Pouches Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Material (Plastic, Metal, Paper, Bioplastics), By Product (Flat, Stand-up), By End-use, By Treatment Type, By Closure Type, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030

Report Overview

The global pouches market size was valued at USD 40.09 billion in 2022 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.9% from 2023 to 2030. Rising demand for packaged beverages and packaged food and coupled with the cost-effectiveness and convenience of use of pouches are primary factors driving the pouches market growth. Pouches occupy lesser space in transportation vehicles owing to their compactness, besides, their lightweight nature significantly reduces the cost associated with transportation. In addition, the availability of multiple closure options in pouches such as spout, zipper, and tear notch is attracting the consumers and fueling market growth. The global packaged food market has been significantly growing owing to changing lifestyles and innovations in food processing techniques, which is expected to favor the growth of the market during the forecast period.

The U.S. is a highly significant and lucrative market due to the presence of major players operating in the food and beverage industry. The high market penetration of ready-to-eat meals due to high number of working class professionals in the U.S. has been a major driver for pouch-based packaging solution market growth within the country. Furthermore, flexible packaging products such as pouches require significantly lesser material for their manufacturing and reduce the overall cost associated with the product packaging improving the profit margin of the end-use companies. As a result, end use companies are increasingly adopting flexible packaging format which in turn is benefitting the growth of pouches market.

The preference for sustainable packaging solutions by the end use companies is seen to be increasing owing to the growing sustainable awareness among consumers and the rising regulatory pressure. This is expected to advance the demand for pouches in the coming years. Pouches utilize lesser material, water, and energy while manufacturing and occupies lower space in landfills after disposable, which improves their sustainability profile. Standup pouches act as a marketing tool as it has a higher surface on which graphics are printed that entice consumers towards the product, especially in the supermarkets where the consumer makes a quicker purchase decision. This factor has also been appealing end use companies towards the packaging format and fueling growth.

With the outbreak of COVID-19, sharp drop in sales of electronics and personal care products and disruption of supply chain affected the sales of pouches during the initial stage of the pandemic. The shutdown in China, which is one of the key raw material producers, impacted packaging manufacturers globally. However, significant surge in consumption of packaged food products was witnessed. A considerable proportion of population preferred packaged food products, such as ready-to-eat, ready-to-cook, and packaged food ingredients. This strong demand globally mitigated the negative impact of COVID-19 on the market.

Material Insights

The plastic material segment dominated the market and accounted for revenue share of over 64.0% in 2022. Plastic pouches keep packed products fresh for a longer duration as they offer strong resistance to UV light, oxygen, dust, and moisture; this factor is mainly attributed to the highest share of plastic material segment in 2022. Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP), and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) are commonly employed plastic resins for the manufacturing of plastic pouches. Low cost and durability of plastic make it a favored material choice for the manufacturing of pouches. For instance, in September 2021, ProAmpac launched QUADFLEX Recyclable pouch categories which utilizes recyclable laminated mono polyethylene. The new addition expanded the sustainability packaging portfolio of offered by ProAmpac.

The bioplastic material segment is anticipated to witness the highest CAGR from 2023 to 2030 in the industry. The material exhibits similar properties to that of plastic material and is completely degradable. Furthermore, the growing stringent regulations on the use of plastic packaging and rising sustainable awareness among the consumers are expected to augment growth to the bioplastics material segment in the coming years. Innovative biopolymers such as PHAs (polyhydroxyalkanoates) and PLA (polylactic acid) are the major growth drivers of biodegradable plastics materials. Based on their chemical composition, they possess a wide range of physical and mechanical properties required for various applications such as healthcare, homecare, and food packaging.

Treatment Type Insights

The standard treatment type dominated the market and accounted for revenue share of 59.0% in 2022 on account of its widespread use across end-use segments. Standard treatment pouches are used across the food and beverage as well as personal care and cosmetics segment owing to its lower cost as well as higher durability. The aseptic treatment type is expected to witness the highest CAGR of 7.0% from 2023 to 2030. Aseptic treatment ensures that the packaged product is safe from bacteria, and while eliminating the need for refrigeration during transportation, due to which, end use companies are increasingly utilizing the treatment for the packaging of their products.

In the aseptic treatment process, food products such as milk, soup, non-carbonated beverages, and pharmaceuticals are sterilized separately from packaging, and further, under the sterile condition, the products are inserted into the packaging. Paper and plastic-based composite material are mainly utilized for aseptic packaging. The aseptic treatment process is preferred over the traditional canning or bottling process as the latter demand longer periods of heating and cooling to sterilize the product and package, resulting in loss of aroma and nutrients. Aseptic treatment prevents the loss of aroma and nutrients, with process being efficient and faster.

Product Insights

The flat product segment dominated the industry and accounted for over 65.0% revenue share in 2022. Various CPG products such as medical equipment, fabric care, detergents, dry fruits, confectionery, and snacks are predominantly packed in flat pouches due to their low cost and convenience of storage. The stand-up pouch type segment is expected to witness the highest CAGR in the pouches market in the coming years. Food products packed in stand-up pouches such as baby food, yogurt, soup, dressing, and salad can be consumed away from home. This portability, coupled with easy to open closures incorporated in product format, is majorly attributing to the high growth of the segment.

Stand-up pouches also allow consumers to empty the package effortlessly in contrast to rigid packaging products such as metal cans, which further results in lesser food wastage through the pouches. In addition, the high product to packaging ratio in stand-up pouches is also attracting end-use companies towards the packaging format. Pet food has become one of the prominent applications for stand-up pouches as the industry has been one of the early adopters of stand-up pouches. However, the stand-up pouches segment is expected to see high growth in applications such as dairy, which have recently started switching to stand-up pouches from flat pouches for better marketing opportunities.

Closure Type Insights

The zipper dominated the closure segment and accounted for over 41.0% of overall market share in terms of revenue in 2022. The zipper protects the products such as pancake mixes, dog treats, and nuts from excess moisture helping it retain freshness for a longer time even when used more than once. Zipper pouches are becoming a popular choice in emerging economies where the consumers are shifting toward packaged foods for daily consumption. Resealable packaging makes the product compact and more appealing to consumers due to the added benefit of storage. Thus, zipper pouches are also becoming increasingly popular in cosmetics industry apart from their prominent use in food and beverage industry.

The tear notch closure type provides proper indication of where the bag should be cut, assuring the consumers of a professional-level packaging done by the company and eliminating the possibility of a duplicate product. Spout closure pouches are used as a substitute for plastic bottles, and provide a sustainable alternative to traditional over packaged products. Thus, with increasing demand for sustainable alternative the spout closure type is expected to witness CAGR of 7.1% during the forecast period.

End-use Insights

The food and beverage end-use segment dominated the market and accounted for over 55.0% revenue share in 2022. Increasing use of the product for the packaging of alcoholic beverages due to their lightweight, sustainability, and non-fragile nature is mainly contributing to the growth of the segment. Furthermore, standup pouches are increasingly utilized for the packaging of baby food products. The global baby food market has been witnessing considerable growth on account of the growing population of working women, which in turn, expected to drive the demand in the food and beverage end-use segment over the forecast period.

The increasing sanctification trend wherein multiple snacks are preferred over a complete meal due to the busy lifestyle and convenience of consumption is expected to offer considerable opportunities to the pouch manufacturers in the coming years. Snacks are commonly packaged in pouches due to their low cost, and easy filling of nitrogen to preserves the color, flavor, and texture of the packed food product. The convenience offered by the pouches, especially during traveling coupled with the expanding personal care and cosmetics industry owing to raising awareness with regard to personal grooming, is a key factor attributing the growth of pouches in the personal care and cosmetic segment.

Regional Insights

Asia Pacific accounted for the largest revenue share of over 38.0% in 2022. Factors such as the increasing demand for the packaging format due to its low cost and high aesthetic appeal on retail shelves coupled with rising penetration of organized retail in the region are primarily augmenting market growth. Furthermore, the growing spending power of the consumers, especially in countries such as China, India, Vietnam, is boosting the demand for packaged food products, which in turn, is expected to propel market growth. Moreover, the growing consumption of packaged beverages and high preference for the small-sized packs due to its low cost and convenience of use are expected to fuel the demand for pouches in the region.

North America is expected to observe steady growth in the market over the forecast period. Increasing preference for pouches by the CPG manufacturers due to marketing advantages is expected to favor the product demand. In addition, growing consumer preference for the pouches owing to their portability and convenience is anticipated to increase the penetration of pouches for use in different industries. The European Union is planning to reduce plastic waste significantly by 2030 mainly by banning single-use plastic packaging and emphasizing the use of recyclable packaging. Therefore, in order to align with this goal, end-use companies and pouch manufacturers are expected to focus more on the production of pouches made from mono-materials. For instance, in July 20201, Guala Pack S.p.a. introduced Pouch 5, which is made from mono-material for retort packaging applications.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The industry is highly fragmented by the presence of domestic as well as global players. Amcor plc is one of the leading companies in the industry; the company caters to all end-use industries in the market and mainly focuses on the acquisition and new product launches to strengthen its leading position in the market. For instance, in April 2022, ProAmpac launched retort pouches featuring 30% post-consumer recycled content. This initiative is aimed at reducing the virgin plastic content in the products while delivering the same packaging performance and filling line efficiency.

The companies in the industry mainly offer customized packaging products as per customer requirements and are adopting strategies such as mergers and acquisitions and new product developments to gain a competitive advantage in the market. For instance, in April 2021, Constantia Flexibles signed an agreement to acquire Turkey based Propak, a snack packaging manufacturer. The acquisition was aimed to strengthening former’s presence in Europe’s snack packaging space. Some of the prominent players in the pouches market include:

• Amcor plc

• Mondi

• Sealed Air

• CONSTANTIA

• Coveris

• Goglio SpA

• ProAmpac

• GUALAPACK S.P.A

• Huhtamaki Group

• Smurfit Kappa

Pouches Market Report Scope

Global Pouches Market Report Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at the global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2018 to 2030. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global pouches market report on the basis of material, treatment type, product, end-use, closure type, and region:

• Material Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Plastic

  • Metal

  • Paper

  • Bioplastics

• Treatment Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Standard

  • Aseptic

  • Retort

  • Hot-Fill

• Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Flat Pouch

  • Stand-up Pouch

• End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Food & Beverages

  • Healthcare

  • Personal Care & Cosmetics

  • Homecare

  • Others

• Closure Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • Tear Notch

  • Zipper

  • Spout

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2018 - 2030)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

    • Mexico

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • U.K.

    • France

    • Italy

    • Spain

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

    • Australia

    • South Korea

  • Central & South America

    • Brazil

  • Middle East & Africa

    • South Africa