The supplement industry is a booming but competitive industry. If you’re a supplement brand or supplement manufacturer, each and every decision regarding how you formulate, create, market, and sell your products is important and should be well-thought-out, including your supplement packaging. These days, pouch packaging is one of the most effective and popular options for supplement packaging.
Pouch packaging comes with many advantages for supplement brands and very few disadvantages. For starters, there is a wide variety of pouch options available for different kinds of products and different kinds of consumers. This makes it easy to tailor your packaging directly to your target market. Pouch packaging is also more environmentally friendly and cheaper than many other packaging options, which makes it a very attractive option for many supplement brands.
Are you interested in learning more about pouch packaging for your supplements? In this article, you’ll learn all about pouches. You’ll learn what they are and about the many different types of pouches available for supplements. You’ll also learn about some of the greatest advantages and disadvantages of using this type of supplement packaging so that you can decide whether or not it’s a good option for your target market.
Contents
What is pouch packaging?
Pouch packaging is a type of packaging for food or supplements that resembles a bag. The difference between pouch packaging and a traditional bag is that pouches are made from materials that are designed to keep the products inside safe from any external factors that could damage them, including light, heat, moisture, and odors. Pouches are also made to be more durable and resistant to punctures than traditional bags.
Most pouch packaging manufacturers achieve this high level of protection and durability by laminating together multiple layers of film that offer different kinds of protection. Metalized film in a laminated structure, for example, can significantly enhance protection from vapor and humidity. Nylon, on the other hand, is a good material to protect contents from oxygen and also helps make a pouch stronger and more durable. The best pouch manufacturers laminate multiple layers of film together to create a strong and effective material.
Interested in learning about other packaging options? Check out The Pros and Cons of Blister Packaging →
Greatest advantages of pouch packaging
Pouch packaging is a rising trend. The pouch packaging market was valued at USD 18.03 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach a value of USD 22.65 billion by 2025. That’s a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.66% from 2020-2025. According to numbers generated by a Harris Poll, 83 % of all brand owners currently use flexible packaging of some type. [1]
But, why is pouch packaging such a booming industry? What makes pouch packaging the new preferred packaging type for manufacturers and consumers? Here are some of the greatest advantages of pouch packaging:
1. Smaller carbon footprint than other plastic containers
First and foremost, pouches take up much less space in a landfill than a bulky plastic container, which makes it a much more sustainable option. Secondly, pouches require much less material to produce than many other competing options. This reduces waste, manufacturing costs, and the product’s overall carbon footprint.
2. Great design options for brands
If you want to catch consumers’ attention and sell more supplements, your design is crucial. Pouches give you plenty of room to create beautiful, eye-catching designs for your supplements. Check out these beautiful pouches for design inspiration.
Source: i.pinimg.com/564x/f1/6d/44/f16d44e0cfe7be46e0643ef143871ea9.jpg
3. Easy to travel with for consumers
One of the greatest advantages of pouch packaging for consumers is that it’s easy to travel with. Unlike bulky canisters and containers that are heavy and take up a lot of room in a suitcase, pouches are flexible, lightweight, and take up very little space. If your supplements require a strict regimen (one serving a day, for example), you should consider supplement packaging options that are easy to transport, so your consumers can take their supplements with them wherever they go.
4. Cheaper than alternatives like glass, metal, and cardboard containers
Last but not least, as sustainability becomes more and more important to both producers and consumers, many brands are turning to materials other than plastic to package their products. Other materials, however, can be much more expensive to manufacture and produce than traditional plastic. Pouch packaging is a good way to meet in the middle. It’s more sustainable than traditional, bulky, plastic canisters, and it’s cheaper than alternatives like glass, metal, and cardboard.
Biggest disadvantages
There’s only really one major disadvantage to pouch packaging: It’s not as durable as other packaging options. That being said, many packaging manufacturers create their own pouch materials by laminating together multiple layers of film that offer different kinds of protection.
Interested in learning about other packaging options? Check out The Pros and Cons of Blister Packaging →
Types of pouch packaging
There are many types of pouches you can choose for your supplements. There are single serving pouches and multi-serving pouches. There are pouches that stand up and pouches that don’t. There are transparent pouches and opaque pouches. There are resealable pouches and non-resealable pouches. The list goes on and on.
The important thing to keep in mind is that pouch options are not mutually exclusive. That is to say, you can combine the many types below to create the perfect pouch for your products and the special needs of your target market. Let’s take a look at some of the many pouch options you can choose for your supplements.
Single-dose pouch packaging
Offering single-dose options to your customers is a great way to allow them to try your product without having to buy an entire bottle, box, or container. It’s also a great way to give out free samples, showcasing any new products you’ve recently formulated to your existing customers.
Pouch packaging is one of the best options for single doses. Stick packs are ideal for single servings of powders, and small, flat, pill pouches are perfect for single-serving vitamin samples. Single-dose pouches offer a great way to provide customized daily vitamins in the form of capsules, tablets, and pills to your customers. These customized daily vitamin packs are a fresh, new trend in the supplement industry.
Multiple-dose pouch packaging
Multiple-dose pouch packaging is perfect for consumers who regularly take supplements in the form of powders. It’s more sustainable than bulky containers, as it takes up less room in landfills, and it’s also great for consumers who travel frequently since it takes up less room in a suitcase.
Stand-up pouch packaging
If you’d rather use pouches than containers for your multiple-dose powder supplements, stand-up pouches are your best option. Stand-up pouch packaging makes it easier for retailers to showcase and sell your products and for consumers to safely store your products on their shelves at home. It’s also more convenient to work with as it’s easier for consumers to scoop from a stand-up package than a flat package.
Most stand-up pouch packaging is gusseted packaging. Gusset packaging includes extra material on the sides or bottom of the pouch so that the pouch can expand and stand upright.
Easy-open pouch packaging
How consumers will open your pouch is another key detail to keep in mind. There are a couple of different easy-open options. You can use a pouch with two divots on each side indicating that the package can be opened by tearing from one side to the other. Another option is to perforate the top of the bag, making it extra easy for consumers to open. A third option, and a slightly more difficult option for consumers, is to seal the pouch in the middle and have consumers open by pulling at each side.
Resealable plastic pouch packaging
If you’re serving multiple doses in pouches, you’ll have to make sure the package is resealable. The most common option is to include a zipper, which can be a press-to-close zipper or a slide-to-close zipper. Slide-to-close zippers are slightly easier for consumers to work with, and they’re also more secure. With press zippers, it’s easy to miss some spots and leave the bag slightly open. With slide zippers, this scenario is almost impossible.
Transparent vs opaque pouch packaging
Another decision you’ll have to make is whether you prefer transparent or opaque packaging; each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Transparent packaging is great for pill pouches as many consumers like to see the shape and size of the pills they’ll be swallowing. Transparent packaging, however, allows much less room for design and marketing messages.
Conclusions: Choosing pouch packaging
There is a lot to keep in mind when choosing packaging for your supplements, but with a little help, choosing supplement packaging can be a fun and exciting process!
One of the best ways to ensure that you’re choosing the right packaging for your supplements is by choosing a supplement manufacturer that also handles your packaging and design. That way, you can get tips and advice from experts who not only understand packaging options but also understand the industry, your exact product, and the needs of your customers.
Generation Nutra offers many kinds of packaging options, including pouch packaging. Here are some additional benefits of building your supplement brand with Generation Nutra:
- Thousands of raw materials to choose from so you can create unique and personalized formulas.
- Advice in terms of formulation.
- Various supplement packaging formats to choose from so you can customize your product.
- A team of in-house graphic designers to help you with supplement label design.
- Advice and guidance to help you market and sell your product.
Are you looking for a supplement manufacturer?
Ask Generation Nutra what we can do for you.
Contact us
References
https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/pouch-packaging-market
