Contained: why it's better to display some products without a package

Area of Science:

• Consumer Behavior
• Marketing Science
• Product Presentation

Background:

• Product packaging is ubiquitous across various retail environments.
• The decision to display products packaged or unpackaged appears arbitrary to managers.
• Existing research has not fully explored the psychological impact of packaging on consumer perception of naturalness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether displaying products with packaging influences consumer responses compared to unpackaged products.
• To understand the role of packaging as a symbolic barrier affecting perceived product naturalness.
• To identify conditions under which the negative effects of packaging can be attenuated.

Main Methods:

• Six controlled experiments were conducted to test the effects of packaging on consumer responses.
• An Instagram study was utilized to examine real-world consumer engagement with packaged and unpackaged products.
• The research focused on food products but extended to natural non-food items.

Main Results:

• Packaging significantly decreases perceived product naturalness and leads to less favorable consumer responses.
• The negative impact of packaging is reduced when product information or signage emphasizes the product's natural origins.
• The importance of product naturalness moderates the effect of packaging on consumer perception.

Conclusions:

• Packaging functions not only physically but also symbolically, creating a barrier between the product and its natural source.
• Strategic use of packaging and marketing communication can influence consumer perceptions and product desirability.
• Findings offer insights for merchandising strategies, digital marketing, and sustainability efforts focused on packaging reduction.