Beverage Packaging Consumer Insights

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Beverage Packaging

Consumer beverage shopping habits are evolving, most notably via online shopping, but also affected by work-from-home habits, on-the-go patterns, and sustainability preferences. Therefore, an analysis of consumer trends can give insight to ways in which packaging can present opportunities, through additional sales, marketing initiatives, and product innovations.

This report contains analysis and data-driven discussions relating to beverage packaging, including a look at COVID-19 pandemic era health and shopping trends, sustainability views, and beverage shopping habits, behaviors, and attitudes.

This report includes analysis, data, trends, and customized cross tabs using two survey resources:

data from The Freedonia Group’s proprietary national online survey conducted in April-May 2020, August 2020, November-December 2020, February-March 2021, June 2021, August-September 2021, October-November 2021, November-December 2021, February 2022, May 2022. August 2022, and November 2022
data from syndicated national consumer survey results from MRI-Simmons Spring 2022 Report

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Beverage Industry Overview

Total Beverage Sales Will Continue to Rise in 2022

Food & Beverage Sales Shift Back to Food Retail During Pandemic

Retail Beverage Sales: Historical Trends (2015-2021)

Retail Beverage Sales: Forecast to 2026

3. COVID-19 Trends

Concerns about COVID-19 Exposure Remain

Most Still Consider the Pandemic a Health Threat

Concerns about COVID-19 Variants

Rising Prices During the Pandemic

Negative Personal Effects of the Pandemic

Negative Effects Reported in 2020 & 2021

Continuing Mental & Physical Health Effects

Boosted Online Grocery Shopping Activity Continuing in 2022

Activity Spiked in 2020 During the Early Part of the Pandemic

Many Have Continued Ordering More Groceries Online in 2021 & 2022

Work-From-Home Trends

Beverage Shopping Habits

Nonalcoholic Beverages

Alcoholic Beverages

Single-Servings vs. Multi-Servings

4. Sustainability Insights

Eco-Friendly: Preferred Packaging Characteristic

Sustainable Beverage Packaging Buying Habits

Recycling Attitudes & Environmental Responsibility

Recycling Skepticism

Sustainability Views by Material

Concern About Chemicals in Packaging

5. Beverage Packaging Insights

Importance of Packaging

Protection: Preferred Packaging Characteristic

Beverage Packaging Priorities

Sustainability of Materials

Packaging Design

Size of Packaging

Ready-To-Drink Beverage Purchasing By Packaging Type

Nonalcoholic Beverages

Alcoholic Beverages

Ready-To-Drink Beverage Purchasing By Size of Packaging

Nonalcoholic Beverages

Alcoholic Beverages

6. More Detailed Packaging Industry Coverage Available

List of Tables

2. Beverage Industry Overview

Table 2-1. Growth Rates of Retail Dollar Sales of Selected Food Categories, 2015 - 2020, 2019 - 2020, & 2020 - 2021 (% annual growth)

Table 2-2. US Retail Dollar Sales by Top Beverage Categories, 2019 - 2021 (million dollars)

Table 2-3. Retail Sales by Top Beverage Categories, 2016 & 2021 - 2026 (million dollars)

3. COVID-19 Trends

Table 3-1. Coronavirus Health Concerns: "I am concerned about the...", 2020 - 2022 (percent of consumers)

Table 3-2. Consumer Concerns about Rising Food & Beverage Prices, 2021 - 2022 (percent of consumers)

Table 3-3. Coronavirus Concerns: "The coronavirus has negatively affected my...", 2020 - 2021 (percent of consumers)

Table 3-4. Changes in Mental & Physical Symptoms During the Pandemic, 2022 (percent of consumers)

Table 3-5. Coronavirus Food Purchase Habits: "Because of the coronavirus, I am...", 2020 - 2021 (percent of consumers)

Table 3-6. "Are You Set Up to Do Your Usual Paid Work From Home - Whether Ordinarily, Part-Time, or When Necessary?" by Gender, Age Group, Income Bracket, & Presence of Children at Home, 2021 - 2022 (percent of respondents who work full- or part-time who said yes)

Table 3-7. "Because of the Pandemic, I'm Buying More..." for Nonalcoholic Beverages, by Gender, Age Group, & Presence of Children at Home, 2021 (percent of respondents)

Table 3-8. "Because of the Pandemic, I'm Buying More..." for Alcoholic Beverages, by Gender, Age Group, & Presence of Children at Home, 2021 (percent of respondents)

Table 3-9. "Because of the Pandemic, I'm Buying More..." for Serving Sizes, by Gender, Age Group, & Presence of Children at Home, 2021 (percent of respondents who agreed, strongly or somewhat)

4. Sustainability Insights

Table 4-1. Packaging Features: Consumer Opinions on Eco-Friendly Packaging by Gender & Age Group, 2022 (percent of respondents)

Table 4-2. Packaging Features: Consumer Opinions on the Priority of Eco-Friendly Packaging Features, 2022 (percent of respondents)

Table 4-3. Sustainable Packaging Buying Habits, by Gender, Age Group, Presence of Children at Home, & Urban vs. Rural Setting, 2021 (percent of respondents who agreed, strongly or somewhat)

Table 4-4. Consumer Insights: Attitudes on Environment & Responsibility by Gender & Age Group, 2022 (percent of respondents)

Table 4-5. Consumer Insights: Attitudes on Recycling & Waste by Gender & Age Group, 2022 (percent of respondents)

Table 4-6. Recycling Skepticism, by Gender, Age Group, Presence of Children at Home, & Urban vs. Rural Setting, 2021 (percent of respondents who agreed, strongly or somewhat)

Table 4-7. Consumer Insights: Sustainability Views by Material, 2022 (percent of respondents)

Table 4-8. "I Am Concerned About Chemicals From Packaging Leaching Into My Beverages" by Gender, Age Group, Presence of Children at Home, & Urban vs. Rural Setting, 2021 (percent of respondents)

5. Beverage Packaging Insights

Table 5-1. "Packaging Is an Important Factor to Me When Making My Grocery Shopping Choices" by Gender & Age Group, 2022 (percent of respondents)

Table 5-2. Packaging Features: Consumer Opinion on Protection Offered by Rigid vs. Flexible Packaging: by Gender & Age Group, 2022 (percent of respondents)

Table 5-3. Priority of Sustainability Features in Beverage Packaging, 2021 (percent of respondents)

Table 5-4. Priority of Packaging Design Features in Beverage Packaging, 2021 (percent of respondents)

Table 5-5. Priority of Packaging Sizes in Beverage Packaging, 2021 (percent of respondents)

Table 5-6. Nonalcoholic Ready-To-Drink Beverage Purchases by Packaging Type, 2021 (percent of respondents)

Table 5-7. Alcoholic Ready-To-Drink Beverage Purchases by Packaging Type, 2021 (percent of respondents)

Table 5-8. Nonalcoholic Ready-To-Drink Beverage Purchases by Packaging Size, 2021 (percent of respondents who bought these beverages)

Table 5-9. Alcoholic Ready-To-Drink Beverage Purchases by Packaging Size, 2021 (percent of respondents)

6. More Detailed Packaging Industry Coverage Available

List of Figures

3. COVID-19 Trends

Figure 3-1. COVID-19 Statistics, March 2020 - December 2022 (new cases & deaths)

Figure 3-2. Concerns about the Delta/Omicron Variant & Future Variants of COVID-19, 2021 - 2022 (percent of consumers)

Figure 3-3. Grocery Ordering Habits Continue to Be Affected by the Pandemic, 2021 - 2022 (percent of consumers)