Here’s why you can’t find 5-pound sugar bags anymore

Apr 24, 2023
The classic pantry staple can tell us a lot about competition in the grocery space and U.S. sugar policy.
Shed a tear for the 5-pound bag of sugar and make room for its lighter sibling.
Janet Nguyen/Marketplace

Why are beer growlers more expensive than six-packs?

Sep 9, 2022
Breweries tend to charge more per ounce if you’re getting large amounts of alcohol, contrary to conventional wisdom.
Buying in bulk: A growler of beer is filled at a Miami brewery.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

How some companies manage to profit from supply chain kinks

Dec 14, 2021
While businesses are not immune to the global logistics nightmare, those that primarily source domestically have an advantage.
The factory floor at the Thompson Creek Window Co. CEO Rick Wuest said being domestically sourced means reliability. “We seized the window of opportunity," he said.
Nancy Marshall-Genzer

How COVID-19 might change packaging for good

May 10, 2021
“I think you've had a lot of pent-up innovation,” says Matt Reynolds, editor of Packaging World.
Cardboard overflowing recycling bins. With home delivery a big part of the lockdown experience, Matt Reynolds says consumers are "asking brands to be more aware" of container sustainability.
Maria Hollenhorst/Marketplace

The marketing tactics behind those odd weights and sizes you see at the supermarket

Oct 30, 2019
Eleven and a half ounces of coffee in a package, 19.4 ounces of dish soap in a bottle. Could it be the "difficult comparison effect" at play?
When competing brands come in different-sized bottles, it's hard to compare prices. And maybe that's the point.
Marielle Segarra/Marketplace

For public good, not for profit.

For online retailers, packaging is all about economics

Mar 6, 2018
Online retailers are trying to cut down on package waste. But designing a new box for everything a company ships takes a lot of time.
Anton Cotaj at ANAMA Package and Container Testing tests boxes on a machine that simulates road conditions.
Kristin Schwab/ for Marketplace