Plastic Thermoformed vs. Plastic Flexible Pouch Packaging
Different packaging options can make an enormous difference to the bottom line, both through manufacturing costs and influencing a customer’s point-of-sale decision. Klöckner Pentaplast, a Gordonsville, Va.-based manufacturer of forming films, worked with Package InSight, LLC, Clemson, S.C., to examine the effects of different substrates on cheese, specifically a rigid thermoformed package and a flexible cheese 4-sided pouch. The study was conducted in CUshop at Clemson University, Clemson, S.C., a research lab with space to customize immersive shopping environments.
To accomplish this study, 116 participants wore eye-tracking glasses within a retail laboratory while shopping for products on a provided list for three days. During this process, participants’ eye movements were recorded and used to corroborate the results and provide insights on why participants purchased the item they did.