RESTON, VA—Packaging ranks No. 1 on the list of print’s fastest growing business segments. Forecasted global sales growth is cited at 4 percent annually through 2017, when sales are projected to hit $288 billion worldwide. In the five year, 2012-2017 period, collective growth is projected at 7.8 percent with U.S. sales of package print rising from $8.7 billion to $12.7 billion.
By 2017, packaging will account for an estimated 43 percent of print product sales. Developing markets will drive the highest percentage of growth, yet mature markets will also experience improvements to the bottom line. These key and critical findings were reported by NPES, the Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies. They come from its recently released study, Worldwide Market for Print.
NPES also reported that corrugated packaging will lead the field with 4.8 percent collective growth. It will be followed by labels and tags at 4.3 percent, flexible packaging at 4.0 percent and folding carton/paperboard at 3.1 percent.
In 2017, corrugated will enjoy a 45 percent share of the print packaging product market. Flexible packaging will follow at 24 percent. Market share for folding carton and paperboard will be 18 percent. Labels and tags will account for the remaining 13 percent of business volume. Respective sales will equate to $129.6 billion for corrugated, $69.1 billion for flexible packaging, $51.8 billion for folding carton/paperboard and $37.5 billion for labels and tags.