Contract Packaging and Fulfillment Service Market Size (2024 - 2029)

Contract Packaging and Fulfillment Service Market Analysis

The Contract Packaging and Fulfillment Service Market size is estimated at USD 98.31 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 168.91 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 11.43% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

The increased demand from food and beverage and pharmaceutical industries was further fuelled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, growth of the e-commerce industry globally are among some of the major factors driving growth of the market studied over the forecast period.

• In recent years, the contract packaging and fulfilment services market has witnessed significant growth, owing to the changing preference of manufacturing firms toward contract packagers, as they are increasingly focusing on cost optimization, to enhance their core competency. Many industry experts claim that these services can reduce operational costs by 7-10%, due to the reduced maintenance costs of machines and labor costs.
• Many governments are also mandating stringent laws and regulations on the labeling and packaging of drugs and food products, which is further expanding the scope of contract packaging. For instance, in the United States, due to similar laws, the companies have preferred to outsource their manufacturing and packaging due to capital and other regulatory barriers.
• In developed markets, such as Europe and North America, the need to enhance quality is also forcing companies to invest in the studied market. In these regions, the role of contract packaging and fulfilment service providers shifted from temporary facility for external packaging to a strategic innovation partner, which ensures even shorter delivery times and can produce even smaller production batches.
• The market is also witnessing the emergence of associations and organizations to create more awareness in the studied market. European Co-Packers Association and Contract Packaging Association are a few examples. There are around 1,000 contract packaging vendors active in Europe, out of which 40-50% are small companies.
• With the outbreak of COVID-19, the contract packaging and fulfillment services market has witnessed tremendous growth as the e-commerce market has taken a boom owing to lockdown and social distancing norms where the majority of the consumer are preferring online channel for shopping and companies are outsourcing their packaging end to end or standalone services to meet the growing demand.

Contract Packaging and Fulfillment Service Industry Segmentation

Contract packaging is basically the process of assembling products or goods into their final finished packaging. A fulfillment service is a third-party warehouse that helps other companies in preparing and shipping their orders. The market studied is an aggregation of services provided right from design, packaging & filling, till testing and fulfillment. The study tracks the service revenue accrued by the key contract packaging and fulfillment service vendors as part of their overall offering (both standalone and end-to-end). The study also covers the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the market.