Is Foil and Laminated Packaging the Recipe for Success?

A new study from Package InSight at the research institution, Clemson University, has revealed the great influence that foil and laminate packing can have on consumers. Indeed, it has been discovered that customers who were looking to buy luxury chocolate preferred packaging that had foil or laminate designs.

This fresh and novel study carried out at the Clemson University CUshop Consumer Experience Laboratory used 70 participants to simulate shopping for luxury chocolates in a retail environment. To see their response to metallic packaging on the shelves, each shopper wore a pair of glasses with innovative tracking technology. This would monitor and track their eye movement while they browsed the shelves. These findings would be used to investigate and evaluate purchase decisions.

Using this controlled methodology, as well as advanced academic analysis, the study’s sponsor, API, has praised the study for enabling a new understanding of buying preferences and how shoppers are drawn to certain packaging. This will definitely provide brand owners with some invaluable advice on how to market their luxury chocolate in a competitive market.

The study concluded that foil and laminated packaging caught the eye of the participants more often than normal, non-metallic packaging, as well as for a longer period of time. This applied for Belgian and Swiss chocolate branding. Not only were they drawn to the packaging, they were also more likely to select this pack of chocolates to purchase.

In addition to the advanced eye glass monitoring, the study also asked participants why they felt more attracted to the foil and laminated chocolates. Researchers found from the responses that the shoppers liked the premium feel of the packaging, which they thought was a sign of better quality chocolate. The words ‘elegant’ and ‘expressive’ were used by the participants to describe the foil packs.

Therefore, this study and research indicate that using foil and laminated packaging on luxury chocolate may have the desired effect of boosting sales and increasing exposure in a retail environment for business owners, allow their product to stand out from the crowd.