KBS - Packaging - Market Insight

E-COMMERCE/INTERNET OF PACKAGING (IOP) The rise of online shopping in the UK and worldwide has been a key driver of packaging growth. The UK has one of the most developed e-commerce markets in Europe, and the surge in home deliveries has dramatically increased demand for corrugated shipping boxes, padded mailers and related packaging. The global IoP market size was $21.57bn in 2024 and has grown to $23.66bn in 2025. It is forecast to surpass $54.43bn by 2034 at CAGR of 9.7%. This includes utilising technologies such as QR codes, RFID and NFC to enhance the customer’s experience. Online orders require protective packaging and the impact of e-commerce on categories such as groceries and healthcare has encouraged innovation in this sector, e.g. more custom-sized packaging, frustration-free designs and parcel packaging optimised for courier systems. Moreover, AI-assisted robots now carry out the basic tasks of packaging. This automation is also disrupting the industry.

Top 10 Packaging Industry Trends & Innovations in 2023

Packaging Automation 9%

Digital Printing 10%

Internet of Packaging 32%

Biodegradable Packaging 20%

Active Packaging 8%

Customized Packaging 5%

Editable Packaging 5%

3D Printing 3%

Nano techno logy 3%

Recyclable Packaging 5%

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This tree map illustrates the top 10 innovation trends & their impact on the Packaging