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Packaging trends pop up pretty quickly, and even when you have your finger on the pulse of the industry, there are always innovative new ways to present your items that you may not have considered.

Stand-up pouches (SUPs) are one of the most convenient, flexible and trendy new packaging options. They’ve been around for decades, but with the public's growing interest in efficiency and waste reduction, they’re rapidly growing in popularity.

SUPs usually have a resealable zipper, track and/or spout, and can carry solid, liquid or powdered items. Single-serve drinks like Capri Sun, to-go snacks, any baby food or granola containers also come in pouches. Scan the shelves of any retail store in 2019, and you’ll see these flexible pouches all over the place.

Because they’re functional, flexible and have a wealth of potential uses, SUPs are more popular than ever — and an important addition to the options available in manufacturing.

More and more products are being offered in pouches, from coffee beans to soap refills to potato chips.

According to a study by the Freedonia Group, demand for stand up pouches in the U.S. will grow at a CAGR of almost 6% to $2.9 billion by 2022.

Because they’re light and take up less shelf space, stand-up pouches often make product handling and storage easier — so they should be a serious packaging consideration for many manufacturers.

Stand up pouches come with many benefits, depending on your product needs or contents, such as:

In addition, the SUP trend is in keeping with consumers shifting eating habits. People have been moving away from three main meals and moving toward eating snacks and smaller items throughout the day.

According to a 2018 study by Technomic, consumers are more likely now (than in 2016) to replace one or two meals per day with snacks, instead. Eighty percent of consumers say they snack at least once a day. Stand-up pouches support that trend, as they’re often reclosable and are perfect for single-size servings.

Manufacturing Challenges That Come with Stand-Up Pouches

While SUPs are the perfect fit for many items, they’re certainly not for everyone. They do present specific challenges when it comes to manufacturing and packaging and aren't an ideal choice in all scenarios. Some of those challenges include:

​​​Will Stand-Up Pouches Work for You?

While stand up pouches aren't a "one size fits all" solution for packaging, they are a flexible, efficient technology with a wide variety of uses — and a great addition to the growing selection of more sustainable, customizable options for manufacturers.

If your company makes a product that sounds like a fit for this type of packaging, it's worth exploring what's available.