Trying before buying is all well and good if consumers actually purchase the product, but in many cases products that have been opened in-store only end up sitting on the shelves until they expire – would you buy something that’s evidently been opened by some stranger? Enter the tamper-evident packaging trend, which not just prevents products from being compromised but also safeguards brand longevity. Read on to learn more!
The benefits of tamper-evident packaging (TEP)
The packaging industry considers consumer safety one of its top priorities. Rather than just a trend, TEP is becoming the new norm because of the many benefits it offers both consumers and brand owners. Next to preventing products from being opened in-store, it:
- keeps products from opening and getting damaged during transport
- prevents lost revenue due to rough handling in-store
- keeps products from being counterfeited or tampered with
- shows brands are concerned with the well-being of their customers
Popular TEP formats
Already a requirement in the pharmaceutical industry, tamper-evident packaging formats have been making their way to other sectors as well, including the food industry. Some of the most popular TEP formats used in various markets across the world are:
- Glass jars with button-top security lids (that ‘pop’ you hear when opening a jar happens for a reason)
- Tamper-evident tape (used for envelopes, boxes, bags, crates, pallets, …)
- Shrink bands for lids and caps
- Shrink film
- Foil seals (e.g. combined with blister packages for packets of pills)
- Track-and-trace labels and ink
Don’t forget about wrap rage
When selecting a TEP format, don’t forget your target audience has to still be able to open the packaging with ease. Research has shown that wrap rage is one of today’s consumer’s pet peeves, a whopping 75 percent of them even deliberately not buying food products if they think the packaging will be hard to open.
Inspired by Packaging Strategies