There is a gap between how well zippers can work and the way that many zippers actually do work as consumers struggle to open and close them. In the consumer

CONSUMERS WILL PAY MORE FOR SOME PACKAGING IN A RECESSION

When did dairy products lose their connections with cows and become synonymous with convenience and processed foods? What happened to fresh milk, fresh cream, peaches-and-cream complexions, fresh butter, buttermilk and

For economic and environmental reasons, might we see refill packages for products not usually associated with refills, such as milk and orange juice?

Packaging will have to get moving to respond to changes in demographics, expectations, shopping habits and communications technology.

The biggest-selling snack packagers seem to be standing still while store-brand snack packagers and packagers in other categories are leaping ahead.

Photos of “serving suggestions” on fresh meat packages appeal to shoppers who aren’t familiar with cooking.

Consider the packaging materials, shapes, flavors and benefits offered by today’s non-alcoholic beverages. (Four materials) X (10 shapes) X (20+ flavors) X (20+ benefits) = at least 16,000 options in convenience stores alone.

One of our shoppers summed things up by saying: “Prices are soaring, and packages are getting smaller. I think we are in a pickle.”

It’s nearly impossible to attach a universal meaning to any single word or phrase because words mean different things on different labels and to different people. This is a time of opportunity, though, to capture shoppers’ attention and trust, as more of them are trying to spend less and have more meals at home.