Opinions

Our annual series of articles looking at developments in various global label markets during the past year is, understandably, dominated by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is the unavoidable thread that binds the pieces together, and as such some recurring themes emerge.

During...

The MENA label industry reports that the demand for labels was hampered for a time due to labor, operational and supply chain challenges, exacerbated by the travel bans and lockdowns in other countries. But being essential service providers for the food, personal hygiene and pharma industries,...

Earlier this year, an article published in L&L entitled ‘Their finest hour’ described the sterling efforts of South Africa’s packaging converters to manage demand – particularly for essential food and pharmaceutical packaging – under almost war-like conditions.

But it’s not only...

A temporary ‘half-lockdown’ is still underway in Indonesia, according to Henky Wibawa, executive director at the Indonesian Packaging Federation. ‘The necessary FMCG retail business is still moving, though certain product sectors are really down,’ he says. ‘For instance, the ready-to-drink...

The Indian label industry reported busy periods in July and August, mainly to flush the dry supply chains in every sector. September reportedly was marginally slow, followed by busy last quarter of the calendar year. 

The pandemic has, however, resulted in evolving buying patterns....

The most encouraging statistic is that China’s economic recovery is accelerating. In the first quarter of 2020 when the country was felled by the first outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, GDP fell by 6.8 percent year-on-year, then grew by 3.2 percent in the second quarter. In the third quarter...

The world’s most urbanized region, where 80 percent of people live in cities. The most unequal, too, where a third of people live in poverty, often in sprawling slums not conducive to social distancing. A high number of people who rely on informal, cash-in-hand work, and therefore reluctant to...

Market researchers at LPC surveyed nearly 90 North American label converter companies and found that for the majority of participants, 2020 has been a year of growth. Furthermore, LPC says of those label converting companies who reported growth, 23 percent reported high growth.

Many of...

We are fortunate to have an excellent and detailed snapshot in the Finat Radar report of the first period of the European lockdown in Q1 2020 – trends that will no doubt be reinforced as the continent enters its latest lockdown as this article was written in Q4. 

The survey shows starkly...

In the midst of recent protests, pride marches, plastic-free campaigns, political division and the Covid pandemic, more brands are taking a stand on the issues facing our world today. And it’s not just brands recognizing their responsibility to show up and speak out; consumers want to hear how...