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A new survey by Canadean finds
that one in five (22%) consumers consider tinned food difficult to open. With
British consumers spending over £8 billion on the most convenient food
products, manufacturers will increasingly adopt easier to open packs such as
pouches for vegetables, soups, meat, and fish.
Young adults are most likely to look for an easier to open pack
Of British consumers, 22% find
tinned food difficult to open. However, young adults are the most frustrated
when it comes to opening their tinned tuna or beans: 28% of 25 to 34 year olds
find tinned food difficult to open, compared to 16% of over 55s. Ronan
Stafford, senior analyst at Canadean says: “Consumers want instant convenience,
particularly young adults looking for a quick lunch or dinner solution. While
there’s a minimal amount of time saved between opening a food can, and opening
a bag or a pouch, young consumers simply don’t want the hassle of finding a tin
opener or struggling with a ring pull.”
Packaging needs to reflect the growing demand for convenience in food
markets
In addition to studying consumer
perceptions of different packaging, Canadean tracked the influence of different
motivators when consumers select what to eat. Across food markets British
consumers selected over £8 billion worth of food in 2013 because it was the
most convenient product. Stafford adds: “Consumers feel increasingly
time-scarce and stressed, which makes 30 seconds saved in the kitchen a big
deal. While food cans will remain a staple of supermarket shelves because of
their low cost, I expect to see pouches and cartons grow in popularity as an
easy to open alternative for office-workers and young families.”
Demand for pouches for ambient fish will almost double between 2013 and
2018
Ambient fish is one category
where demand for easy-to-open packaging will drive a shift away from food cans
and towards packs such as pouches. Demand for pouches in this market will grow
from 8.7 million packs in 2013, to 15.1 million packs by 2018. Stafford
comments: “While pouches’ market share will still be niche compared to the
share held by food cans, their rapid growth shows how offering a more
convenient pack format can revitalise sales among younger consumer groups.
Brands such as Heinz and John West have led the way in developing new pack
formats for tinned food, others will quickly follow.
Canadean provides in-depth market
research across the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, including food,
packaging, ingredients, soft drinks, beer, retail, foodservice, wines &
spirits and cosmetics & toiletries. Canadean specialises in conducting
online survey panels, producing in-depth market insight country reports through
qualitative and quantitative research. Canadean surveyed 2,000 British
consumers in October 2014 about their attitudes to packaging in different food
categories. New packaging formats by John West, combining ambient fish with
sauces, make for a more convenient product sought out by time-scarce and
stressed consumer.
