The pandemic impacts on the packaging chain

A greater interest in wellness-related products, health prioritization and more online shopping – these are some of the changes that consumers have been making since the coronavirus outbreak began, according to a special article on Covid-19 published by EmbalagemMarca magazine.

According to the article, the concern of the vast majority of the population with sanitary measures has generated changes in all segments, and the impacts of the pandemic were also felt in the packaging chain.

Without knowing when we will come out of this impasse, we live in an inconstant scenario, of adaptation. Many doubts arise, although there is a prospect of a promising future for plastic packaging, which has seen its protection and marketing functions even more exalted.

One of the immediate effects caused by the pandemic and pointed out in the publication, is the growth of food sales in e-commerce. Although sectors such as electronics, perfumery and clothing were already maintaining a continuous growth in virtual stores, the food sector was still facing resistance from consumers to consolidate this trend.

However, the imposition of social isolation contributed to people starting to buy essential items in online stores, making the pandemic a catalyst for this commercial format.

In this sense, food retail packaging should take on a new meaning. If before they were developed with characteristics to attract the consumer on the store shelf, what should a packaging with the ability to be attractive through a screen look like?

Color, texture, brightness, images – the entire design of the packaging itself – must be rethought for this new moment. The changes need not be drastic, but it is necessary to consider them, not forgetting that the ability to remain intact and presentable to the final consumer after the logistical process gains even more importance: the moment of enchantment of the customer ends up transferred to the after-sales , and not pre-sale, as in the case of physical stores.

Some experts in the packaging chain, even, argue that the same product should offer forms of packaging that differentiate them from the sale in each channel, considering this new purchase journey. In practice, this means that the packaging of a sugar packet on a gondola in the supermarket will be different from the packaging of the same sugar sold in a virtual store.

It is also necessary to evaluate the possibility of new packaging formats with anti-tamper and anti-counterfeiting devices. In many cases, the redesign of the packaging can bring good surprises such as cost reduction, since it is possible to adopt a resizing more appropriate to the quantity of product. With this advantage already incorporated, flexible packaging comes out ahead as an excellent option.

Another impact: plastic loses its role as villain

In recent years, the use of plastic has been questioned for its strong environmental impact. Now, however, it gains new importance, being used widely as a raw material for protective materials and in the disposal of contaminated substances during the pandemic.

As packaging, it forms a resistant and impermeable protective layer, and it is these characteristics that make it preferable when packaging products. As long as the virus is strong, plastic packaging will continue to be a safe option against contamination and disease transmission, as it keeps the product packaged with a high protection factor.

However, the increase in the use of plastic must be accompanied by an incentive to the same extent for recycling and reusing this material, taking advantage of the opportune moment for the brand to adopt circular economy as a definitive business policy.

In any case, this period should bring definitive changes to the packaging chain. Analyzing competition, consumer behavior and looking carefully at the processes themselves can be challenging, but bring compensatory and necessary results to adapt to the current market circumstances.

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