Consumers Yearn for Better Packaging.

• Position: Brief Article

Research from The Consumer Network shows that Americans' perceptions of food and beverage packaging have shifted dramatically. Instead of viewing it as a necessary evil, consumers see desirable packages as a reason to purchase, and packages they don't like as a reason to avoid products they might otherwise choose. Triggering such a shift is a critical mass of consumer-friendly packages that relieve widely experienced frustrations, delight the eye, or facilitate multi-tasking lifestyles with new levels of convenience and flexibility.

Over 70% of the more than 1,600 responses to a Consumer Network poll were able to site specific packages that had significantly improved in the last year or so. Over 65% were able to cite packages that still needed improving and the types of improvements they hope to see. Twist-off closures on juice cartons were the most widely noted improvement, followed by personal-size milk bottles, zipper closures, and no-spill (sports-cap) water bottles. Consumers also applaud ergonomic packages shaped to fit the hand (so far, mostly in cleaning and dishwashing products) and eye-pleasing graphics.

Many consumers think that all gable-top milk...