Consumer Product Pouches - Demand and Sales Forecasts, Market Share, Market Size, Market Leaders

Demand for pouches in consumer product applications is forecast to increase 6.7% per year to $565 million, equivalent to 4.8 billion units in 2024. Robust advances will be driven by further conversions from rigid containers such as paperboard boxes and other flexible formats such as bags and film wrap:

• Advantages of pouches – such as their light weight, low package-to-product ratio, and ability to be shipped flat – have become increasingly important in light of end user efforts to reduce shipping costs and retailer purchasing initiatives that favor packaging that meets certain sustainability guidelines.
• Pouches enable brand owners to differentiate their products on crowded store shelves, as pouches offer excellent graphics capabilities.
• Pouches use a fraction of the raw materials needed for rigid containers.
• Improved line speeds for pouch-making and pouch-filling equipment will improve cost effectiveness.

Accelerating Adoption of Stand-Up Pouches in Consumer Applications

Stand-up pouches accounted for half of consumer product pouch demand in 2019 and are forecast to drive market growth through 2024, accounting for 65% of gains. In addition to the higher value of stand-up pouches compared to flat types, above average advances will be driven by increasing penetration of pouches at the expense of traditional rigid packaging in a broad range of consumer product applications, particularly motor oil, lawn and garden consumables, soap refills and detergent pods, and personal care products like shampoo and facial moisturizer.

Soaps & Cleaning Applications to Offer Best Growth Opportunities

Through 2024, pouch demand in the soap and cleaning products market will be supported by the continued popularity of side seal unit dose dishwasher and laundry detergents, fabric softeners, and in-wash boosters (e.g., Tide PODS), as well as by the ongoing use of stand-up pouches as secondary packaging for these products.

A number of brand owners are also introducing new products or expanding product lines with soaps or cleaners packaged in pouches, particularly among premium clean-label brands. Specific products expected to see increased penetration of pouches include:

• refill packs for soaps and cleaning products in spouted stand-up pouches instead of bottles
• toilet bowl scrubbing pads containing foaming cleaners in pillow pouches

Suppliers Continue to Innovate for New Consumer Product Uses

Further market opportunities will derive from the growing adoption of pouch packaging for novel consumer product applications. Key examples include:

• In 2020, Gear Aid introduced a spouted stand-up pouch that has a precision measuring device built into the closure intended for chemicals that waterproof clothing.
• In 2019 and 2020, L'Oréal added pouches to its Maybelline foundation cosmetics line and to its REDKEN and Matrix Biolage haircare lines.