SNACKING TRENDS HEADING INTO THE NEXT YEAR:
SINKING OUR TEETH INTO GREATER OPPORTUNITIES.
Who doesn’t love a good snack? We all experience those sudden cravings we simply can’t deny. But it’s not just a matter of mindlessly grabbing a bag of corn chips and chomping away. Today’s consumers make wiser and savvier decisions when perusing their snacking selections. We at Priority Plastics are tracking the rising snacking trends and continue to align our resources, our technology and our packaging options to accommodate any and all snacking needs.
So who’s hungry? Let’s dig in. Here are five trends to keep an eye on in the new year.
#1. GOING BIG AND GOING HOME.
Household finances are taking a wallop in the face of rising inflation. This leads to a mindset shift–many shoppers consider pursuing great value by buying their groceries in bulk. Fortunately, our ISBM technology here at Priority Plastics accommodates this growing demand by offering a full array of packaging solutions. We customize so we can bring your precise packaging specifications to market and help your brand jump off the shelves—we also offer stock molds in Boston round, cylinder and hand grip styles.
#2. WE ARE EATING MORE AND MORE WITH OUR EYES.
On the subject of having the right containers, clear packaging is one of the most obvious ways to display your products, show off your wares and drive appetite appeal. Who wouldn’t want to see colorful candies? Who wouldn’t want to dive into a container full of pretzels? The great opportunity here is this is an open door to better brand your product. Innovative packaging can be more impactful and head-turning. It’s durable. It’s different. It’s the way to meet greater demand and stand out from the competition.
It’s an important point, as consumers have no problem changing stores, brands and store brands in a heartbeat. Having the right container to help your product catch their eye when they do shop is critical.
Are you and your company up for a brand update? Ask yourself the
following questions:
- Have we been using the same packaging or design for years?
- Does our packaging look dated? Stale?
- Do we stand apart from everyone else? Or do we get lost in a sea of sameness?
- Has our competition caught up to us? Or worse, have they pulled way ahead?
- Do our customers see us as a leader? An innovator? A better brand?
- Could our brand use a new look or packaging to boost sales?
At Priority Plastics, our designs feature integrated handleware, wider neck openings and stackable options. Our products are created by proprietary technology that just happens to be a North American exclusive. Meaning we’re the only manufacturer that can create this new breed of PET design. The only one.
#3. MORE PRODUCT-APPEALING CHOICES MEANS CAPTURING MORE TASTE BUDS AND MORE HEARTS.
Healthier snacking is all the buzz right now and will likely be in the years to come, with sales projected to exceed an astonishing $33 billion by 2025. Anticipate categories like meat snacks, cereal and granola bars to lead this charge. Satisfying demand for healthier snacks while maintaining superior taste is key. Healthier choices means fewer preservatives. And fewer preservatives means a tougher time keeping things fresh.
Our canisters at Priority Plastics have fresh down. Our facilities are GFSI Quality Safe Food certified and are exactly what’s needed so that what starts fresh, stays fresh.
#4 SEEKING CONVENIENCE TO ADD TO MY CART.
The advent of the COVID pandemic, along with a greater need for convenience, has driven more and more consumers to shop online. Groceries are included–and while the pandemic continues to evolve, these behaviors are likely sticking around. So, brands are beginning to ask if they are ready to meet the challenge of shipping directly to consumers, all over the country.
Speaking of convenience, Priority Plastics values this as well. Our centrally located facilities distribute plastic containers for your products, to keep shipping costs down and deliver portable containers at a moment’s notice. Our 85,000-square-foot Portland, Indiana, facility now boasts PET injection stretch blow molding through multiple ISBM lines. Our 82,000-square-foot Grinnell, Iowa, facility, meanwhile, has a knack for HDPE extrusion blow molding with additional expertise in lids, closures and seals. And our 85,000-square-foot facility in Denver, Colorado, is best known for retail snack and candy packaging for small to mid-size emerging brands. All facilities also have capabilities for pressure-sensitive container labeling.
What this all means is that our three central locations can develop durable containers that can withstand the hardships of shipping. After 40 years of experience, we have earned the title of premier manufacturer. Fill them with your candy, jerky, snacks, pretzels, popcorn—you name it. We can handle it.
#5. TAKING CARE OF OUR CRAVINGS DOESN’T REPLACE TAKING CAREOF OUR PLANET.
The rising Gen Z consumers have put on notice companies that don’t practice sustainability. They want to see fewer raw materials, less energy and less food waste. We can’t blame anyone for wanting to protect the earth. In fact, it’s one of our priorities. Having the right packaging to protect your product is important to
people and the environment. It improves longevity, sustains quality and can also reduce waste—including:
- Safely housing and transporting important chemicals and liquids.
- Ensuring that food starts and stays fresh.
- Protecting the enriching and nourishing ingredients to maintain value for the consumer.
At Priority Plastics we’re aspiring to create a more responsible packaging footprint with more sustainable solutions like:
- Offering products that help reduce virgin resin usage, securely protect the product inside and help us partner better with our customers on sustainability goals.
- Investing in innovation that helps reduce carbon footprint and increase productivity.
- Improving plant processes to be more efficient and reduce waste to the landfill.
Some snacking trends will stay. Some trends will go. But in the end, having the right partner invested in delivering the flexibility, the responsibility and the resources is paramount to ensuring success. We are that right partner.
We are Priority Plastics.