Single serve packaging is no longer a trend

Single serve packaging — whether snacks, beverages or full entrees — is here to stay.

According to the Hartman Group, about 46% of all adult eating occasions occur alone. No surprise there, because currently 28% of American households have just one person. (1) Gone are the days when people went home for lunch to enjoy a meal with their families, now many people sit at their desks and eat alone. This shift in eating has changed the landscape of how we buy food, too, and manufacturers are taking notice notice!

As more people eat alone, the demand for single serve snacks, entrees and beverages has increased. Without the expectation that consumers need to eat a traditional meal, people are also more likely to enjoy a series of snacks in one sitting instead. One of the benefits to eating with others is that it helps control portions, so consumers will look to manufacturers to offer appropriate portion sizes for one.

Manufacturers and marketers will be most successful if they can continue to adapt to our changing eating habits.

(1) http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/social_issues/jan-june12/goingsolo_03-27.html