James Cropper shares insight on the importance of beauty packaging design

The study, which was commissioned by the UK-based company,  served to unpick what 2,000 UK consumers expect from fashion and beauty brands, closely relating it to expectations associated with packaging design.

The company has had specific market success with a first technology, called CupCycling that has managed to transform used coffee cups into a high quality premium paper that can be used in a variety of packaging applications, including secondary packaging for the premium and luxury end of the market.

Three key themes dominate the study​

The results of the beauty and fashion consumer questionnaire used in the study showed that three main trends prevail, which include sustainability, a smooth and cohesive retail experience and personalisation.

“The message is clear; brands need to evolve and adapt in key areas and a failure to do so in terms of sustainability, experience and personalisation, will mean falling short of consumer expectation in the longer term,”​ said Nick Barnes, global sales director at James Cropper.

“While trends are often momentary, research shows that these are here to stay and will grow in relevance. Brands will exist in an entirely difference landscape in just a few short years, so they must leverage technology and innovations available to them now. Innovations such as ​CupCycling​​ allow brands to give packaging a sustainable story which can help to place them at the cutting edge of consumer desire now and in a decade’s time.”​

Sustainability is what eco-conscious consumers want​

The study found that in the last ten years consumers have come full circle, with most admitting to previously having no or little idea about the impact of packaging on the environment.

In contrast to that, today, over a third of consumers expect fashion and beauty brands to be using packaging that is reusable and easily recyclable. Notably, females generally have a higher awareness of these elements.

Likewise, a fifth of those surveyed said they believed that the eco-friendly qualities of packaging will eventually be the most important considerations when buying beauty products in ten years time.

Personalisation allows for more connection​

Also fundamental to the consumers surveyed was the fact that packaging is a crucial means to communicated exactly how a product has been personalised to suit specific needs, an overriding trend in the cosmetics and personal care arena right now.

This can entail themed packaging for special occasions, such as birthdays or Christmas, monogrammed packaging or individual products for very particular needs.

Indeed, of all the survey responses, this was one of the most pronounced trends, with 90% of the consumers expressing a desire that beauty and fashion products appear to be more personalised to their needs.

Retail parity across all channels​

With retail becoming increasingly fragmented by the addition of e-commerce platforms and social media, the consumers also responded that they believe it is crucial for fashion and beauty purchases to have the same brand experience online, in-store and on social media.

Interestingly, the study also revealed that 10% of those questioned also thought that the packaging design was an even more important part of an online shopping experience because it replaces the physical aspect of in-store shopping.