North America Flexible Packaging Market Size, Share, Opportunities, COVID-19 Impact, And Trends By Type (Pouch, Bag, Film, Wrap), By Material (Plastic, Paper, Aluminum), By End-User Industry (Food & Beverage, Personal Care, Pharmaceutical, Others), And By Country - Forecasts From 2022 To 2027

The North American flexible packaging market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.86% during the forecast period to reach US$40.236 billion by 2027, from US$30.866 billion in 2020. 

Due to its improved quality, such as increased shelf life, flexible packaging is one of the most widely employed packaging techniques by major vendors across various end-user verticals. It is also the most cost-effective packaging option for distributing and preserving food, pharmaceuticals, and other goods. Traditional rigid packaging solutions are being replaced by innovative and more sustainable flexible packaging as the emphasis on sustainability grows. Flexible packaging is predicted to become a viable and cost-effective solution as the market need for customer-friendly packages and enhanced product protection grows. Customizability, safety assurance, reusability, transparency, and reliability are some of the other reasons driving market expansion. Furthermore, flexible packaging facilitates consumers' on-the-go lifestyles by allowing them to carry food commodities anywhere.

The North American flexible packaging market is expected to grow due to the increased demand for convenient packaging by customers.

The increased demand from the retail sector in this region is expected to propel the market growth for flexible packaging. For instance, according to the National Retail Federation, retail sales are expected to total between $4.44 trillion and $4.56 trillion in 2021. As customers continue to use e-commerce, non-store and online sales, included in the total number, are predicted to climb between 18 and 23 percent to a range of $1.09 trillion to $1.13 trillion. According to Census Bureau estimates, retail and food service sales in the United States totaled $639.8 billion in November 2021, up 18.2 percent from November 2020. Similarly, total sales increased 16.2 percent from September to November 2021, compared to the same period the previous year.

Because many companies have not yet optimized packaging for e-commerce, and overpacking is prevalent when shipping products from a distribution center to a consumer, the considerable share contributed by e-commerce is likely to impact the industry positively. Due to the increasing complexity of this retail chain, shipments are typically divided down into individual packages for delivery, resulting in not only additional waste but also increased energy consumption and pollution. Flexible packaging gives e-commerce suppliers performance benefits like waterproof and lightweight materials, as well as superior dimensional weight benefits.

The need for flexible packaging items in the region is largely driven by millennial consumers, who have a strong affinity for on-the-go style and single-serving food and beverage foods. Flexible packaging is a popular alternative for packing these products because they are often designed to be resilient, portable, and lightweight. The food and beverage industry in the region is expected to have a growing demand for flexible packaging because of the growing market of snack foods, both fresh and processed. For instance, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, the per capita cheese consumption in 2020 was 40.2 pounds.

Flexible packaging is combined with rigid packaging formats in advanced package forms such as collapsible or reusable pouches, bag-in-box, and others. Pouches, liners, bags, and shrink wraps, for example, are expanding the flexible packaging industry's possibilities. Furthermore, the North American e-commerce sector's consolidation is expected to make flexible packaging one of the fastest-growing packaging options over the projected period.

By country, the United States is expected to hold a significant share in the North American flexible packaging market during the forecast period.

Companies are investing heavily in product innovation in response to the increased demand for flexible packaging, which is boosting the market growth in the country. For example, Kodak launched Sapphire EVO W Press in June 2020. The Sapphire EVO W is the first flexible packaging press with Kodak's latest continuous inkjet technology to hit the market. The Uteco Sapphire EVO W press is the company's second device for digital flexible packaging production, developed in collaboration with Kodak. Similarly, in June 2021, Coveris launched a new cereal liner solution. The Cereal+ liner was designed to provide increased packer performance and shelf life. It is constructed from completely recyclable polyethylene and protects cereals and dry foods packed in bag-in-box films by ensuring freshness and shelf life. Moreover, in October 2021, Berry Global and LyondellBasell partnered to help the company achieve its objective of procuring 100 percent of its customer-facing packaging responsibly by 2026. The partnership encourages consumers to switch from plastic-lined paper cups with low recyclability to single-substrate, clear plastic drink cups that are easier to recycle. Such developments are expected to further propel the market in the United States during the forecast period.

COVID-19 Insights

COVID-19 had a favorable impact on the North American market, as demand for flexible packaging for food, beverage, and pharmaceutical uses for product packaging increased. People resorted to panic buying and mass stocking due to the fear of lockdowns. During the pandemic, many customers turned to online food shopping, and this trend is predicted to continue. The usage of at-home refill packaging for home and personal care products has become a new trend in the post-COVID era. This has opened new possibilities for flexible plastic refill pouches that reduce parcel size and weight while in transit.

North America Flexible Packaging Market Scope:

Report Metric	Details
Market size value in 2020	US$30.866 billion
Market size value in 2027	US$40.236 billion
Growth Rate	CAGR of 3.86% from 2020 to 2027
Base year	2020
Forecast period	2022–2027
Forecast Unit (Value)	USD Billion
Segments covered	Type, Material, End-User Industry, And Country
Regions covered	USA, Canada, Mexico
Companies covered	Amcor PLC, Mondi PLC, Transcontinental Inc., American Packaging Corporation, Sit Group SpA, Toppan Printing Co. Ltd, Printpack Inc., Novolex Holdings Inc., Berry Global Inc., Sealed Air Corp., Tetra Pak International SA, Cascades Flexible Packaging
Customization scope	Free report customization with purchase

 

Key Market Segments

• By Type
  • Pouch
    • Stand-up Pouch
    • Flat Pouch
  • Bag
    • Gusset Bag
    • Wicket Bag
  • Film
  • Wrap
• By Material
  • Plastic
    • Polyethylene
    • Polypropylene
    • Polystyrene
    • Polyvinyl Chloride
    • Others
  • Paper
  • Aluminum
• By End-User Industry
  • Food & Beverage
  • Personal care
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Others
• By Country
  • USA
  • Canada
  • Mexico

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