Package Value for the Millennial Generation – Results of a Cross-Continental Study

Packaging plays a significant role in consumers' everyday decision making and in forming their choices. On the one hand, earlier research suggests that 70% of purchasing decisions are made in store. On the other hand, the proliferation of e-commerce has impacted shoppers' traditional purchasing habits by increasing their online purchasing behavior and shifting their product selections from " local " to " global ". These changes are evident among the Millennial Generation, the first generation with access to internet since childhood, which is hypothesized to significantly affect their perceived relationships with packaging. This paper presents an international packaging survey aimed at the Millennial Generation (people between the ages of 18-30). The aim of the study was to explore the relationship between the Millennials and their perceptions of packaging. The study was carried out by several IAPRI member institutes. The survey data (N=802) was collected between November 2014 and March 2015 among university students in ten countries representing four geographical regions: Europe (Finland N=80, Norway N=48, Denmark N= 36, Switzerland N=67, Spain N=72), Latin America (Mexico N=101, Argentina N=105), USA (South Carolina N=87, California N=65), and Asia (Thailand N=141). The questionnaire was available in three languages (English, Spanish, and Thai) and it took approximately 15 minutes to be completed. The results show that Millennials have high expectations for packaging, particularly for the experiential value (i.e., emotions and experiences) delivered though packaging. Fiber-based materials have a positive environmental image among the Millennials across all continents. In countries with developed recycling systems, pro-environmental packaging was perceived as recyclable or made of recycled content. Conversely, in the countries with low recycling rates, waste reduction by composting, light weighting, and reuse were emphasized.