The predictions of the IGD draw on extensive research conducted throughout the year across retailers, manufacturers, service providers and shoppers, as well as market and store visits to over 25 countries worldwide.

2010 saw substantial experimentation from both retailers and suppliers, as the industry sought to unlock the online growth opportunity. The rise of smart phone and application technology has been a trend for all to see, while experimentation with new online platforms and social media tools, such as Facebook and Twitter, has been rife. With the UK online grocery market alone set to total £9.5 billion by 2015 (vs. £4.8 billion in 2010), and further substantial growth expected internationally, businesses need to explore the opportunities available through this channel in 2011.

Against this background, more and more FMCG and retail brands look for new ways to connect with shoppers and consumers. Online reviews, feedback panels, dedicated fan clubs and user-created content are all emerging as new communication channels to empower shoppers and gain feedback on products and services. These will become more popular as social media usage expands.

Pro Carton had already predicted this development in 2009 and prepared the industry for the following scenario. President Roland Rex: “Cartonboard boxes are the perfect medium for this trend. More than any other form of packaging, they can present the story of a brand as well as integrating printed codes perfectly and leading to exclusive contents on the Internet.”

Rather than trading down, savvy shopping has been a key trend to emerge from the recession, as shoppers have sought to economise their grocery shopping without compromising on quality or values. The next evolution of this over the coming year could be a fresh drive for simplicity: 36 % of shoppers are already focusing on reducing food and packaging waste. While 22 % are going back to a simple diet involving a limited range of straightforward meals.

Sustainability to remain top of mind
Initiatives on sustainability will increase throughout industry. Reducing energy consumption to lower costs, such as CO2 emissions, will remain a key area, but other fields will also remain important. For example in the food area, minimising the consumption of water for both the manufacturing process as well as the use of the product is one goal. Furthermore, the members of the Consumer Goods Forum have committed themselves to zero deforestation by 2020, and to start to refrain from using fluorinated hydrocarbons for coolants.

Rex on the topic of deforestation: “In Europe, cartonboard is produced exclusively from sustainable forestation which has been proven to absorb considerably more CO2 than “wild” forestation. The demand for cartons thus supports forestation and its sustainable management and with it, the increased absorption of CO2 from the atmosphere. And at the end of the life cycle the cartons are recycled to new cartonboard – largely waste-free.”

Waste from the supply chain has a direct and considerable influence of the environmental balance of manufacturers and their products, and the avoidance of waste is certainly preferable to waste disposal. The cartonboard and carton industries have already made significant advances in making packaging lighter, reducing household waste and avoiding landfill. Nonetheless, it will remain important to support the consumer goods industry and the retail trade in helping them meet customer expectations and avoiding waste in the Supply Chain.

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Pro Carton at Interpack, 12.- 18. May 2011, Please visit us in hall 7a Stand 7aB31. www.interpack.com