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Packaging: current

trends, future needs

By
Prof. Pierre Pienaar
President, World Packaging Organisation

In discussing the current trends, moving your goods from your factory answer consumer questions? Your
challenges and issues facing the until they reach their final point of packaging will have to communicate
world of packaging in 2020, we distribution. Within such a complex louder than ever. Your product will
need to take one step back - before supply chain there could be varied literally have to jump off the shelves.
looking forward - and begin with conditions including fluctuations in Have you calculated the growth of
sharing my concerns. temperature or humidity. Are you the middle class income earners in
fully aware of the steps your product
I suspect there is a current challenge your region? Are you ready for their
takes en-route to the customer?
where packaging producers are so purchasing power to increase? Will
involved in trying to keep up with Are you familiar with the retailer’s they be purchasing your product in
the latest trends and expectations needs? Have you caught up with, a physical store or online? Will your
in the world of packaging that they or are you staying up to date with, packaging be different for these
are overlooking their customers’ the fast changing e-tailer’s need? two retail arenas? Online retailers
real needs. And by customer, I’m not E-tailers, such as Alibaba and will have an increasing influence on
referring only to the end consumer. Amazon are offering discount the grocery landscape; that is aside
I’m referring to the entire supply warehouse storage space for from the exponential growth of sales
chain as the true customer. sellers to stock more product. Have of all other commodities online.
you considered if your product
Twenty to thirty years ago you for e-tailing should be packaged We may become so caught up
probably had only one agent differently from traditional retailing to with issues of sustainability,
who handled the movement of provide longer shelf-life? Have you biodegradability, automation, digital
your product from collection to considered what packaging should printing, extended shelf life, and
distribution. Today, there could be look like for the future unmanned active- and intelligent-printing, but
four or five companies involved in are we learning about the digitisation
stores, without a staff member to

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7 year, Issue 26, Mar - May 2020 www.MiddleEast-Business.com