paul earnshaw, packaging manager, tesco contemplates the year ahead.the packaging companies that will survive and thrive in the coming years will be the ones that focus their business around identifying and meeting consumers&rsquo needs. innovation and responsiveness remain key to the industry and will be delivered through new production technologies and, more fundamentally, new supply chain set ups. but to be truly successful companies must engage emotionally with consumers through better packaging.new technologies are emerging that will change the structure of the packaging supply chain &ndash digital printing is the obvious example but other structural packaging technologies are emerging that will radically change the production of packaging. how these technology innovations are applied will be as important as how efficient they are. packaging has been in a long period of increasing commoditisation but is now moving into an era when shorter runs and more &ldquobespoke&rdquo options are being called for and can be delivered. the expectation of where primary packaging is produced and where it is filled is changing. holeinthewall operations are increasing, giving important cost and environmental advantages as well as greatly improved responsiveness.meanwhile, the retail world is in the most rapid state of change it has seen for 30 years. consumer habits are changing shoppers are less likely to remain loyal to a restricted number of brands and retailers people are choosing a variety of methods to shop including much use of internet browsing and internet purchasing, and global financial uncertainty continues to influence spending patterns.packaging has a growing role in shaping these habits. it interacts with the consumer at many touch points but now needs to adapt to increased internet purchases where the instore design approach may not work. shoppers are increasingly carrying out &ldquotopup&rdquo shops rather than big weekly spends. they are also becoming more aware of how packaging may affect them through online forums where food contact and packaging materials are discussed at length. shoppers are driven by social conscience and are seeking new experiences.all of us who work in the industry are aware of the effort that goes into creating a new pack. we are also aware of the central role played by packaging when a consumer is judging a new product. however, many people who make operational decisions on packaging are technicallybiased and are led by cost and efficiency metrics. the emotional side of the packaging experience as felt by the consumer is often neglected. to survive the brutal competition in retail we have to delight our customers. we can only do this by meeting their emotional needs through improved and elegant packaging. 
