What Is the Purpose of Packaging Products?
The huge variety of packaged products in any supermarket is evidence of the magnitude of the packaging industry and the purposes for packaging. Some products seem overly packaged, and some packaging seems, frustratingly, near impossible to penetrate without, at least, very sharp scissors. However, not all packaging is wasteful and without function. Packaging protects products from contamination and spoilage during the product's journey from production line to consumer usage. It also protects products from damage during the shipping process.
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Necessity
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Necessity is the main reason for the packaging of many products of a shape or consistency that could not be stored or sold easily without adequate packaging. Food products such as sodas, sugar, rice, cereals, processed fruits and vegetables, coffee beans, tea leaves and powdered laundry detergents simply could not be sold in retail environments if they were not contained in a package of some description which allowed for easy and convenient shelf storage.
Preservation
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Food products must be protected from contamination. Placing products in air-tight cans and jars is an important step in food processing and ensures that the foods remain free of deadly organisms such as E. coli. Such packaging extends a product's shelf life for many months, or even years.
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Marketing
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Particularly in the supermarket, where products must compete with many competing brands, packaging is essential in catching the attention of customers. When designing packaging, companies must choose designs that will stand the test of time. Customers become familiar with the packaging for certain brands and are conditioned to pick those when selecting products. Frequent changes in packaging design can affect the customer negatively, since they fail to recognize that brand and will select another eye-catching product instead.
Convenience
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Some companies retain loyal customers by ensuring that their product is convenient to use once the consumer gets it home. For example, with liquid laundry detergents, many consumers prefer the convenience of buying those with built-in liquid dispensing taps or caps that are also measuring cups.
Safety
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Many chemical cleaning products could be deadly if ingested, or could cause damage if accidentally spilled. Medications could have similarly catastrophic consequences if taken accidentally, particularly by children. Most states require that hazardous products be sold with safety features that prevent accidental spillage or ingestion. This includes the infamous child-proof caps, which so many people have difficulty opening.
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- Photo Credit row golden aluminum non alcoholic beer cans image by photooiasson from Fotolia.com
