Converters face clutter conundrum: reviewing consumer, marketer and retailer packaging priorities. (PPC Meeting).

Official Board Markets, March, 2003 by Arzoumanian, Mark

Clutter continues to rise at the point of sale, says Elliott Young of Perception Research Services, who discussed the impact of the consumer, marketer and retailer on packaging innovations at the Paperboard Packaging Council's (PPC) Annual Spring Meeting in Atlanta earlier this month. His company does consumer research for about 700 packaging firms per year.

At least one third of the items on today's supermarket shelves are being ignored while advertising budgets continue to be cut, he notes. The situation could get worse as the Iraqi war continues. "Impulse purchases are prevalent and ultimately determine a brand's success or failure," he says. "Supermarket shoppers plan to buy 10 items and leave the store with 19. The shopper writes the rules, not...