# Grocery stores are shrinking their packages for a world that changed

> Smaller households, rising costs and GLP-1 drugs mean the era of bulk buying and pantry loading is ending. Packaging must follow.
- Title: Grocery stores are shrinking their packages for a world that…
- Summary: Smaller households, rising costs and GLP-1 drugs mean the era of bulk buying and pantry loading is ending. Packaging must follow. Consumer packaged goods…
- Keywords: consumer packaged goods, packaging design, household trends, retail strategy, pepsico, campbell's, nielseniq, glp-1 drugs, grocery retail, Grocery, stores, shrinking
- Source: Fastcompany — https://fastcompany.com/91622919/grocery-store-of-the-future-smaller-packaging
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: consumer packaged goods, packaging design, household trends, retail strategy, pepsico, campbell's, nielseniq, glp-1 drugs, grocery retail
## The future of food packaging is petit
The grocery store of twenty thirty five could look different from today, with tinier packaging on its shelves, according to a new report from consumer intelligence company NielsenIQ.
## Old packaging strategies no longer fit
Traditional packaging for consumer packaged goods prioritizes upselling, pantry loading and increased consumption, but those strategies are becoming less relevant, warns NielsenIQ.
## Three big shifts are reshaping demand
Household sizes keep going down, living costs keep going up, and the growing adoption of GLP-1s means more consumers are buying less.
## Packaging designed for a world that no longer exists
Packaging design for high consumption and big families with deep, full pantries is packaging design for a world that no longer exists. Companies need to think smaller.

> packaging design for a world that no longer exists
## How American shopping is shrinking
If the American household is shrinking, the way it shops is shrinking right along with it, according to NielsenIQ's report.

> If the American household is shrinking, the way it shops is shrinking right along with it
## PepsiCo tests mini cans at low prices
PepsiCo's U.S. beverages division president Mike Del Pozzo said in June the company was introducing mini cans at a low price point and considering new price points and pack sizes for other beverages.
## Campbell's launches single-serve Goldfish
Last year Campbell's rolled out two point five ounce single packs of Goldfish that retail for less than two dollars.
## Smaller sizes spreading across categories
Smaller packaging sizes are showing up especially across soft drinks, ready-to-eat cereal and salty snacks, but building in other categories too.
## Household size drops, costs rise sharply
Average household size fell from two point six people in two thousand to two point five people today. Food-at-home prices rose two point seven percent year over year as of June.
## One in five households now uses GLP-1s
Twenty one percent of households now have at least one GLP-1 user, a significant shift driving reduced food consumption and smaller package demand.
## Key takeaway

Consumer packaged goods makers are shifting to smaller package sizes as household sizes shrink, living costs rise and GLP-1 adoption grows, making old bulk-focused strategies obsolete.