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STRENGTHEN THE PACKAGING
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MAY 2017 FOOD FOCUSTHAILAND
Toanalyze thisgrowingmarket and their uniqueneeds, a study1
focused upon senior citizens worldwide has been conducted. The
study investigated senior consumer trends in food, packaging and
shoppingexperience to identifyproduct opportunities for producers,
based on insights from 27 countries, including Thailand. Findings
show that 59%of thoseover 60arewilling topay extra for products
that are specially designed for the elderly, and 88% equate
product ‘value’ with ‘high quality’. And this age segment was also
shown tohave the revenue topay for thosebrands thatcater to them.
For example, in America, the disposable income of those aged
55-64 is twice that of the under 25s, per aEuromonitor/ATKearney
survey.
Thestudy1 further revealed that theagingprocessonconsumers
brings its own challenges; hence, manufacturers in both packaging
and thewider foodandbeverage industryneed to tailor theirproduct
offerings tomeet thedifferenthabitsof theseniors.Forexample, they
were found toshopmoreoften,will buydifferent product categories,
tend to shop closer to home and in smaller stores. They are also
more loyal and demand greater quality. Seniors also have a higher
spending on food and beverages compared to the rest of the adult
population.Theyspend20%of their incomeon foodandbeverages,
where the average for thoseunder 60 is 18%.
However, at the same time seniorswere found togenerallyhate
thinkingorbeing told theyareold.Theypreferproductsandpackaging
that are subtle: ones that are ageless but appeal indirectly to their
demographic, rather than those that appeardirectly targetedat them
because of their age. So, with half of those aged over 65 reporting
difficulty opening products as an example, the study1 revealed five
It’s become common knowledge that within less than
10 years, Thailand will officially gain the classification
of an ‘agingsociety,’ referring to thegrowingproportion
of the nation’s population aged over 60. This trend
is also being seen throughout neighboring countries
in Asia such as Japan, South Korea, and Singapore.
With this challenge of evolving demands and requests
for new services by older generations, both the public
andprivatesector havebeen investing their efforts into
definingnecessaryadaptationsandproducts tocater to
the ever-growing senior populations.
ข้ อมูลเพิ่มเติ ม / Additional Information
1 การสำ �รวจล่าสุดเพื่ อทำ�ความเข้าใจเกี่ยวกับความต้ องการและไลฟ์สไตล์ของผู้สูงวัย
27ประเทศทั่วโลก โดยเต็ดตราแพ้ค
TetraPak commissionedawhitepaper focusedupon senior citizensworldwide.
WinningtheHeartsofSeniors:
PuttingCare inPackaging
specific packaging requirements from this age group that will increase
greater brand loyalty and purchasing:
1.Packagingneeds tobeeasy toopenandcapsat aproperheight,
to reduce forcedused inopening and toavoidhand slippage.
2. Packages need to be lightweight and rounded - easier to hold
thansquareshapes.Thecartonmaterialsshouldbestrongenoughand
able to hold its shape to prevent spillage.
3. Require a long shelf life to suit less shopping trips.
4. Labelling text should be larger, clearer and brighter, for easier
communication.
5. Nutritional information and expiration date should be displayed
prominently.
In this time when we are moving towards an increasingly aging
society, it’scrucial thatmanufacturersandbrandswhocanuncoverand
address the changing consumers’ demands, and are willing to adapt
and effectively communicate these adaptations - will have the upper
hand in furthering their businesses inboth thepackagingand foodand
beverage industries.