What’s going on in the packaging industry? Quite a bit, actually.

Marketing research firm Mintel identified several major trends already taking shape – and continuing to affect packaging in 2018 and beyond:

1. Consumers Worldwide Don’t Want to See Packaging Waste – Or Food Waste

You might think this trend primarily exists here in the West. However, it actually gets recognition now across the entire world. In response to consumer demand, smart companies will continue to find additional ways to reduce food and packaging waste – and they’ll make sure they communicate exactly how they do that to their customers.

2. Consumers Expect an In-Store Experience from Your E-Commerce Packaging

…In other words, they don’t just want a big brown box. They want to see branded packaging just like they pull off the shelf at a store. And they don’t want to get any more packaging than needed.

3. Simple, Readable Labels

Yes, consumers need a fair amount of information to decide whether to buy your product. And you do need to spend space differentiating your product from competing options.

Because retail is getting so hectic and complicated, you need to do a superior job of this. And then at the same time, you can’t overwhelm your consumer because then they’ll get frustrated and look at other options.

Figuring out how to communicate the most essential information, without overwhelming your customer, is something worth investing in to win more sales.

4. Focusing Specifically on Reducing Ocean Pollution

Packaging waste eventually finds its way into the ocean. This holds especially true for lightweight plastics.

This is just as much on consumers as it is your company.

What could you do to reduce the amount of waste this happens with?

Could you include a label or paper insert in your product that reminds your customer of how helpful they can be to the environment by properly disposing of or recycling packaging waste?

Could you revisit your packaging processes, or hire a consulting firm, to help you identify ways to reduce or change the packaging your product requires?

5. Refreshing the Center of Your Brick-and-Mortar Store

Millennials and generation Z consumers shop fresh and healthy products around the exterior of your store for the most part.

So what can you do to draw them back into the center?

Maybe you need to take a look at the products and brands you carry. Maybe you need to change up your packaging so it’s more noticeable.

With packaging, as with anything else in your business, change is the only constant.

Will you adapt and grow or stay the same and become irrelevant?