Pouches Are Making A Dent In Canned Food's Share Of Ambient-Fish Market

By Isaac Fletcher, contributing writer, Food Online

Pouches are becoming big news in the packaging industry, as consumers desire more convenient, attractive packaging that cans and other packaging formats struggle to deliver.

When it comes to the ambient-fish and seafood-packaging category, pouches remain a relatively-small share, but the packaging format is experiencing strong growth nonetheless. In 2013, pouches accounted for roughly 1 percent of the packaging for ambient seafood. Experts expect by 2018, this share will double. Although these shares may appear relatively small, doubling in size over the course of five years represents impressive growth. This is further underscored by the fact that the ambient-fish market is very mature, so a shift toward pouches will undoubtedly take time.

Research indicates that many consumers find canned food difficult to open, providing manufacturers a strong incentive to package goods in easier-to-open formats, such as pouches. Findings from research also reveal that the demographic of consumers between the ages of 25 and 34 are most frustrated with canned goods, likely attributable to younger consumers desiring instant convenience. Surprisingly, consumers over the age of 55 are generally less frustrated with canned foods, most likely due to the fact that they are a familiar packaging format that has been around for a long time.

It is also important for manufacturers to understand that adding ring pulls to canned-food products is not necessarily the answer. Many consumers find ring pulls just as frustrating to deal with as traditional cans, as the ring can often detach from the lid without opening the can or requires too much strength to open. These types of scenarios can turn a consumer off to a brand for good, especially when they have superior alternative options.

Plastic pouches also present a major challenge for metal cans, as plastics can be molded into interesting shapes, are microwavable, and can be affixed with a wide variety of closures. The ability of pouches to better stand out on grocery store shelves is a critical part of staying competitive, especially as room to compete on the basis of price diminishes.

Although canned foods will still hold a big piece market share for the foreseeable future, the rapid growth of pouches as a packaging format demonstrates that offering food packaging with added convenience can drive sales, particularly among younger consumers.