On-the-go consumption: how can aseptic carton packages help?

On-the-go consumption: how can aseptic carton packages help?

Hectic modern lifestyle

Consumers’ habits have changed over the years. Today’s modern, busy lifestyle has transformed people into urban nomads, flexible and ready to adapt their daily agenda to ever-changing challenges.

New consumers are multi-tasking and 24/7 connected, and this has a huge impact on their level of stress and their eating routine. Eating habits have become flexible, starting from breakfast, skipped by more and more people for the most disparate reasons: there are those who would do anything to sleep one more minute, as well as those who prefer starting the day with some physical activity (at the gym, in the park) and thus renounce to breakfast at home. As a consequence, many consumers eat their first meal while they are around, and are increasingly likely to make at least one snack between meals, away from home.

IPI Caliz brick 250 ml with Twist cap for on-the-go consumption

It comes with no surprise that more and more meals and beverages are consumed on-the-go, and this trend shows no sign of slowing down. More than 40% of global consumers drink on-the-go at least once a week, with fortified milk, drinking yogurt and energy drinks among their favorite choices.

On-the-go consumption has risen steadily in line with increasing urbanization, which goes hand in hand with frantic habits. More than half of the world’s population now lives in towns and cities, and this rate is forecast to increase to two-thirds in just over a generation by 2050.That is likely to further fuel on-the-go consumption and the demand for convenient, time-saving products. It is particularly evident in developing countries in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, where infrastructures’ development often lags behind economic growth, leaving workers with long commutes and less time to eat and drink at home.

Over a third of global consumers say they are willing to pay an extra for products which make their lives easier. In particular, this concerns 45% of consumers in developing countries and 27% of consumers in developed ones. Since convenience is becoming increasingly important, there are growing opportunities for dairy and beverage companies which include value-added and functional products within their portfolio. According to Mintel, 22% of Brazilians says they were more willing to pay extra for time-saving products in September 2017 compared to 2016.

IPI Caliz brick 250 ml with Twist cap for on-the-go consumption

Customers recognize the value of anything that makes life easier and show appreciation for both products and packaging which aim to do so. Improving pack functionality is in fact crucial to satisfy the modern on-the-go consumers, increasingly interested in instant gratification. They are moved from a broader desire to simplify life wherever possible, and packaging has a key role in making it possible.

This is evident, for example, in China and the United States. Urban life in China is hectic and a growing number of people have growing salaries and less time to prepare meals. In big cities, many convenience stores have been opened to offer food and drinks on-the-go: This represents an enormous opportunity especially for companies offering innovative beverages. In USA the growing trend of skipping breakfast or having breakfast on-the-go highlights opportunities especially for dairy companies offering “grab and go” food and drinks which provide nutrition, convenience and taste for young and old alike.

Multiple drinking occasions

Modern lifestyle and the growing interest in premium convenience have also created new drinking occasions during the day – that have been further fragmented according to variegated consumers’ needs (sport, leisure time) which emerge on top of the 3 main meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Today one in two consumers has its meal or sips a drink while walking, working or driving a car: this number has more than doubled in just 10 years. This represents a huge opportunity to seize for brands targeting specific drinking moments throughout the day: they can offer the right beverage in the right on-the-go package.

Consumers carry on-the-go snacks in handbags or backpacks, they throw them into the back of their car or strap them to their bike’s luggage rack. This implies that, in addition to the design and style of the packaging, consumers also choose products based on how they fit with the way they move around.

Healthy lifestyle

The interest and attraction towards functional, healthy beverages has grown, and it is expected to continue to do so, across all consumer demographics, from millennials – looking for value-added novelties - to the elderly. There has been a 75% increase in sales of healthy on-the-go products in few years; and 65% of millennials are willing to try new and unusual flavours. This shift is being driven by consumers’ increasing awareness of the perceived benefits that functional beverages (plant-based beverages, no added sugars, no artificial sweeteners, dairy alternatives, sport-specific drinks) can bring to health, especially if compared to carbonated soft drinks. The popularity of high added-value drinks often goes hand in hand with on-the-go drinking habits: as an example, coconut water is sold mainly in single-portion packs. In 2019 and beyond, the rise of on-the-go consumers will boost the demand for upscale packaging that offer quality, ready-to-consume food and drink.

Healty lifestyle of young people consuming on the go

To-go package: what consumers are looking for

The on-the-go lifestyle and the rise of healthy drinks are having a strong influence on people's approach to beverage consumption. Today more and more consumers are looking for functional beverages in simple-to-use packages which are able to reflect their way of being. All this calls for something new.

Studies identify the following aspects as the key drivers of packaging innovation: convenience, brand differentiation, on-the-go lifestyles and smaller pack size.

The ideal on-the-go packaging is simple but catchy, easy to use and comfortable to hold; it has resealable caps and can fit consumers' handbags. The pack must be lightweight and sturdy enough to protect the drink when thrown into a backpack during the day. Furthermore, it has never been more important that the package communicates the benefits of the beverage inside through an original, clean and appealing design. Since on-the-go products are often enjoyed in front of colleagues, friends or people around, the design plays a key role to communicate something about the end-user as well.

Differentiation and innovation are key especially for Asians on-the-go consumers. For brand owners and manufacturers, the need to differentiate their product beyond the more standard packaging is pivotal to reach the Asian audience – and this pressure will only increase in the coming years.

Our innovative on-the-go solutions

Thanks to its recently-launched 250 ml Caliz carton shape with Twist cap, IPI can address the growing small-size on-the-go packaging trend.

The brand new Caliz carton package is a functional solution since it is reclosable thanks to the one-step opening Twist cap, and ergonomic due to rounded corners. Its eye-catching design goes perfectly with the idea of purity, naturalness and health that consumers want to convey when among people and on social media. As an aseptic carton brick, Caliz is a reliable and robust packaging that keeps beverages safe ensuring long-time preservation at ambient temperature.

Visit Caliz or contact us for more info about our solutions for the on-the-go consumption.

IPI Caliz 250 ml with Twist cap for on-the-go

 

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