The latest research findings on the state of the stand-up pouch manufacturing marketplace, released in mid-December 2020, reveal that demand is forecast to increase 6 percent per year in the five-year period between 2019 and 2024.
Dollar value at that time will equate to $3.2 billion, the equivalent of 19.1 billion units. These findings came in The Freedonia Group’s new report, Stand-Up Pouches. In it, analysts explain, “Demand will expand quickly in nearly all major food and nonfood markets, as stand-up pouches continue to take market share away from rigid packaging and other types of flexible packaging.” Driving the trend is the packaging format’s signature attributes, specifically its:
- Ability to provide product differentiation, particularly among commodity goods, as new packaging can entice shoppers who may have otherwise overlooked the product
- Visibility on store shelves, due to large billboard space and quality graphics, including easier-to-read labeling compared to bags and other pouches
- Convenience features, such as resealable closures to maintain freshness, contoured shapes to aid grip, handles for heavier items, and pour spouts for liquids and semi-liquids
- Sustainability, as they are lighter weight and therefore more efficient to ship than rigid packaging
“Stand-up pouches have seen the greatest penetration in food and beverage markets, which accounted for 88 percent of sales in 2019,” Freedonia reports. “Stand-up pouches initially replaced pillow pouches, paperboard boxes, and other packaging types in snacks, candies, and dry foods before finding more widespread outlets in the packaging of liquids and semi-liquids including beverages, soups and baby food.”
Future Trends
Through 2024, the firm’s market watchers are predicting that, “Faster increases are expected in nonfood markets, as stand-up pouches gain more widespread acceptance in segments such as personal care products, household cleaners, and industrial and agricultural chemicals, due to their ability to provide good protection, ease of dispensing and high-quality shelf appeal.”
In a similar vein, their forecast concludes, “Round-bottom (also known as Doyen or Doypack) pouches will remain the most commonly used stand-up pouch type, accounting for more than 60 percent of demand in 2024. These pouches will continue to find opportunities for market penetration in applications where ease of use and transport, built-in spouts, and/or enhanced shelf appeal are especially important, including alcoholic beverages, consumer soaps, and sauces and condiments.”