PETpla.net Insider 12 / 2019

TRENDS PET planet Insider Vol. 20 No. 12/19 www.petpla.net 36 How changing consumer preferences are influencing plastic packaging trends by Henry Zhang, Director of Marketing and Market Intelligence, Husky Injection Molding Systems In the rapidly changing world around us, food and beverage retail companies face a confluence of constantly evolving demographic shifts and consumer preferences. This constant change requires brand owners and packaging companies to move quickly to better align their offerings with consumer lifestyle interests and values. As a leading industrial technology provider to the plastics processing community, Husky Injection Molding Systems continuously monitors and assesses consumer trends and their impact on the food and beverage packaging markets. Based on research and collaborative partnerships with customers, suppliers, and industry partners worldwide, Husky has identified five consumer trends that have begun to transform the market. 1) Millennials want more personalised and customised offerings The preferences and buying habits of today’s millennials vastly differ from previous generations. This new gen- eration of consumers desire products personalised to their unique needs, styles, or tastes. They are looking for an increased variety of customised offerings on the shelf. Building a strong connection between today’s millennials and brands requires providing something unique that aligns with the personal needs and values of these consumers. Doing so requires a significant number of new product varieties combined with the need for more flexibility in processing different package designs – shapes, sizes, forms, colours, flavours and messages. For package produc- ers, it is challenging to provide a con- tinual flow of products to keep up with these changing preferences. To help meet these challenges, Husky has developed a platform of flexible packaging solutions, from large-capacity, high-efficiency prod- ucts to varieties that are customised and changing all the time. For exam- ple, for high volume, single SKU prod- ucts, the company’s HyPET HPP5 system is engineered to deliver high productivity, quality, and consistency for driving down total cost of owner- ship. For the middle output, multiple package market, the company’s new NexPET system’s flexible design allows for shorter production runs and frequent changeovers while maintain- ing high-quality performance. 2) Increasingly discerning health-conscious consumers Today’s increasingly discerning health-conscious consumers are look- ing for more healthy products contain- ing natural ingredients. Nutrition that supports both physical and emotional well-being is top of mind. Many con- sumers are moving away from pro- cessed foods containing additives and preservatives, reducing their intake of sugar, fat and salt ingredients, and favouring fresh foods, personalised nutrition solutions, and plant-based options. While a new generation is emerg- ing, the market is also experiencing another demographic shift as a large portion of the global population ages. Ageing consumers who once regularly consumed two-litre carbonated bever- ages are now more health conscious and looking for food and beverages with more nutritional value. This older generation’s increased health con- sciousness creates unique needs for personalised consumer products. It also drives multiple changes to market The new NexPET Mold is a flexible mid-volume tool for shorter production runs and frequent changeovers.