20% and just six weeks after moving to the new design, the company went back to its original classic packaging.

Snacks Food Pouch Trends

Sierra Mist

The new packaging for Sierra Mist lemon-lime soda can was not appreciated by the customers.

The brand name was printed in a blurred font on the packaging which made it difficult to read.

the vertical orientation of the text further complicated the reading by the customers.

Snacks Food Pouch Trends

Cadbury Dairy Milk

The iconic Cadbury Dairy Milk was launched by the company in a new shape. The company decided to change the shape of the chocolate from the earlier rectangular form to rectangular shapes with curved edges.

The design was not liked by the customers and they felt that the chocolate tasted drastically different in the new shape.

Snacks Food Pouch Trends

Colgate Beef Lasagna

Colgate ventured into a different product line and launched its Beef Lasagna in the 1980s. The customers did not like the product and its packaging.

The general perception among them was they did not want their lasagna to taste like toothpaste.

Snacks Food Pouch Trends

Doritos Chips

The Doritos snacks packaging for chips is made of up to seven layers of foil and plastic.

This creates serious issues for recycling of the packaging. It becomes very difficult to segregate each layer of plastic and foil for recycling.

There are no machines currently to separate these plastic layers which makes the packaging unrecyclable and non-eco-friendly.

Snacks Food Pouch Trends

Nescafe Gold

Nescafe Gold, a premium coffee brand from Nestle faced issues with its packaging and functionality.

The packaging was bulky and did not provide sufficient protection to the coffee from external elements like moisture and oxygen.

The brand realized these packaging shortfalls and revamped the product packaging. The packaging was made sleeker and a brushed champagne gold lid was introduced to provide better protective features.

The formulation of the coffee was also changed by adding Arabica beans which were ten times more finely ground than the previous formulation.

The changes made in packaging were well received by the customers and helped the brand to regain popularity.

Snacks Food Pouch Trends

Danone Yoghurt

Danone Yoghurt packaging makes use of different materials which are difficult to recycle.

The plastics used are also difficult to recycle. For snacks packaging the smaller the size of packaging and greater the mix of materials used, the more difficult it is to recycle.

Snacks Food Pouch Trends

Pringles

Pringles has been widely criticized for its complicated and non-recyclable packaging.

The packaging makes use of different materials like metal, plastic, foils, cardboard sleeves etc.

This makes it a nightmare to recycle as the materials cannot be segregated.

Snacks Food Pouch Trends

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