North America

While unit volume growth in ready meals packaging was much slower in 2021 than it had been a year earlier, it was still positive, as the categories experiencing difficulties in 2020, ie the chilled products and prepared salads, returned to recording…

In 2020, COVID-19 home seclusion led to an increase in at-home consumption. As consumer foodservice outlets closed their doors for much of the year, and consumers were forced to spend more time at home, there was a rise in home cooking throughout…

2020 saw a surge in demand for ready meals packaging, as fears of supply chain disruption led consumers to stockpile ready meals, with frozen ready meals in paper-based cartons proving to be particularly popular. Frozen pizza was also a standout…

COVID-19 resulted in a sharp increase in demand for sauces, dressings and condiments packaging during 2020, particularly for rigid plastic and glass, which account for the bulk of packaging units for these products. Rigid plastic dominates packaging…

Volume sales of home care wipes and surface care products were declining over 2022, leading to a fall in the packaging unit volume sales of the main pack types in these categories, flexible plastic and other rigid containers for the former and HDPE…

The retail unit volumes of HDPE bottles continued to hold the biggest share in overall home care products in 2022. The preference for HDPE bottles can be attributed to their practicality and user-friendliness in dispensing home care products. These…

The growth of skin care packaging in Canada can be attributed to an increasing demand for skin care products as Canadians place a greater emphasis on self-care and wellness. This has led to a greater need for packaging solutions that accommodate the…

Hair care lost its position as the biggest category in unit volume terms in beauty and personal care packaging to bath and shower in 2020, when the latter product area experienced a massive spike in demand due to the pandemic arriving in the US in…

Alcoholic drinks packaging declined in the retail channel, increased in the foodservice channel and saw only minimal growth overall in Canada in 2022. While shifting consumer preferences towards premium and craft beverages have been seen in recent…

The continued increase in packaging unit volumes for RTDs in the US, despite the overall decline in the alcoholic drinks packaging industry in this country, is attributed to factors such as convenience and portability, changing consumer preferences…

Baby food packaging unit volumes, which had been registering positive, but relatively modest, annual growth rates during the earlier years of the review period, recorded a major sales spike in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country. This…

Flexible packaging continues to be the dominant packaging in confectionery, with flexible plastic the main individual pack type thanks to its strong position in chocolate confectionery. Flexible plastic is also the most-used pack type for sugar…

When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit Canada in 2020, consumers faced periods of home seclusion, with schools and workplaces switching to remote learning and working arrangements in this year. With restrictions in the operation of the foodservice…

Although plastic pouches recorded a slight decline in their unit volumes in 2022, this was less marked than the overall fall in sales in the packaging of meals and soups in Canada. Plastic pouches therefore once again gained share in meals and soups…

Plant-based dairy, following two years of strong growth, saw its packaging unit volumes decline slightly in 2022. However, its sales were still well above pre-pandemic levels in 2022, while its year-on-year performance was also better than that of…

In 2022, plastic pouches continued to increase their pack type share in processed fruit and vegetables in Canada due to their versatile and practical attributes. Plastic pouches offer a lightweight and space-efficient packaging format, which reduces…

Processed meat and seafood packaging had been in decline for a number of years before the pandemic arrived in Canada. The conditions in the country, including the numerous COVID-19 restrictions, saw this category’s packaging unit volumes record…

In 2020, as consumer foodservice outlets closed their doors for much of the year and people were forced to spend more time at home due to COVID-19 restrictions there was an increase in home cooking throughout Canada. Both to fill the time as well as…

In spite of the overall packaging unit volumes in sweet spreads declining again in 2022, PET bottles continued to record positive growth in this year, and therefore also an increase in pack type share in sweet spreads. PET bottles are enjoying rising…

Total packaging volumes for baby food saw a slight rise in 2022, recouping most of the loss of sales seen in 2021. Thin wall plastic containers continued to be the leading pack type for baby food in 2022; however, this pack type saw a decline in its…