European Growth of Stand-Up Pouches Expected To Increase 50 Percent By 2014
By Canadian Packaging Staff
General PCI Films Stand-Up Pouches Study SUPAccording to a report from PCI Films Consulting Limited, a consulting, market research and marketing company providing services to those involved in the manufacture and sale of BOPET (biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate) films, the demand for stand-up pouches (SUPs) will increase by 50 per cent in Europe by 2014.
Citing that SUPs although developed nearly 40 years ago, acceptance by the European flexible packaging industry has been slow in coming. However, in 2009 alone there was close to 19-billion SUPs estimated to have been supplied–or nearly 5 per cent of the total value of converted flexible packaging used in Europe.
Report author Paul Gaster notes, “In recent years, attitudes towards the SUP have become much more positive as brand owners, retailers and consumers recognize the attractions of this format as a cost-effective, convenient and environmentally superior alternative to rigid packaging”.
PCI’s study has found that, in the five years up to 2008, European demand for stand-up pouches grew by 10 to 15 per cent per year, and while demand slowed during the economic downturn in 2009, stronger interest from packers is expected to return in future years.
The renewed interest in SUPs can be attributed to a variety of factors, including the development of new packaging machinery, which delivers much higher production and filling speeds, as well as improvements in sealing efficiencies. Other technological advances have helped improve functionality and better heat and puncture resistance of the laminate material.
Brand owners and food retailers have also more successfully exploited the consumer benefits offered by the SUP, providing a packaging solution with convenient features such as easy-open, reclosing, measured dosing and ease of food preparation. The marketers, too, are reveling in opportunities offered by the SUP for product differentiation, as well as its large graphic area for presentation and its transparency options.
For more data in PCI, visit www.pcifilms.com.
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