Changing label market facing competition from other packaging formats

The Global Labeling and Product Decoration Market Update 2015 annual assessment of current label market characteristics, the ninth edition of the report, found that established and more mature label technologies are experiencing increasing competition from alternative decoration and packaging formats, such as flexible packaging in all its forms, and direct print to the container, whether it be a carton, bottle or can.

The report also found that the heat-shrink sleeve label market continued to grow at the fastest rate of usage last year, 5.3 percent, particularly in South America, China and India, although growth has stabilized in the developed markets of North America and Europe.

Pressure-sensitive labels continued to represent a significant growth area, despite the strong competition from sleeving, and showed a volume increase globally of 4.1 percent, while glue-applied labeling grew at a more modest 2.8 percent and benefitted from beverage labeling applications in the developing economies.  

In-mold labeling’s three technologies – IML-EB, IML-IM, and IML-TF – showed a combined growth rate of just over three percent in the global label market.