Home Care Packaging Trends

A look at the trends influencing home care package design and innovation.

Home Care Packaging Trends

By: Moira Stein
Date: July 25, 2022

Introduction

Home care took on new importance during COVID-19, with heightened concerns about health and hygiene influencing consumer attitudes and behaviors. People bought record amounts of disinfectants, surface cleaners, laundry products, and more to keep their homes clean and safe. Though the pandemic is waning, it will have a lasting impact on the home care category. Many consumers will maintain a hygiene-centric mindset, continue their newfound cleaning routines, and spend more time at home.

The global home care sector is expected to show steady growth through 2026.

Convenient Formats
Convenient Formats

Convenient Formats

Today’s consumers seek solutions that fit their increasingly busy lifestyles, especially within the home care category. This includes products and packaging with multiple benefits, multi-functionality, optimized dosing, smart technology applications, and other features that simplify the user experience. Growing economic uncertainty has made many consumers more price-conscious, and convenience benefits can be a great way to add value and differentiate from the competition.

Studio One Eleven designed a dual-chamber bottle for Rejuvenate that allows consumers to easily switch between house wash and window cleaner applications without disconnecting & reconnecting separate packages, adding time-saving convenience to the cleaning process.

60% of global consumers say that they are looking for more convenient/time-saving household cleaning products - Q4 2021 GlobalData survey

  • Rejuvenate - Dual-chamber bottle
  • Seventh Generation - Easy dose cap measures the perfect amount with one squeeze

Safe & Effective

People are becoming increasingly conscious of the ingredients in the products they use to care for themselves, their families, and their homes. Home care is starting to align more closely with beauty and personal care when it comes to claims, ingredient transparency, and clean labeling.

Brand design plays an important role in communicating that a product is safe, gentle, and trustworthy. Studio One Eleven developed custom bottles and labels for Charlie’s Soap that reflect the brand’s “Live Green, Deep Clean” brand positioning and light-hearted personality. A fresh, pastel color palette, whimsical leaf imagery, and strong but simple brandmark complement the unique and impactful A-shaped bottles and suggest a safe but effective clean.

57% of consumers prefer seeing fewer or simple ingredients, while 54% pay high amount of attention to the ingredient list.

Safe & Effective
Safe & Effective
Safe & Effective
E-commerce Durablility
E-commerce Durablility

E-commerce Durablility

The pandemic was a massive driver of e-commerce growth, and the channel is expected to continue growing even when COVID-19 is behind us. Consumers appreciate the safety, convenience, variety, and competitive pricing online platforms provide. E-commerce packaging has unique design and logistical challenges that need to be considered. Products may be handled up to 3 times more than packaging sold through traditional retail and therefore need to withstand rigorous conditions and rough treatment.

Partnering with suppliers, like Berlin Packaging, with a responsive QSD (quality service division) and APASS (Amazon Packaging Support and Supplier Network) certification can help resolve problems, prevent waste, and reduce costs. Brand design is another consideration. E-commerce packaging needs to be designed to perform well not just on the shelf but online. Think about how your product will look when viewed on a computer monitor, tablet screen, or smartphone.

E-commerce home care sales grew by 70% globally between 2019 and 2021
- EuroMonitor International

  • Honest Laundry - Studio One Eleven’s custom-designed package prevents leaking
  • Boulder Laundry - Designed to withstand rough handling during shipment

Sustainable Solutions

Over the past several years, reducing plastic packaging waste and improving recyclability have become focus areas within the home care industry. Companies have realized that sustainability and profitability go together, with eco-friendly initiatives attracting new consumers and driving brand loyalty.

Refill and reuse models have gained popularity among cleaning brands as an effective, environmentally responsible option for companies selling through both traditional retail and direct-to-consumer. There has been a rise in the use of post-consumer recycled and ocean-bound plastic in support of a more circular economy. Local sourcing, lightweighting, and eliminating unnecessary packaging components are additional ways for brands to reduce their carbon footprint and save costs.

Berlin Packaging takes a holistic approach to sustainability with a range of services, including market insights, lifecycle analyses, stock options, custom solutions, and communication strategies. Our customer-focused teams combine deep subject matter expertise with practical commercial experience to build circular strategies that will strengthen brands and grow their bottom line.

67% of consumers identify as environmentally aware - Boston Consulting Group

  • Branch Basics - Refill & reuse models are gaining in popularity
  • BioKleen - Bottles made with post-consumer recycled plastic
  • Rug Doctor - Lightweight bottle resulted in 10% fossil fuel reduction

Sustainable Solutions
Sustainable Solutions
Sustainable Solutions

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The brands mentioned in this report are trademarks of their respective owners. Inclusion of these brands in this report is not meant to imply an association with or endorsement from the respective trademark owners.