Elections 2020COVID-19Make Me Smart DailyFast-Track VaccinesRace and Economy

Loading...

0:00
0% played
Stories Tagged as

Packaging

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

by Marielle Segarra
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
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE

For online retailers, packaging is all about economics

by Kristin Schwab
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
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
I've always wondered...

Why do snack companies always change their packaging?

by Jana Kasperkevic
Jun 5, 2017
Hint: they want you to buy more snacks.
Would this package design catch your eye? Cheez-Its on sale at a local Chicago supermarket.
Jana Kasperkevic/Marketplace
Share Now on:
SHARE
I've always wondered...

Cream cheese has a history wrapped in tin foil

by Jana Kasperkevic
Apr 26, 2017
Why is the packaging so difficult to reuse?
Cream cheese bricks come in handy when making a cheesecake, but the foil packaging is not exactly reusable.
Victor Chavez/Getty Images
Share Now on:
SHARE

Why your package of bacon hides its glorious fat

by Kai Ryssdal and Bridget Bodnar
Sep 14, 2016
The front of your package of super market bacon is a lie.
Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
Final Note

Bubble wrap abandoning its signature pop

by Kai Ryssdal
Jul 2, 2015
Say goodbye to your childhood obsession.
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
By The Numbers

Where can I recycle all this wrapping paper?

by Dan Weissmann
Dec 26, 2013
That dramatic increase in deliveries this time of year means an increase in the trash from all the packaging.
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE

You’ve got questions. We help you answer them.

Support nonprofit, independent journalism that makes you smarter.

Invest in Marketplace

Budweiser ties one on to boost sales

by Queena Kim
May 6, 2013
Bud releases a new can today shaped like a bow-tie and tests the theory that packaging alone can pay off.
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE
Food and Drink

How packaging impacts what beverages we buy

by Jeremy Hobson
Sep 24, 2012
A familiar scenario: You're thirsty. You walk into the store to buy something to drink. But you're not exactly sure what you want, and you're inundated with choices.
ListenLISTEN
HTML EMBED:
COPY
EMBED EMBED
Share Now on:
SHARE
Subscribe Using:
SUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE