Some Packaging Perspective
P eet's Co ee & Tea stores average about one third of their $1.2 million gross, or $400,000 per year in non-beverage sales. Whether you are already in business or just starting out, it is likely you will sell packaged items like co ee in your shop. Have you thought about how important your packaging decision is to your pro ts and principles? ere are many reasons why packaging is important but the economy and current trends can have you spinning in circles trying to decide just where to start or what packaging you need. Experts are at the ready to help you make smart buying decisions for the packaging that best suits your shop's needs. THE ECONOMY AND PACKAGING CHOICES No industry has escaped the country's current economic situation, including packaging. e economy has changed how consumers view the products and packaging. A recent study by Datamonitor reveals that sustainable packaging is an emerging issue now and a er the recession. e study, Sustainable Packaging Trends: Consumer Perspectives and Product Opportunities by author Matthew Adams, says that sustainable packaging has the potential to bene t numerous stakeholders including co eehouse retailers and packaging manufacturers. irty- ve percent of respondents to the 2008 study say they seek alternative products if they deem the one they were considering buying is excessively packaged. Respondents indicate packaging designs played a signi cant role in their buying decisions. According to the study, almost 50 percent of respondents in the United States feel that the design has a medium to high level of in uence in their choices for food and drink products. In this tough economy, consumers are changing the way they are buying and the way they evaluate products, says Greg Feinberg, CEO of Aisle 9, a branding and packaging rm that specializes in the strategic positioning and promotion of consumer products. So your packaging really now has to speak to this new scal environment. For example, consumers are eating out less but still want more of the gourmet indulgences that they used to get from stores. Co ee is one of those product lines that is really doing well now on store shelves because people may be giving up their $4-a-day co ee habit. e right packaging choice will communicate e ectively to this new consumer or this di erent shopping habit. Consumers are looking for value and they are really rede ning quality, he continues. It used to be that consumers would say that quality meant buying the most expensive item. ey now may say that quality is BY PATRICIA MCCARTNEY Experts discuss today's coffee packaging industry August 2009 Â www.specialty-coffee.com ''