Hold my beer! Consumer perceptions of innovative and sustainable secondary packaging

Abstract

Purpose As a result of both shifting social concerns and stricter legislation, many companies are seeking innovative and sustainable solutions for both primary and secondary packaging. The craft beer industry has made the most notable advancements with a variety of alternatives to the traditional secondary packaging (e.g. plastic rings) used to link beer cans. Yet, despite the impact packaging has on consumer purchase behavior and the environment, secondary packaging has received far less attention in the literature. This study aims to understand consumer perceptions of craft beer secondary packaging on consumers’ willingness to buy via the underlying mechanisms of perceived packaging innovation and sustainability. Design/methodology/approach A single-factor between-subjects experiment with four conditions (secondary packaging format: Pak-Tech holder, Keel Clip holder, Glue-Pack holder, Biodegradable holder) was conducted with 354 participants to test the hypothesized serial mediation model. Findings The results demonstrate that none of the secondary packaging styles had a direct effect on willingness to buy, meaning that the package style alone does not influence a consumer’s purchase decisions. Critically, the results also revealed indirect effects; specifically, the Keel Clip and Glue-Pack six-pack can holders were perceived as more innovative than the Pak-Tech holder, which in turn positively influenced perceptions of packaging sustainability and subsequent willingness to buy. Originality/value The authors’ results extend the research on sustainable secondary packaging and aids craft breweries along with other beverage producers in making informed decisions as the push for sustainable packaging becomes more prominent.

The complete package: using secondary packaging of beer products to understand the impact of sustainability initiatives

“…For environmentally conscious consumers, knowing how and why packaging is sustainable is a key issue in purchasing decision-making. As noted by Norris et al (2023), 80% of food and drink purchasing decisions occur at the point of sale, meaning that most sales happen without a product being sampled. Therefore, the design of packaging is the key element in distinguishing products.…”

“…For smaller breweries, any changes have to be made carefully and with the full understanding of what such a resource investment means for other elements of the production cycle. The research of Norris et al (2023) has demonstrated that the choice of secondary packaging has no impact on the consumers' choice to purchase. This means that whatever choice is made, there will be a negligible difference in terms of sales.…”

“…But for those craft breweries that focus on sustainability and environmental causes, this means they can use the packaging with the greenest credentials and not have to consider losing sales because of this choice. Norris et al (2023) have indicated that Keel Clip and Glue-Pack hold the highest consumer views of being innovative and therefore interesting. For craft breweries considering secondary packaging, these are therefore the best choices to pursue.…”

“…This approach has meant that the founders of craft beer firms have tended to similarly focused on the sustainability of operations and packaging. As outlined by Norris et al (2023), 12.7m metric tons of plastic are released into the world's oceans each year, based on 2015 statistics, with over 5.25tn plastic particles already released across global waterways. With this number increasing each year, there is a pressing need to address this.…”

“…This has forced venues to change approaches and broaden the products offered to patrons, catering more to those who do not want to drink. This has resulted in, according to Norris et al . (2023), 75% of beer sales occurring off-premise, rather than having beer predominantly drunk in the tap-rooms and supplied bars of micro- and craft-breweries.…”