Summary

GlobalData’s "Packaging Industry Business Confidence Report H1 2018", examines executives’ opinion about the business environment during H1 2018. It also highlights existing economic conditions, supplier price variations, sales performance, industry and company growth outlook, spending patterns, and key priorities. Additionally, the report provides information categorized by region.

The existing economic environment is stable for the packaging industry, and customer confidence level will remain positive during H1 2018 (March 2018-August 2018). Survey results reveal that executives who operate in North America and Asia indicate a favorable opinion about economic prospects in the region for over the next six months. Increasing significance of e-commerce, growing awareness for food safety and preservation, innovation in machinery and equipment, along with changing lifestyles in developing economies are factors that influence the packaging market during H1 2018. Globally, 79% of executives are optimistic about the industry’s and company's growth prospects. Furthermore, the packaging industry foresees a rise of 3.8% in the price of raw materials over the next six months. Additionally, cost concern and skill shortages are the critical challenges for the companies with business operation in Europe and North America.

What else does this report offer?
- Current state of the global economy: examines prevailing economic conditions globally and across various regions
- Company and industry growth outlook: provides industry executives’ expectations towards the growth prospects of their company and the industry over the next six months
- Change in customer confidence: analyzes packaging industry executives’ opinion about the change in customer confidence during H1 2018
- Supplier prices projection: determines expected change in supplier prices across various categories and their impact on business confidence
- Change in staff headcount and sales performance: tracks expected change in staff headcount and sales for H1 2018 among industry executives globally as well as regionally
- Significant investment activities: highlights various areas in which industry executives intend to spend and invest over the next six months
- Business concerns: provides information about potential business concerns indicated by survey respondents for H1 2018
- Key priorities: identifies the top priorities of industry executives operating in various regions

Scope

- In total, 45% of survey respondents state that the current economic environment is stable, whereas 44% of respondents indicate a favorable or very favorable economic climate
- Executives with business operations in North America and Europe report the highest level of the positive outlook towards company's growth over the next six months
- The majority of the global respondents anticipate a positive or very positive change in consumer confidence, whereas, 34% of the executives expect no change in customer confidence during H1 2018
- Capital expenditure on new product development and research and analysis is projected to increase during the next six months
- The highest percentage of executives with the operation in Europe and Asia-Pacific region highlighted improving operational efficiency as the key priority during H1 2018.

Reasons to buy

- Helps organizations to make effective business strategy decisions by knowing the prevailing business conditions and sentiment within the packaging industry
- Organizations will be supported in business expansion decisions by providing information about projected change in sales performance and supplier prices
- Helps to improve operational efficiency and to protect and growing market share of the organization by knowing about key priorities and main concerns of packaging industry executives
- Helps to alter investment allocation by understanding key focus areas highlighted by survey respondents during H1 2018

Companies Mentioned

WestRock Company
Tetra Pak
Smurtfit Kappa Group
KapStone Paper Mill
Klöckner Pentaplast Group (kp Pharma)
Nestlé