not too long ago, grocers offered little variety in packaging sizes. shoppers could buy soups in one of two sizes of metal cans they grabbed milk in gallon and halfgallon jugs or quart cartons and they reached for juices in multiserving bottles or kiddiesized juice boxes.now, however&mdashthanks to u.s. consumers&rsquo evolving lifestyles and tastes&mdashsize matters. portioned packages of stocks and broths and singleserve packages of juices and energy drinks stand shoulder to shoulder with jumbosized versions and many sizes in between.why such range busy schedules and the distinctive needs of different generations are influencing the container sizes shoppers want and need. in turn, brands can profit by understanding the forces shaping these shifts and taking them into account when planning product concepts.changing households, changing needschanges in packaging size variety mirror the changing profile of the american household. u.s. census bureau data tell us fewer people are living in the average home. the number of people in oneperson households rose from 17 percent to 27 percent from 19702012 this means more heads of households are feeding just themselves, so smaller containers with fewer servings meet their needs.family sizes are also shrinking. the most recent census tells us the number of households with children and only one adult rose from 11 percent in 1970 to 18 percent in 2012. u.s. families headed by a single parent, according to a 2013 pew center report, have tripled since 1960. further, historically low u.s. birth rates are likely &ldquohere to stay, even if some of the recessioninduced decline reverses,&rdquo notes brookings institution analysis.take the lower number of people in the average u.s. household and factor in increasingly hectic schedules, and the need for different food and beverage sizes becomes more understandable.woman with tetra prisma® aseptic carton packagegenerations have different needsn addition to changing households, generational differences are impacting shopping behavior and product sizes. a look at consumer habits and preferences sheds light on what they want and needyoung consumers millennials, the youngest heads of households, are more likely than older shoppers to reach for convenience products, according to research from brand amplitude. only about 25 percent of millennials have children many live alone. they choose singleserve cartons, heatandeat foods and other items in smaller packages, a trend that plays into their need to have exactly what they want without having to compromise whether that means flavors, spice levels, calorie counts or ingredient exclusions like gluten or peanuts. millennials also are helping drive the &ldquo247&rdquo trend, with consumers constantly connected and busy, frequently foregoing meals in favor of snacks. attention is diverted from mealtimes with others to computer and smartphone time, and they reach for singleserve products with greater frequency than before.middle consumers generation x, the group between millennials and their boomer parents, cooks an average of 10 meals a week, often augmenting homemade fare with packaged broths, vegetables, sauces and other goods. they appreciate multiserving cartons, with recloseable tops that preserve unused portions for later. this cohort now has children, from babies and toddlers in generation alpha to gen z gradeschoolers. their carts are filled with a mix of container sizes, including singleserve juice cartons for school lunches or snacks and products like soup and almond milk in larger sizes that provide nutritious fare and economical solutions.older shoppers baby boomers downsizing to smaller households mean a shift in preference from massive &ldquofamilysize&rdquo containers designed for economy of scale to smaller multi and singleserve sizes. these serving options allow each adult to have a custom experience, from either a flavor or nutritional standpoint, or in some cases in response to health concerns. research from iri suggests food and beverage companies should consider the dexterity challenges faced by some consumers in that cohort. to reach these graying shoppers, producers can offer grippable cartons, easyopen caps and other seniorfriendly packaging features.sizing things upgrabandgo currently is the most dynamic package size trend. in one survey, 72 percent of consumers indicated they expect to ingest food and beverages on the go in coming months, according to market intelligence tracker gfk ropers reports worldwide.still, rapid growth in popularity of singleserve, grabandgo food and beverage products should not move manufacturers and brands to eliminate larger containers. recent research in the journal of consumer psychology on package size, perceived quality and price perceptions finds that not all consumers prefer bitesize packaging. a producer might be smart to ramp up production of singleserving packaging but keep multiserving packages on shelves.if small containers are surging in popularity, why do larger containers still hold swaythe percentage of annual food spending allocated to meals enjoyed away from home climbed to more than 43 percent as of 2012, but that means the bulk 57 percent still covers items consumed at home.millennials are more budgetminded than older generations&mdashmarket intelligence agency blueberry finds about 30 percent of consumers in that cohort maintain a formal budget, compared with 22 percent of gen x and 17 percent of boomers. for budgetminded consumers, economical multiserve containers could hold greater appeal.bottom line manufacturers and brands should consider a mix of smaller and larger containers for their lines. different sizes complement each other a consumer who reaches for a singleserve carton of chilled milk from the convenience store on her way to work is likely to grab a larger carton of the beverage on the way back home. in this way, different sizes can act as brand boosters, carrying shoppers from one product offering to another&mdashwhich can increase a company&rsquos sales across all of its packaging sizes. 
