Packaging Trends You Cannot Overlook (part #1):

1) People are buying in smaller quantities. Our busy lifestyle keeps many people from eating at home on a daily basis. Gone are the days of the sit down dinner with the entire family. When these occasions due occur it's usually a holiday or a special occasion.

What this means to you: People are looking for smaller sized packages and are willing to pay a premium. An example is the 3-pack baking potato; quality potatoes in a three pack that can cost as much as a 3lb bag. Why? People don't use three pounds of potatoes before they go bad.

2) Time is not on your side. Consumers are looking for the quick fix. The ready to eat or with minimal preparation market is booming. People want products that require little or no work but still taste good. You will notice the shrinking of the fresh meat counter in favor of the pre-seasoned, easy to prepare, or ready to eat meats. The proliferation of products is amazing. Convenience is mandatory not just an issue.

Banquet, the longtime staple of frozen TV dinners, has introduced new crock pot frozen meals. Grab-and-go packed carrots and celery produced by California-based Ready Pac will appear in grocery stores this summer. Ready Pac is also selling ready-to-go "bistro" salad bowls - Cobb salad, chicken caesar, blue cheese. They keep meat and other protein separate from greens. It comes with a fork and dressing and is ready to tuck into a lunch bag. Del Monte makes grab-and-go cups of fresh-cut fruit that are sold in convenience stores.

Important info: The prepared meals market will grow by 16.5% over the next five years, forecasts research and markets.

What this means: Products need to be simple to prepare or almost ready with minimal food preparation time. The easier you make someone's life, the more loyal the will become to your product. Keep thinking about all the top tier restaurants that are offering take out service.

3) People are becoming more health conscious and really are learning more about what they eat. How many diets have you read about this week? Is the low carb craze in or out? The low carp craze and the trans fat concern are just two of the recent trends.

What this means: Products that contain unhealthy fats or other ingredients are being scrutinized. Companies are providing reduced calories versions in addition to regular product offerings. People shop for healthier versions of products they used o buy. Even fast food companies are taking notice with healthy new product offerings. Watch for continued growth in this category. Pay attention to ingredient panels and special information tags such as "contains no trans fats" or "only X carbs."

4) People are looking for products they can access on the run.

When was the last time you or your significant other went to the store and purchased everything you needed for the entire week? Make it easy to purchase. Consumers are buying products in unconventional places like a drive though with take out service; a convenience store with high caliber products

What this means: Unconventional types of retail outlets, such as convenience stores, are experiencing strong growth.

5) People are spending money to treat themselves to a little luxury.

Feeling a little neglected or sorry for yourself? You deserve something special and you are not alone. Luxury purchases are on the rise. People are willing to buy expensive treats for themselves for daily use not just for special occasions.

Important info: Last year the typical luxury consumer spent $33,188 on average buying luxuries, an increase of 33 percent over their reported spending in 2003 of $25,010. While spending in all categories of luxuries rose in 2004, increased spending on luxury automobiles resulted in the greatest boost to overall luxury spending, according to Unity Marketing's new Luxury Report, 2005.

End of Part #1

Got packaging problems? I can help. I teach people how to package products consumers will buy. I make it easy to answer your problems with email and voice consultation. Get advice from the top expert in consumer packaging Email me @packagingdiva@aol.com

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Google News Updated : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:50:00 GMT Qantas Involved in Another Air Incident - New York Times NEWS.com.au Qantas Involved in Another Air Incident New York Times - 25 minutes ago By Liz Robbins It has been 20 years since Dustin Hoffman’s character Raymond Babbitt in “Rain Man” made Qantas synonymous with air safety, claiming he would only fly the Australian airline because it had never crashed. Qantas passengers arrive in Perth after mid-air ordeal ABC Online Fifteen badly hurt as Qantas jet drops Sydney Morning Herald The Standard - Taipei Times - United Press International - NEWS.com.au all 366 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:24:06 GMT Thai Army Sends Troops to Help Police Keep Peace - Washington Post Voice of America Thai Army Sends Troops to Help Police Keep Peace Washington Post - 4 hours ago Thailand's military agreed Tuesday to deploy hundreds of unarmed soldiers to the streets of Bangkok to help police restore order after violent clashes between police and protesters that left at least 1 person dead. Video: Raw Video: Tear Gas Fired at Thai Protestors AssociatedPress Troops deployed as one dead, hundreds hurt in Thai protests AFP Reuters UK - Hindu - eTaiwan News - The Standard all 1,327 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:12:03 GMT Wells Fargo may get lion's share of Wachovia deposits: report - MarketWatch Sify Wells Fargo may get lion's share of Wachovia deposits: report MarketWatch - 32 minutes ago By John Spence, MarketWatch BOSTON (MarketWatch) -- Wells Fargo & Co. may get as much as 80% of Wachovia Corp.'s deposits, with the remainder likely going to Citigroup Inc., according to a published report Tuesday. Citi, Wachovia, Wells temporarily halt litigation Bizjournals.com Wachovia shares waver as Citi, Wells Fargo wrangle Forbes BloggingStocks - Washington Post - New York Times - CNNMoney.com all 7,781 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:17:51 GMT Cough, Cold Drugs Not for Kids Under 4 - WebMD CBS News Cough, Cold Drugs Not for Kids Under 4 WebMD - 2 hours ago By Miranda Hitti Oct. 7, 2008 -- Don't use over-the-counter pediatric cough and cold drugs in kids younger than 4. Leading makers of over-the-counter pediatric cough and cold drugs are putting that message on the products' labels, according to the ... Cold, Cough Medicines for Children Get Added Warnings (Update3) Bloomberg Drug Companies Say No Cold Meds for Kids Under 4 Washington Post Chicago Tribune - New York Times - Bizjournals.com - The Associated Press all 1,485 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:48:20 GMT Sleuth's Presidential Debate Watch Game - Washington Post Sleuth's Presidential Debate Watch Game Washington Post - 41 minutes ago Tonight's debate watch games probably won't be as much fun as last week's Palin Bingo. But don't fret, there are still games to be played during this second presidential debate between John McCain and Barack Obama. 'Aggressive' debate expected between McCain, Obama CNN * McCain looks for way to stop Obama's momentum Reuters The Associated Press - MSNBC - U.S. News & World Report - TIME all 1,199 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:08:21 GMT AIG's ex-CEOs blamed for crisis - CNNMoney.com Los Angeles Times AIG's ex-CEOs blamed for crisis CNNMoney.com - 1 hour ago House panel chairman says executives got undeserved riches, while ex-CEOs blame accounting rules and market conditions for leading to $85B bailout. Joe Cassano: The Man Who Brought Down AIG? Washington Post AIG CEOs Blame Each Other, Accounting for Insurer's Downfall Bloomberg Wall Street Journal - Financial Times - New York Times - Forbes all 768 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:11:18 GMT Bernanke hints at possible interest rate cut - MarketWatch The Associated Press Bernanke hints at possible interest rate cut MarketWatch - 31 minutes ago By Greg Robb, MarketWatch WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke opened the door on Tuesday for a possible interest rate cut to help rescue the economy from a severe downturn, admitting that the global panic in the financial ... Video: Bernanke signals possible rate cut ReutersVideo Bernanke: Economic outlook weaker CNNMoney.com New York Times - Forbes - Reuters - MSN Money all 988 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:18:10 GMT Affiliate Data Feeds Amazon Tool

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