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Packaging And Design

Difficulty In Opening Tinned Food To Drive Demand For Alternative Packaging

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Difficulty In Opening Tinned Food To Drive Demand For Alternative Packaging

A recent survey by Canadean has found that one in five consumers considers tinned food difficult to open.

With British consumers spending over £8 billion on the most convenient food products, manufacturers will increasingly adopt easier-to-open packs such as pouches for vegetables, soups, meat, and fish, with young adults being most likely to look for an easier way to open a product.

Of the 2,000 British consumers surveyed about their attitudes to packaging in different food categories, 22 per cent said that they found tinned food difficult to open, with young adults being the most frustrated when it comes to opening their tins of beans or tuna.

The survey revealed how 28 per cent of 25- to 34-year-olds are finding tinned food difficult to open, compared to 16 per cent of over-55s.

Speaking on the results, Ronan Stafford, senior analyst at Canadean, said, “Consumers want instant convenience, particularly young adults looking for a quick lunch or dinner solution."

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He continued, "While there’s a minimal amount of time saved between opening a food can and opening a bag or a pouch, young consumers simply don’t want the hassle of finding a tin opener or struggling with a ring pull.”

In addition to studying consumer perceptions of different packaging, Canadean tracked the influence of different motivators when consumers are selecting what to eat.

Across food markets, British consumers selected over £8 billion worth of food in 2013 because it was the most convenient product. Packaging now needs to reflect the growing demand for convenience in food markets.

“Consumers feel increasingly time-scarce and stressed, which makes 30 seconds saved in the kitchen a big deal. While food cans will remain a staple of supermarket shelves because of their low cost, I expect to see pouches and cartons grow in popularity as an easy-to-open alternative for office workers and young families," said Stafford.

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Demand for pouches for ambient fish is forecast to almost double by 2018, with it being one food category where demand for easy-to-open packaging will drive a shift away from food cans and towards packs such as pouches. Demand for pouches in this market is forecast to grow from 8.7 million packs last year to 15.1 million packs by 2018.

“While pouches’ market share will still be niche compared to the share held by food cans, their rapid growth shows how offering a more convenient pack format can revitalise sales among younger consumer groups. Brands such as Heinz and John West have led the way in developing new pack formats for tinned food. Others will quickly follow," Stafford said.

© 2014 - European Supermarket Magazine

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