Soups and seasonings: Keeping warm throughout the winter

Despite the impact of e-commerce on traditional retail stores, the festive trading quarter is still one of the most important periods for companies in terms of sales. It allows brands to achieve greater shelf standout and capitalize on consumers’ spirit of generosity during the festive period. While Christmas-themed offerings are found across various categories, through limited edition flavors or seasonal packaging design, more than half of the launches are from the confectionery category.

The landscape for plastic packaging has changed drastically in the past year, with manufacturers reverting back to glass bottles and jars. Alternatively, they have also switched to easily recyclable plastic substrates, such as Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and Polypropylene (PP) for both the container and closure. Plastic packaging options still hold the edge when it comes to convenience they provide through either design features, which make the packaging easy to grip or on-the-go options such as pouches.

RTD beverages are predominantly packaged in bottles, cans, aseptic cartons or pouches, with plastic bottles being the main packaging type. Plastics have been facing a lot of flak due to the lack of proper management of plastic waste and has subsequently become a major cause for environmental pollution and disruption to wildlife. This has led to a rise in the use of post-consumer/recycled plastic materials for making bottles. Besides sustainability, convenience remains a key theme within beverage packaging, with innovations focused on recloseable can closures and closures that allow for personalized dosing. Likewise, industry is developing powder release closures that ensure a longer shelf life for water sensitive ingredients that may lose potency or flavor along time.

As summer gives way to fall, there is a rise in the demand for chocolates and candy in light of the upcoming Halloween season. Confectionery manufacturers often look at seasonal offerings as a potential for sales-boosting initiatives by connecting with consumers over a shared holiday spirit. While Halloween themed offerings are found across various categories, from limited edition flavors to seasonal packaging design, more than half of the launches are from the confectionery category.

The summer holidays are coming to an end, heralding in a new school year for millions of children across the globe. The right nutrition is key to learning and parents and students alike will be looking at how they can ensure a healthy, yet convenient, diet that will keep them mentally sharp during the hours spent in the classroom. As consumers become more mindful about their consumption, there is ample opportunity for “back-to-school” lunch and snacking opportunities that fit in with a healthy lifestyle. The key aspect here is the so-called “health halo”: natural, unprocessed products that give parents some peace of mind that they are sending their children to school with the right nutrition.

Growth in the meat, fish and egg category is stimulated by high-protein diets; greater demand for fresh meat over processed meats; easier availability of free-range, GMO-free and organic certified meat products; sodium-reduced options; increasing premiumization; and flavor innovation (ethnic specialities and spices). Plastics are the predominant material of choice, being used for packaging nearly three quarters of all meat, fish and egg launches in the past five years. In 2018, trays (38 percent) and packets (38 percent) are the top packaging formats for the category.