Coffee Packaging Made Easier

According to Roast Magazine, sixty-two percent of Americans drink coffee daily.. When they buy coffee to brew at home, it’s likely the packaging played a role in capturing their attention at the point of purchase.

But long before the product reached the shelf, the right packaging will have served the all-important purpose of ensuring the coffee maintained its flavor profile and freshness, throughout the supply chain.

As coffee consumption behaviors evolve and consumer expectations change, the retail coffee packaging decision has grown more vital and more involved. This guide can help. You’ll find insights on the important role of coffee packaging, factors to consider when evaluating retail coffee packaging options, and popular flexible packaging for 2021 and beyond.

Key Considerations for Coffee Packaging

When choosing the optimal packaging for roasted coffee, considerations like these should be an integral part of the decision process.

1. Point of purchase: how shelf appeal, shelf space, and e-commerce plays into the consumer purchase process.
2. Sustainability: sustainable packaging has become an essential consideration for coffee roasters—especially with 53 percent of Americans noting they want to buy coffee they believe to be good for the environment.
3. Consumer expectations and preferences: beyond aesthetics, coffee buyers expect a package that opens easily (for convenience) and seals tightly (for freshness).
4. Product integrity and quality: the best packaging protects coffee from end to end, assuring the level of freshness and quality achieved at the roaster remains intact by the time the product reaches the consumer’s home and throughout a potentially long shelf life

Coffee Packaging Options for 2021 and Beyond

The coffee industry has come a long way since the days when large metal cans dominated retail shelves. Today’s roasters have a wider variety of retail packaging options at their disposal, all offering significant advantages for the company and for buyers. Flexible packaging is an increasingly common choice, with options like the following proving mainstays of the industry:

• A variety of gusseted bag types
• Stand-up pouches
• Stock bags
• Customizable packaging materials and unique features

Custom Printing Capabilities and Automated Equipment

When choosing a coffee packaging option, the ability to custom print the package at the required quantities is an important consideration. In this guide, Fres-co introduces you to digital printing capabilities and benefits. By using digital printing, smaller roasters can capitalize on the marketing power of custom-printed packaging, and larger roasters can offer seasonal or exclusive SKUs more cost-effectively. Digital printing is typically used for bags and pouches or rollstock, which is used to produce pre-made bags or sold to roasters that use automated form-and-fill equipment at their own facilities.

As roasters grow and expand their operations, the natural evolution is to move the form-and-fill function in-house. An experienced coffee packaging provider can guide a growing roaster on when to make the switch and which equipment options to consider in the early stages of handling the process internally.

Choosing a Partner for Flexible Coffee Packaging

The packaging decision will continue to be a vital one for roasters of all sizes. With retail coffee packaging influencing so many factors—from shelf appeal and brand identity to product quality, to sustainability—choosing the right partner can have a big impact on a roaster’s success in a growing, evolving market.

As the recognized leader in flexible coffee packaging for the retail segment, with over 40 years’ experience in this market, Fres-co is the right choice for any-sized roaster looking for packaging that supports their business goals.

Ready to make the move to coffee packaging that’s high quality, impactful, sustainable, and innovative? Contact the coffee packaging experts at Fres-co at contact@fresco.com!

For more than 40 years, Fres-co System USA, Inc. has manufactured high-performance flexible packaging systems and invented dozens of innovative breakthroughs including degassing valves, modified atmosphere technologies, and reclosure systems.

Topics: Flexible Packaging, Package Design

Coffee Packaging Made Easier

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