The Future of Packaging is in the Future of Retail

Here is an example how packaging design may change, drastically, with changes in retail. Original Unverpackt is the first supermarket in Germany without disposable packaging.

In these shops they offer everything in bulk and customers carry away the goods in any container they like. Shoppers bring their own containers, or they may purchase a reusable container at the store. Therefore, there is no packaging waste.

Their goal is to bring packaging-free shopping to Germany, so everybody can buy their groceries the way they want, while enjoying a carefully selected assortment.

This is an example of sustainability, personalization, and empathy. Sustainable because the packaging does not go from the shelf to the trash, because there is no packaging. Personalized because the shopper can buy exactly as much as they want, in a container shape and size that is convenient to them. Empathetic because it has both the consumer’s needs and the earths’ needs in mind as part of its design. It may turn out to be disruptive to the packaging and branding industry.

This raises the question: What affect will this type of retail outlet have on packaging design?

One thought we had is that it branding (the relationship with the customer) is likely to be even further increased in importance.

BIG QUESTION: If shops of this type opened in the Czech Republic that offered your brands in bins, what changes would this bring to your branding model? What other benefits will being an early adopter of this kind of retail model have for your company, brands, and your image in the public’s mind?