One thing that I have been super observant about when I go through the grocery store aisles or even order food products online is the packaging. Some of it has evolved over the years but mostly it is the same. As a consumer why are companies not innovating more?
When you buy a food product, you are looking at the packaging for not only pertinent info like calories, protein, sugar, carbs, etc. but also looking for convenience factor of carrying it around or maybe what it looks like but have you noticed often times you don’t know what the product looks like? Does that stop you from buying the product? For me, it sometimes does. Interestingly, if you buy pet food items usually there is a clear window that lets you see the contents so I wonder why more companies don’t do it on their products?
I do know that manufacturers that might want to do so, don’t include sight windows because perhaps their product is not shelf stable and with exposure to light, it may oxidize and result in loss of nutrients or even flavor changes so I get that but what about those products that don’t suffer from these challenges, why is it not present? Is it because no one has asked for it or it costs too much to change the packaging lines to incorporate this feature?
Of course, not all products need to be seen, like we know what yogurt looks like so the manufacturer should look at their product line and decide if it fits their requirement or not. Bar companies are great at showing you what you are about to buy. For example, KIND bars are great at displaying the wholesomeness of their product via the packaging—makes it so easy to see what I’m about to buy and eat. Even pasta companies do this so you can see in the box the length or shape of the pasta you are about to buy. All of these little extras definitely help me make a purchase decision, do they do that for you too?
I mentioned earlier that we pick up products sometimes for their convenience factor so packaging that caters to that is wonderful as who wants to lug a bulk container around for a single serving right? Another reason I sometimes pick up a product is how quickly can I identify it in the aisle? What distinguishing feature is there? In the sea of blue of pasta, Banza came out with pasta in an orange box. Not only is it easy to find in the aisle but the messaging on the front of the box is limited and shows exactly what the company is promoting. This is packaging done right!
Next time you are at the store, observe what drives you to pick up a certain product aside from its taste. You might be surprised as to why you buy the item!
Eat well, be well!
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