Today, the pet food industry has become even more competitive. As it happens, pet owners are the last to save on their pets. That is why the pet food segment, as well as the children's products segment, was the least affected by the crisis. The trend towards humanisation is becoming more pronounced, as owners perceive animals as family members and provide them with the appropriate level of care. Manufacturers are increasingly using organic ingredients in their new premium and higher-end food offerings, which are as good as those used for human consumption.
However, the main factor influencing the choice of pet food is still the level of well-being of their owners. The lower the family budget, the cheaper the food is. Another effective criterion for choosing food is the degree of brand awareness. Therefore, new entrants to the pet food market in Ukraine have to make significant efforts to gain a foothold among competitors already known to the buyer.
In addition, it has been observed that consumer demand is gradually shifting towards wet feed, which is considered the closest to natural food. While a few years ago dry feed accounted for almost 80% of the market and wet feed for 20%, this ratio is now approximately 65% to 35%. At the same time, up to 85% of wet food sales come in portioned packaging and 15% in other types of packaging. This suggests that consumers increasingly prefer convenience and versatility.
In this case, we strive to be a supplier of ideas that are reflected in new products. It's no secret that pet food packaging can influence a consumer's final purchase decision. It should be not only attractive but also functional. That is why every year we help many companies to decide not only on the equipment for feed production, but also on new trends in packaging.
Every manufacturer today knows that with the busy pace of life, pet owners need a flexible solution for preparing, feeding and caring for their pets. That's why conventional packaging has been replaced by flexible packaging, which offers a high level of convenience: easy opening and closing, a sturdy shape, and minimal storage space.
The benefits of flexible packaging for pet food:
Freshness. Flexible packaging provides the optimal solution for preserving and extending the shelf life of feed.
Convenience. With ideal sizes from 50g, flexible packaging is ideal for all pet foods. Thanks to the many options for easy opening and closing as well as minimal storage requirements, flexible packaging is the number one choice of global brands.
Sustainability. Due to the increased demand for organic pet food and growing environmental awareness, we have a range of environmentally friendly solutions to provide pet food manufacturers with environmentally friendly packaging options.
What flexible packaging formats are there? Let's take a look at the most common ones:
- Stand Up packages
- Flat bottom bag
- Bag with four seals
- Printed film
Stand Up packages.
These bags are very versatile and convenient. No wonder they are the packaging of choice for many brands in various industries. The Stand up pouch provides maximum sales effect due to its versatile design. Stand up pouches help to extend the shelf life of products, and the sophisticated resealability and easy-open features help to keep the product fresh for longer.
Advantages:
- Re-sealable zips and easy-to-open tear-off slots.
- Rounded corners to avoid sharp edges.
- Depending on the volume you are packaging, you can use either Doy-pack or K-seal bags. The Doy-pack is suitable for lightweight products, while the K-seal is suitable for larger volumes.
Flat-bottomed bag.
The flat-bottomed bag has a rigid, durable construction, allows you to hold a larger volume of product, and maintains an attractive appearance on the shelf. It is a popular choice in a wide variety of industries.
Advantages:
- Functional features. Fasteners used: standard closure press, Velcro zip, zip on the pocket or top slider.
- Rigid and durable bottom insert. The flat-bottomed bag offers more space for the product at the bottom. The square base provides rigidity and stability when placed on supermarket shelves.
- Food-grade materials - flat-bottomed bags are produced using the highest quality materials.
- The addition of two additional side inserts and a four-seal design allows for more brand space on the side of the package. The flat-bottomed bag offers five displays for maximum shelf impact and brand awareness.
Pack with four seals.
The ideal solution for packaging and protecting large volumes of products. Thanks to the box bottom and seals at all four corners, this format is robust and compact.
The reinforced structure of the four-sealed bag makes it stand out on supermarket shelves.
The four-seal pouch is ideal for packaging sizes from 500g to 20kg and is ideal for bulk packaging. The four-seal format gives you the opportunity to enhance your marketing and promotional messages with high-quality printing.
Advantages:
- The four-seal pouch is ideal for packaging sizes from 500g to 20kg and is ideal for bulk packaging. The four-seal format gives you the opportunity to enhance your marketing and promotional messages with high-quality printing.
- Food grade materials. All four-seal bags are manufactured using the highest quality materials.
- The ideal choice for bulk products. Strong enough to hold very large quantities of product, the four-seal bag is the preferred packaging format for many pet food wholesalers.
- Reinforced construction for bulky goods. This four-layer sealed bag structure helps the filled bag hold its shape better on the shelf, and its compact design takes up less width for the same volume of product than its traditional counterparts.
Printed film.
This adaptable packaging format is the ideal solution for high-speed filling and sealing.
Supplied in rolls according to your requirements, the sealed film can be transformed into any packaging format by forming, filling and sealing.
Printed film provides consumers with fresh, attractive packaging that helps preserve and protect their product.
Advantages:
- Versatility. Printed film is one of the most flexible packaging formats available. Using the latest technology, the film can be fed vertically or horizontally and compressed to create packaging of any size and depth for single-use or reusable products.
- Food-grade materials. All printed films are produced using the highest quality materials.
- Filling and sealing. Hot and cold sealing films are suitable for filling wet and dry food, and for filling and sealing horizontal and vertical moulds.
As packaging is the last step on the customer's journey to purchase, we have highlighted the trends that manufacturers should follow in 2021.
Sustainable development.
75% of consumers say they would be more favourably disposed to a brand that has made its packaging more environmentally friendly. Consumers are paying more attention to the fact that the products they buy are produced in compliance with ethical and sustainable development principles.
Premium packaging.
As the humanisation of pets continues to spread, pet owners want their pets to eat food that is as healthy as they are. According to statistics, more than 40% of pet owners now buy premium food for their cat or dog. As more and more brands launch premium pet food lines, these products require high-quality packaging to protect and preserve their ingredients.
Flexible packaging is one of the most widely used formats in the pet food packaging industry. Flexible packaging solutions extend the shelf life of pet food by preventing the transfer of odour, moisture and oxygen. Pouches equipped with resealable technology also help to preserve the peak freshness of premium pet foods.
Eye-catching graphics, high-quality printing methods and unique finishing materials all indicate to consumers that they are buying a premium product.
Convenience.
Airtightness, product freshness and ease of use are all factors to consider when choosing packaging. Now more than ever, pet owners are driving demand for convenience in pet food production.
When designing pet food packaging, it is imperative that brands choose reliable and convenient features such as easy opening and resealability. It's no secret that 50% of pet owners say they are unhappy that they cannot re-seal the packaging after opening it. If the package is damaged during opening or pet owners try to reseal it between feedings, they risk compromising the freshness of the product. Yet this is a driving factor when considering a purchase. To ensure optimal production and distribution of their products, brands must offer packaging that not only retains its functionality and appeal to consumers, but also ensures efficient production throughout the process.
Look forward.
Pet care trends may shift again as consumer attitudes and demands change, but the demand for convenience, sustainability and premium packaging is likely to drive brands' choices in pet food packaging for years to come.
If you are a pet food manufacturer and need to find the right equipment for your production, please contact us by phone or email: info@steiner.com.ua. We are always happy to help you choose the right equipment.