Shipping Boxes Consumer Insights

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Boxes

As more consumers interact with shipping boxes – most notably via online shopping – an analysis of consumer trends can give insight to marketing and product development opportunities.

This report contains analysis and data-driven discussions relating to shipping boxes, including a look at sustainability views and online 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, and May 2022
data from syndicated national consumer survey results from MRI-Simmons Spring 2022 Report

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Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Shipping Boxes Overview

Corrugated Shipping Boxes

Factors Affecting Corrugated Shipping Box Sales

Industry Composition

Market Share

Sustainability

Recycling & Recycled Content

Compostability

Renewable Resource & Forest Management

3. E-Commerce Overview

E-Commerce Sales Outlook

Right-Sizing & Shipping Container Optimization

E-Commerce Ready Packaging

Annual Parcels/Packages Shipped

Leading Shipping Companies

Shipping Containers

4. COVID-19 Trends

Most Still Consider the Pandemic a Health Threat

COVID-19 Variant Concerns

Changes to Shopping Habits Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

5. Online Shopping & Packaging Insights

Online Shopping Habits

What Consumers Are Ordering Via E-Commerce

Prevalence of Boxes in E-Commerce Home Deliveries

Ordering Items That Need to Be Kept Cool

Views on Safety of Packaging for Online Orders

Attitudes Toward the "Unboxing" Experience

6. Recycling & Sustainability Insights

Recycling Awareness & Attitudes Toward Sustainability

Consumer Attitudes on Recycling & Sustainability

Attitudes by Gender

Attitudes by Age Group

7. More Detailed Packaging Industry Coverage Available

List of Tables

3. E-Commerce Overview

Table 3-1. E-Commerce Sales by Product Category, 2011, 2016, 2021, & 2026 (billion dollars)

Table 3-2. Annual E-Commerce Sales by Product Category, 2018 - 2025 (billion dollars)

Table 3-3. Annual Packages Shipped by Shipper, 2018 - 2021 (million packages)

Table 3-4. Packages Shipped by Shipping Container, 2011, 2016, 2021, & 2026 (million packages & million dollars)

Table 3-5. Annual Packages Shipped by Shipping Container, 2018 - 2025 (million packages)

4. COVID-19 Trends

Table 4-1. Coronavirus Health Concerns: "I am concerned about the...", 2020 - 2022 (% of consumers)

Table 4-2. Changes to Shopping Habits Due to COVID-19 Pandemic, 2021 (% respondents)

5. Online Shopping & Packaging Insights

Table 5-1. "Do You Shop Online For Home Delivery?" Online Shopping Habits by Age Group, 2021 (% respondents)

Table 5-2 "Do You Shop Online For Home Delivery?" Online Shopping Habits by Rural vs. Urban Setting, 2021 (% respondents)

Table 5-3. "Do You Shop Online For Home Delivery?" Online Shopping Habits by Household Income Bracket, 2021 (% respondents)

Table 5-4. "What do you shop for online?" Online Shopping Habits by Age Group, 2022 (% respondents who shopped online in the last 12 months)

Table 5-5. "What do you shop for online?" Online Shopping Habits by Rural vs. Urban Setting, 2022 (% respondents who shopped online in the last 12 months)

Table 5-6. "What do you shop for online?" Online Shopping Habits by Household Income Bracket, 2022 (% respondents who shopped online in the last 12 months)

Table 5-7. "What Share of Your Online Purchases Would You Estimate Arrive in Boxes, Instead of Paper or Plastic Mailers?" by Age Group, 2021 (% respondents who shop online for home delivery)

Table 5-8. "What Share of Your Online Purchases Would You Estimate Arrive in Boxes, Instead of Paper or Plastic Mailers?" by Rural vs. Urban Setting, 2021 (% respondents who shop online for home delivery)

Table 5-9. "What Share of Your Online Purchases Would You Estimate Arrive in Boxes, Instead of Paper or Plastic Mailers?" by Household Income Bracket, 2021 (% respondents who shop online for home delivery)

6. Recycling & Sustainability Insights

Table 6-1. Recycling Awareness & Attitudes Toward Sustainability, 2022 (% respondents who shopped online in the last 12 months)

Table 6-2. Consumer Attitudes on Recycling & Sustainability by Gender, 2022 (% respondents)

Table 6-3. Consumer Attitudes on Recycling & Sustainability by Age Group, 2022 (% respondents)

7. More Detailed Packaging Industry Coverage Available

List of Figures

4. COVID-19 Trends

Figure 4-1. Concerns about the Delta/Omicron Variant and Future Variants of COVID-19, 2021 - 2022 (% of consumers)

5. Online Shopping & Packaging Insights

Figure 5-1. "I frequently receive e-commerce shipments of things that need to be kept cool" by Gender, Age Group, Income Bracket, & Rural vs. Urban Setting, 2021 (% of respondents)

Figure 5-2. "Boxes keep my e-commerce shipments safer than mailers/envelopes/bags." by Gender, Age Group, Income Bracket, & Rural vs. Urban Setting, 2021 (% of respondents)

Figure 5-3. "A positive 'unboxing' experience (easy opening, attractive packaging) makes me more likely to buy again from the same online company" by Gender, Age Group, Income Bracket, & Rural vs. Urban Setting, 2021 (% of respondents)

7. More Detailed Packaging Industry Coverage Available