Packaging is often viewed as a vessel to carry and protect your products on their journey to reach the consumer, but it does more than that. Packaging plays an integral role in branding, compliance and shaping the customer experience. Shifts in regulations, technology and consumer behavior are impacting packaging decisions in 2025. Here are the trends you should be paying attention to:
Sustainability
If sustainability isn’t already on your priority list when it comes to packaging design, it’s time to move it there. States are passing new legislation regarding Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws, and some are refining existing ones. The intention is to keep businesses responsible for every stage in their packaging’s lifecycle. This means using eco-friendly materials, minimizing waste, and reducing carbon emissions.
Along with tighter regulations are shifting consumer expectations. An increasing number of shoppers are becoming more eco-conscious, purchasing from businesses that practice sustainability. Packaging is often the first interaction a customer has with your business. If they notice your packaging is eco-friendly and made from recycled materials, they may be more inclined to buy because you’ve demonstrated that environmental responsibility is one of your business’s core values.
The Rise of Automation
As consumer demand for products rises, so does the need for packaging. Automation has become a powerful tool for businesses looking to streamline their packaging lines and save on labor costs. It helps create quicker turnaround times and offers opportunities to scale. Beyond picking, packing, sealing and labeling, automation can be integrated into inventory management and ordering platforms for better accuracy and increased efficiency. This also means that the need for packaging materials that are automation-friendly, usually meaning uniformly sized and durable, has become a priority.
Minimalist Design and Visual Storytelling
Gone are the days when customers opened their new product and discarded the packaging without further thought. Now, your packaging plays an important role in the customer experience. From telling your brand’s story through colors, typography and textures to incorporating interactive elements like QR codes, packaging has become part of a full-on unboxing experience. It’s become an avenue for consumers to interact with your brand in a more meaningful and thoughtful way, instead of simply ignoring the packaging, ripping it open and throwing it away.
Along with the focus on sustainability, clean, minimalist designs have become increasingly popular. This means that you should focus your packaging design on presenting value and pertinent information in a clean and simple way that consumers can easily recognize. Not only does this help your product stand out on the shelf, but it also communicates to consumers why they should buy your product.
Evolving Consumer Expectations
At the core of nearly every packaging trend is evolving consumer behavior. Consumers now focus on buying from brands that align with their values, whether that’s eco-conscious, minimalist, health-informed, or something else. They expect a brand’s packaging to reflect their values, so there’s often a demand for transparency in labeling and sourcing in addition to pleasing aesthetics. Consumers often gravitate toward products with packaging that has a premium or high-quality feel.
Today’s consumers are also all about ease and convenience. They don’t want to be frustrated with packaging mistakes, like overpackaging or hard-to-open designs. To your customers, your packaging is a billboard for your business, and it needs to match their expectations.
No matter how packaging trends evolve, Veritiv Pollock is here to support you with all of the packaging solutions you need to streamline operations, enhance sustainability and keep up with consumer expectations. Visit our website to learn more about how we help businesses SOLVE packaging or contact us today to get started!
