[INSIGHTS REPORT] Parents Shift Towards Food Product Choices Based on Sustainable Packaging

This month’s insights are all about the topic of food packaging. We asked parents from our trusted panel to tell us what they look for when it comes to food packaging for them and their family. There’s a shift towards more sustainable packaging influencing product choice. Read on to find out 5 Key Insights From Parents On The Influence of Food Packaging On Purchasing Decisions and to download our free insights report.

Would you like tailored insights for your brand? Use our trusted panels of engaged parents and our dedicated private platform to gather critical insights to help your decision making and activate customers. Contact us now to find how we can help.

This month’s Insights report has identified 5 key trends from parents on food packaging. To gather this, we partnered with Innovate Solutions who carried out an online survey, then ParentsandBrands ran an online focus group with our trusted panel on our private platform.

5 Key Insights On Food Packaging

An online quantitative survey of 17 questions was distributed via email during August 2021 to 531 Irish consumers across the country. The survey was active for 10 days and the total number of complete responses was 504.

Five trends came out of the feedback that are really interesting:

1. What influence packaging has on new product purchase
2. What people check on packaging 
3. What’s important for packaging on kids products
4. Reducing packaging waste 
5. Sustainable packaging

Key stats from Consumers about Food Packaging

• 85% say that packaging is the first thing they notice about a product and great packaging creates great expectations of a product.
• 51% of respondents always check the nutritional information on food products they buy for themselves.
• 90% of parents check nutritional information on food products they buy for their kids
• 7% say that the responsibility for reducing packaging waste lies with consumers
• 53% say they would definitely choose one product over another because it had sustainable packaging.

Online Focus Group Insights

An Online Focus Group was carried out on the ParentsandBrands private platform in August 2021 with 42 parents from our trusted panel from across Ireland.

Here are some of the key insights and feedback:

Influence of packaging on purchasing new products 

“Packaging definitely draws my attention. I normally know what I’m going into shop for so it needs to be something that is eye catching for me to notice it.”

What people check on packaging

“I check cooking times/instructions, I normally cook from scratch so don’t buy a lot of jars/convenience food but I’d look at ingredients if I was buying them for a quick meal. Best before date on fresh food always.”

What’s important when it comes to kids food packaging?

“It depends on the product if it is something that the child will actually be holding or looking at, it would need to be bright and colourful to keep their attention. If it’s something that I would be putting out for them into a bowl etc. I don’t think it will matter too much. If it is something they will be using especially in school, it needs to be easy to open. The nutritional info should be much simpler to understand. Also I hate when things say they have no added sugar as there is usually still plenty of natural sugars in them. So they are not as healthy as you think. ”

Who is responsible for reducing packaging waste?

“I think companies could do more to reduce packaging waste but I don’t think there’s enough incentive for people to recycle. I know loads of people who don’t bother. I also know 1 or 2 who put non recyclable items into recycling bins, e.g. lids of bottles or don’t wash out cartons etc. These are older people who don’t fully understand about recycling.”

What’s important when it comes to sustainable packaging

“I think there needs to be a way to make packaging that’s sustainable at a lower price point or probably people won’t choose it over cheaper ones. Price will always be a factor for people. Overall I do really try to think of it and when it comes to meat, nowadays I will more than often shop in a butcher where I can bring my own containers as I find meat packaging particularly bad to recycle.”

Key Recommendations for Brands

• Acing your packaging will give your product the best chance of success. It is your ‘elevator pitch’ to the consumer, your opportunity to stand out from the other brands on the shelf, attract their attention and get them to purchase.
• Parents want to support a more sustainable lifestyle, make it easy for them to see what elements of your packaging are recyclable. Making it clear when your packaging is biodegradable, sustainable or recyclable will influence choice.

Download This Month’s Free Insights Report

For more stats, recommendations and insights into what parents are saying about buying Irish and what matters most to them, download this month’s free Insights report on 5 Key Insights From Parents About Food Packaging.

In the report you’ll get in-depth survey stats, drill-down insights and recommendations.

Would you like insights from parents for your business? Talk to our panels of engaged mums and dads, using our dedicated private platform to gather critical insights to help influence and activate them. Contact us now to find how we can help.