Automation, data, sustainability, value, and cost are reshaping retail packaging. This report examines how the evolving retail landscape is impacting packaging requirements through to 2031.
ABOUT THIS REPORT
- Retail sale growth slowing as inflation and cost-of-living pressures constrain spending.
- Global retail in 2025 was worth $29.2 trillion, with annual growth estimated at 3.8% CAGR.
- Growth was strongest in value goods and essentials, with luxury categories under pressure.
The retail packaging market is at an inflection point. Global retail reached approximately $29.2 trillion in 2025, yet growth is slowing as inflation and cost-of-living pressures weigh on consumer spending, with value goods and essentials outperforming discretionary and luxury categories.
This report maps the forces reshaping packaging demand through to 2031, from AI-driven forecasting and warehouse automation to EPR regulation, sustainability mandates, and the accelerating integration of physical and digital retail. Market estimates and forecasts are segmented by retail type, end-use, and geography, with technology forecasts and competitive analysis spanning direct-to-consumer, click-and-collect, in-store pickup, and home delivery channels.
The data and analysis in this report is drawn from Smithers’ primary research and authored by specialists with extensive hands-on experience across the packaging industry, ensuring the highest standards of accuracy and relevance.
Key questions answered within this report
- How will changes to retail trends alter consumers' expectations of packaging in terms of sustainability, functionality, and the overall shopping experience?
- How can packaging converters be prepared for continually changing retail trends, and what investments in technology, materials, and supply chain flexibility will be critical to staying competitive?
- How are brands adapting their packaging strategies to keep ahead of changing retail trends, and what role does data, design, and sustainability play in maintaining shelf standout and consumer relevance?
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Introduction and Methodology
Key trends
- Technology & Operations
- Ai-led demand forecasting, pricing & inventory autonomy
- Warehouse and store automation
- Retail -integrated smart packaging for traceability & engagement
- Retail-driven supply-chain localisation & automation
- Data platforms, digital twins & predictive operations
- Retail provenance systems
- Frictionless and checkout-free retail models
- Automation of last-mile fulfilment and delivery
- Channels & Formats
- Platformization of retail
- Full integration of physical and digital retail journeys
- Micro-fulfilment & dark/grey stores
- Product & Assortment
- Private label premiumisation
- Health-driven assortment and format transformation
- Resale & re-commerce
- Hyper-localised assortments
- Bifurcation of value and premium packaging
- Consumer Behaviour & Culture Structural shift to value-led retail models
- Transparency first retail
- Demographic-driven format and assortment redesign
- Shift to high-frequency, convenience-led retail models
- Retail adoption of bulk & refill ecosystems
- Economics & Business Model
- Margin pressure in retail
- Retail media ecosystems as core profit engines
- Membership, subscriptions & loyalty ecosystems
- Consolidation & vertical integration in retail and CPG
- Regulation, Sustainability & Societal Forces
- Retail-driven plastic reduction strategies
- Retail packaging redesign driven by EPR economics
- Regulation-driven nutritional compliance restructuring retail offerings
- Retail resilience strategies under geopolitical risk
- Carbon transparency and labelling requirements
Case Studies
- Avery Dennison
- Mondelez
- Packsize
- AB Inbev & Graphic Packaging
Technology Developments
- Flexible plastics
- Rigid plastics
- Paper and board
- Glass
- Metal
- Other
- Food
- Beverages
- Healthcare
- Clothing and footwear
- Toys
- Electronics and appliances
- Beauty and Cosmetics
- Other consumer
- Industrial
Market by Geography
- APAC
- China
- Japan
- South Korea
- India
- Australia
- Rest of APAC
- Western Europe
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Spain
- UK
- Rest of Western Europe
- Eastern Europe
- Russia
- Poland
- Rest of Eastern Europe
- North America
- South and Central America
- Brazil
- Rest of South and Central America
- Middle East and Africa
- Turkey
- Rest of Middle East and Africa
Market Scenarios
- Geopolitical
- Economic
- Technological
- Cyber risk
- Climate risk
Figures
- Leading retail sales by value, global, 2025 ($bn)
- Global retail sales by region, 2021–2031 ($ billion)
- Retail packaging 2031
- Retail margin pressure, response and outcome
- Influences on retail packaging market
- Packaging assessment: Impact level, description and key indicators
- Technology & operations: Packaging assessment: Impact level, description and key indicators
- Ai-led demand forecasting, pricing & inventory autonomy: Impact level, description and key indicators
- Warehouse and store automation: Impact level, description and key indicators
- Retail -integrated smart packaging for traceability & engagement: Impact level, description and key indicators
- Retail -driven supply -chain localisation & automation: Impact level, description and key indicators
- Data platforms, digital twins & predictive operations: Impact level, description and key indicators
- Retail provenance systems: Impact level, description and key indicators
- Frictionless and checkout-free retail models: Impact level, description and key indicators
- Automation of last-mile fulfilment and delivery: Impact level, description and key indicators
- Channels & Formats Packaging assessment: Impact level, description and key indicators
- Product & Assortment: Impact level, description and key indicators
- Consumer Behaviour & Culture: Impact level, description and key indicators
- Economics & Business Model: Impact level, description and key indicators
- Regulation, Sustainability & Societal Forces: Impact level, description and key indicators
- Flexible plastics: Impact of trend, positive/negative
- Rigids Plastics: Impact of trend, positive/negative
- Paper and Board: Impact of trend, positive/negative
- Glass: Impact of trend, positive/negative
- Metal: Impact of trend, positive/negative
- Other: Impact of trend, positive/negative
- Food: Impact of trend, positive/negative
- Beverages: Impact of trend, positive/negative
- Healthcare: Impact of trend, positive/negative
- Clothing and footwear: Impact of trend, positive/negative
- Toy: Impact of trend, positive/negative
- Electronics and appliances: Impact of trend, positive/negative
- Beauty and Cosmetics: Impact of trend, positive/negative
- Other consumer: Impact of trend, positive/negative
- Industrial: Impact of trend, positive/negative
- Global retail sales, by region (‘$ billion*, 2021–31)
- Share of global retail, by region, 2026
- Share of global retail, by region, 2026
- Global registered (formal) retail businesses
- Global registered (formal) retail businesses
- For each region
- Share of global retail, market value, retail growth, registered retailers and forecast CAGR
- Retail market share, leading players by value, 2025
- Market trends: likelihood, impact and positive/negative
- Summary of scenarios, description and probability
- Geopolitics: Market trends: likelihood, impact and positive/negative
- Economics: Market trends: likelihood, impact and positive/negative
- Technology: Market trends: likelihood, impact and positive/negative
- Cyber risk: Market trends: likelihood, impact and positive/negative
- Climate risk: Market trends: likelihood, impact and positive/negative
Tables
- Global company splits by region – for each region/country