Grocery brands need to rethink their packaging and make it not only sustainable, but also something that shoppers can interact with using their smartphone.
According to the latest Tetra Pak Index 2018, packaging on delivered groceries – on any delivery in fact – should become part of the omni-channel interaction between retailers and consumers.
Online grocery shopping is growing at a double-digit rate, while traditional stores are being reinvented, merging together into an omnichannel where consumers expect to be able to buy whenever, wherever and however they choose, with the smartphone as their compass. Packaging will play an important role in response to the trends that are shaping the growth of on-line grocery, says the company.
With this in mind, TetraPak has come up with four trends around packaging and online retail, all glued together by mobile.
Smart packaging technologies based on unique digital codes allow each and every product package to be given a unique identifier. These codes can be read by either data scanning devices or an ordinary smartphone, linking to vast amount of information and opening up all kinds of possibilities.
It creates an interactive channel with individual consumers, allowing brands to have a real time conversation with the consumer, sharing details on the sourcing of raw materials, nutritional facts, as well as games, promotions and environmental information.
At the same time, with insights captured through these digital codes, brands can continuously improve the shopping experience and make it ever more personalised for the consumer.
e-Retailers are also calling for unique identifiers compatible with the robotic technology used in their warehouse and distribution, as this is widely seen as the key to success in e-commerce. Data and full traceability helps them navigate complex logistics and improve efficiency, moving closer to real-time order fulfilment.
Alexandre Carvalho, Director Global Marketing Services at Tetra Pak, explains: “The rise of on-line grocery is a great opportunity for food and beverage brands, and packaging plays a key role in supporting their success. In particular, smart packaging helps drive greater transparency and efficiency in the supply chain, up and down stream, while also enabling a direct, interactive relationship with the consumer. We believe this rapidly developing technology, tried and tested by us since 2016 and now being deployed in Europe, can help our customers explore new avenues, driving growth in the years ahead.”
Tetra Pak Index 2018 is based on consumer research conducted in US, UK, China, Saudi Arabia and Korea, a global market segmentation study, as well as interviews with e-retailers in the US, Europe and China.