'Difficult' tins provide an opportunity for new packaging types

A survey by market research company Canadean has found that one in five consumers consider tinned food difficult to open. Young adults are most likely to be frustrated by tins of beans or tuna, with 28% of 25 to 34 year olds finding tinned food tricky, compared to 16% of over 55s.

While it’s tempting to roll our eyes at the young consumer struggling with a tin opener, Canadean sees this as an opportunity for the development of new packaging types to meet the growing demand for convenience in food markets.

Researchers also tracked the influence of different motivators when consumers select what to eat. Across food markets, British consumers selected over £8b worth of food in 2013 because it was the most convenient product. Ronan Stafford, senior analyst at Canadean Stafford observes: “While food cans will remain a staple of supermarket shelves because of their low cost, I expect to see pouches and cartons grow in popularity as an easy-to-open alternative for office workers and young families.”

Ambient fish is one category where demand for easy-to-open packaging will drive a shift away from food cans and towards packs such as pouches. Demand for pouches in this market is forecast to grow from 8.7 million to 15.1 million packs by 2018. Stafford comments: “While pouches’ market share will still be niche compared to the share held by food cans, their rapid growth shows how offering a more convenient pack format can revitalise sales among younger consumer groups.”