Pet Food and Treat Flexible Packaging Needs Lead to Innovations

General, Innovation, Preformed Pouches, Sustainable Packaging / June 10, 2019

Pet owners are passionate about their pets, and their shopping habits are adding up to healthy growth in the flexible packaging market. Canned food is still in demand in the space, but flexible packaging bags and pouches are now prevalent—and a preferred packaging type for pet foods and treats.

Many of the consumer motivators for purchasing products sold in flexible packaging are related both to their lifestyles and to how they choose to care for their pets:

• Pet parents are busy and need convenience at home
• Pet parents love their pets and are selective of the food and treat products they give to them
• Premium, high-quality brands have been early adopters of flexible packaging
• Visually-appealing flexible packaging catches the consumer’s eye and is a great canvas for providing valuable product information
• Consumers are becoming more aware of the sustainable, responsible nature of many types of flexible packaging (which aligns with their sense of eco-responsibility)

Pet Food Demand Is Growing

The pet food industry generally has a stable core because pets are so popular. But a growing economy means that pet guardians can “spoil” their fur babies (and even those without fur) with higher quality food and a few more treats and toys. With that growing comes increased demand for pet food packaging.

Product and Packaging Quality Matter to Consumers

Consumers are reading labels and buying premium products like never before. It’s no surprise that they are showing that care in their pet food and treat selection as well. If ingredients matter when choosing what to put into their own bodies, many pet parents feel that it’s even more important when nourishing a pet, especially since they have little say in the matter. High quality ingredients showcased in premium (and especially sustainable) packaging is a win to many consumers making choices for their pets.

Flexible Packaging Is a Versatile Choice for Manufacturers

As new, smaller specialty food lines compete in the marketplace against big name brands—and even against those brands’ niche offerings—the versatility of flexible packaging is essential for their bottom line. Numerous flavors of dry, wet, and fresh foods and treats require multiple print runs, and can be readily managed by FFS (form-fill-seal) machines so they can quickly get on store shelves. Everything from small-to-large bags of dry food, to small-to-medium pouches of treats and wet food, to sample-size sachets for promotions can be accommodated. Plus, the reduced shipping costs afforded by smaller packaging and shipping footprints are welcome savings to manufacturers.

Is your brand one of the many that have adopted flexible packaging for your product needs? Give us a call or contact us talk through your ideal pet food packaging solution!