UK-based Mondi provides a comprehensive look at online purchasing habits and consumer attitudes toward packaging in its fourth annual eCommerce packaging trends survey.
The retail poll, surveying a total of 5,000 respondents from France, Germany, Poland, Sweden, and Turkey, is the most extensive study to date, examining for the first time, how online shopping habits vary with generations.
Five key trends have emerged from the survey including how protection and the environment remain the top two customer requirements, the negative impact of overpackaging, why the unboxing moment matters, how consumer willingness to pay for packaging that meets needs is increasing, and how the behavior and trends of Millennials is becoming more important than ever.
Mondi Group eCommerce Director Nedim Nisic talks about the survey, “We want to be at the forefront of understanding what consumers want when they are shopping online, and what they expect from the packaging protecting their purchases. Partnering with leading retailers to co-create the most sustainable packaging solutions as per their needs, our research has revealed five macro trends that are shaping the booming ecommerce packaging market with useful insights.”
According to American market research company Smithers, ‘The Impact of E-Commerce on Packaging: Long-term Forecasts to 2029’, reports double-digit growth in e-commerce, creating an explosive market growth in e-commerce packaging. Currently worth $35 billion, the e-commerce boom has averaged just over 20% growth over the last few years driven by market leaders such as Alibaba, Amazon, and JD.com, elevating its role in e-commerce-specific packaging.
Mondi’s fourth annual eCommerce packaging trends survey provides a comprehensive look at online purchasing habits and consumer attitudes toward packaging.
The RetailX poll, which included 1,000 respondents from each of France, Germany, Poland, Sweden, and Turkey, is the most extensive study to date. For the first time, it also examines how internet shopping habits vary between generations.
Nisic explains the rationale for the survey, “We want to be at the forefront of understanding what consumers want when they are shopping online, and what they expect from the packaging protecting their purchases. This research has revealed five macro trends shaping the growing eCommerce packaging market, providing useful insights as we partner with leading retailers to co-create the most sustainable packaging solutions for their needs. With three-quarters of customers in the five markets shopping online at least once a month and spending an average of €12 to €120 a month, knowing why they choose to shop online is important, as is understanding the eCommerce features they value the most. Fashion is the strongest product segment, followed by homeware, consumer electronics and beauty products.”
The survey confirms that across generations and countries, the top drivers for online shopping are lower prices and convenience, specifically saving time and direct delivery to homes.
The five key trends are outlined below:
Trend #1: Protection of goods and environmental considerations continue to be two of the strongest customer requirements.
94% of consumers cite protection of goods as their most important factor, especially when it is a product of value. This is followed by ease of closing for returns, which has increased from 74% in 2019 to 88% this year. As customers have seen the growing availability of easy-close packaging, so they have also realised how well it fits their needs, both in terms of the convenience of being able to easily reseal without hunting for the packing tape but also the sustainability aspect of reusing packaging. Packaging being environmentally friendly (84%) and easy to dispose of (80%) were the next most important factors.
Trend #2: Overpackaging is costing more than expected.
Oversized packaging annoys 86% of consumers, up from 79% in 2021, and excess internal packaging annoys 78% of customers. In fact, more than two-thirds (67%) of respondents across the five countries said that overpackaging would put customers off buying from the brand. Overpackaging is not sustainable or cost-effective. The research now also shows that it can influence buying decisions, with customers choosing not to support retailers that get it wrong.
Trend #3: The unboxing moment matters
Packaging is not just about functionality; it is about the total experience. This survey found that awareness of ‘unboxing’ is rising in many markets. In Poland, for example, in 2019, 32% of consumers had heard of ‘unboxing’, compared to 66% this year. In 2021, 46% of those surveyed said that a unique unboxing experience inspired by standout product packaging due to packaging would convince them to order from the same retailer again. This year, that has risen to 78%. “The concept of unboxing is more than just a customer unwrapping their order. It’s about using the opportunity to give customers a brand experience they will remember for all the right reasons.
Trend #4: Consumers are increasingly willing to pay a small premium for packaging that meets their needs
Consumers say they are increasingly willing to pay around €1 extra for packaging that best suits their needs. Willingness to pay for best-fit packaging rose from 48% in Poland in 2021 to 81% this year and from 56% in 2021 in Germany to 70% in 2022. Overall in the five markets, 72% of consumers are willing to pay for packaging, with Generation Z (80%) and Millennials (74%) being the most likely to agree.
Trend #5: The behaviour and trends of Millennials are driving the market
These are customers who are shopping online with the greatest frequency and are the most likely to be buying online at least once a day (8%) and more than once a week (37%). They are also spending heavily across sectors. Their views are also some of the strongest, with Millennials the most likely to rate the various packaging characteristics as being crucial to them when compared to other generations.
