Retailers have more influence over packaging

Retailers’ influence on packaging is growing, according to the results of a pan-European survey of brand-owners.

Supermarket

The report by ITC Research finds that on average, there are three people from the brand-owning company involved in each packaging decision. The person most frequently involved is the brand-owner’s marketing manager, followed by the general manager.

However, retailers, which were not even mentioned by brand-owners in ITC’s 2007 packaging survey, were this time found to be involved in decisions in 12 per cent of cases.

Retailers usually make their purchasing managers and packaging managers responsible for making decisions about packaging, according to the report’s findings. Less frequently, retailers will involve marketing managers in the process.

Designers come eighth in a list of 19 possible decision-makers in the packaging process, being consulted by 17 per cent of brand-owners.

Brands rate the opinions of designers at 6.7 out of ten, compared with retailers at eight out of ten, claims the survey.

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