PCI Films Consulting (pcifilms.com) analyzed fifteen emerging flexible packaging markets, which currently account for over 20% of global demand and concluded that collectively in the last five years they had grown twice as fast as the world average. Many companies have successfully gained from this market growth and have identified many new opportunities for growth in the coming years.

PCI’s report, ‘Opportunities in Emerging Flexible Packaging Markets to 2019’, is an in-depth analysis of the flexible packagingmarkets in Poland, Russia, Turkey, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Nigeria. In each country profile you will find details on substrate suppliers, converters, investors and purchasers with exceptional insights into these increasingly important markets.

The report covers markets of widely differing sizes, growth rates and levels of flexible packaging sophistication. One of the key findings is that although a number of these emerging markets, especially Russia and Brazil have recently been adversely affected by falling commodity prices and a slowing global economy, overall flexible packaging demand is still growing by nearly 10% per annum over the past five years.  This is double the rate of the global flexible packaging market as a whole.

Major drivers in flexible packaging demand identified include inward direct investment by multinational brand owners and converters, improving living standards, high population growth, liberalization in a number of markets, changing consumer lifestyles and the development of mass retailing.

Commenting on the publication, study author Paul Gaster says: “Over 60% of total current demand in the markets reviewed is concentrated in seven South East Asian countries and this is where nearly 90% of our forecast growth will be generated over the next five years.  These markets in particular will present investment and penetration opportunities for all those involved across the flexible packaging supply chain.” However, average growth over the period in the South American and European countries reviewed is expected to be 5% or less. Demand in Russia is forecast to fall to less than 2% per annum, where a faltering economy, collapsing oil revenues and western sanctions are heavily impacting demand.

Now in its second edition, this 270 page report, illustrated with more than 70 charts and tables, is an invaluable tool to inform all those involved in business planning, capital investment and future product development. Based on original field research conducted towards the end of 2014, it is the most up-to-date and comprehensive study available on these emerging flexible packaging markets.