Market Trends of Sack Kraft Paper Industry
This section covers the major market trends shaping the Sack Kraft Paper Market according to our research experts:
Food is Estimated to Have Significant Share in the Market
- The food sector is a large user of sack kraft paper among the many end-user verticals and is motivated by the additional need of the food industry. It is seen from the packaged food industry's transition to environmentally friendly packaging, which subsequently increased demand for sack kraft paper. For instance, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a US household's average food at-home expenditure amounted to USD 5,259 in 2021.
- Transporting food items like flour, sugar, starch, food additives, processed or dried fruit, eggs, or milk typically involves using sack kraft paper. All of these factors are increasing the demand for open-mouth bags. Youth's preference for quick-service eateries is also meeting sack kraft paper demand. The US Census Bureau reports that from USD 328.4 billion in 2020, the country's yearly quick-service restaurant sales increased to USD 389.5 billion in 2021. Sales growth will support the expansion of sack kraft paper.
- Furthermore, department stores and supermarket stores frequently use kraft paper bags. According to the US Census Bureau, supermarkets and other departmental and grocery stores achieved total sales of USD 765.98 billion in 2021, up from USD 741.57 billion in 2020. Chain supermarkets dominate the US food retail sector. Walmart and Kroger Company, which own and run several smaller supermarkets around the country, are two top American grocery companies.
- Moreover, the consumer's preference, along with the green regulations from the FDA across the regions, also promotes sack kraft packaging in the food industry. The European paper sack and sack kraft paper industry have contributed many developments that make paper sacks the perfect packaging for food. According to Paper Shipping Sack Manufacturers' Association (PSSMA), paper shipping sacks and consumer bags used in the food industry have emerged into a billion-dollar industry with shipments of over three billion sacks annually.
Europe has Significant Share in the Market
- The demand for sack kraft paper drives the region as a primary packaging format for transporting various products in bulk to lower the total packaging expenditure. Sack kraft paper is used mainly for large quantities of pet food packaging in the region and supports the growing demand for pet food.
- Additionally, the UK region is marked by various major global key players offering sack kraft paper with production units. Companies like Mondi Group, operating throughout Europe with a significant presence and headquartered in the UK, offer brown, white, and PE-coated paper grades for sack kraft papers used in valve and open-mouth industrial bags. The market players in the region are also focusing on expanding their footprint in other areas. For instance, in April 2022, Mondi Paper Bags acquired the paper bag converting lines from National Bag and Egypt Sack, two subsidiaries of Lafarge Cement Egypt, a major cement producer in the country. The acquired production lines will increase Mondi's capacity by around 150-180 million bags annually and strengthen Mondi's position in the Egyptian paper bag market.
- Also, according to the Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI), the UK region has 47 mills operating throughout England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, which produce 4 million tons of paper, with exports of 1 million tons. Furthermore, the country has a consumption nearing 10 million tons, which results in heavy exports of the material.
- Additionally, the European paper sack business will demonstrate its dedication to client demands in the food sector in the forecast timeframe. The regional merchants are driven to this platform by problems in the dairy and cocoa industries. Major global corporations are extensively investing in sack paper kraft R&D operations and setting up new warehouses to meet the rising demand for customized packaging solutions.
- Moreover, regional companies are involved in capacity expansion to improve their business opportunity strategically. Mariinsky Pulp and Paper Mill, a prominent Russian supplier of sack paper, including other paper products, is investing in modernizing the existing refining process (two-stage, low-consistency). Segezha Group similarly invests in modernization and has increased sack kraft paper production to 450,000 tons annually by 2021.