Market Trends of Benelux Pouch Packaging Industry
Need for Smaller Portions and Convenient Packaging Pushing the Market
- Private consumption stands out as the primary sales driver, with Dutch individuals, on average, unwrapping seven packages daily, predominantly food and beverage-related. Notably, as households shrink and the demand for convenience rises, manufacturers are pivoting toward smaller packaging solutions such as pouches.
- The manufacturers in these countries continuously emphasize introducing new advancements in pouch packaging to maintain a strong market presence. In March 2024, Nestlé Purina launched a first-of-its-kind recyclable mono-material retort pouch for wet pet food. The innovation will be first introduced under the Felix brand in the Netherlands.
- The Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics reports that the Netherlands' packaging industry comprises approximately 330 companies. These firms are navigating through swiftly changing market dynamics. Sustainable packaging practices in manufacturing entail leveraging life cycle assessments to craft eco-friendly solutions.
- Luxembourg, ranking third in European organic product sales, presents a promising market for organic retailers. Notably, Luxembourg's higher standard of living, particularly in and around the capital, adds to the appeal. In February 2024, Bio-Planet, the organic specialist under Colruyt Group, unveiled its inaugural supermarket in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg situated in Gasperich, a southern suburb of Luxembourg City. Echoing its counterpart, Bio-Planet is optimistic about the market's prospects in Luxembourg.
- According to Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, the retail trade's sales turnover in the Netherlands in 2020 was 120.5 index value, and it reached 142.8 index value in 2023. Moreover, the Dutch retail market has undergone significant shifts due to the rapid expansion of e-commerce. While online platforms have seen a surge in grocery sales, traditional brick-and-mortar supermarkets remain the preferred choice for day-to-day shopping. Consequently, to date, the supermarket sector has weathered the online shopping wave, with the number of physical stores in the Netherlands even witnessing an increase.
Understand The Key Trends Shaping This Market
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Food Industry to Witness Growth Owing to Busy Lifestyles and Cost-effective Packaging
- The lightweight nature of pouch packaging, particularly compared to its traditional counterparts in glass and even rigid plastic containers, offers advantages in both costs and environmental footprint while shipping goods. Digitally printed pouches can improve a brand’s identity in any way the business wants. The company can utilize the whole surface of the pouch to display exciting graphics, logos, branding messages, or product details.
- According to the European Union, the Belgian economy is highly services-focused. Services account for 68.8% of GDP, employ the most workers, and are the leading providers of jobs. The packaging industries, such as pouch packaging, enhance business brand identity and strengthen visual marketing.
- Pouch packaging is considerably less expensive and lighter for transportation than rigid packaging. The Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) indicates that developments in production processes and material innovation have decreased the weight of some flexible packaging by approximately 50%. Moreover, pouch packaging also permits space-saving opportunities, which means that substantial ratios of products could be shipped utilizing less fuel and energy.
- The growing need for consumer-friendly packaging and improved product protection has made meat, poultry, and seafood packaging a viable and affordable option. According to Eurostat, the revenue from processing and preserving meat in the Netherlands in 2020 was USD 4,916.92 million, and it was projected to reach USD 5,197.18 million in 2023.
- Pouch packaging sales are expected to increase in the assessment period owing to increased hygiene concerns and a high need for packaging that extends shelf life without changing the properties of meat and other poultry products.
