Keeping up with convenience needs

Delivering convenient packages is a moving target with bulls-eyes that reside in consumers' perceptions, hands, clothing, computer screens and personal space. Thanks to consumers' decreasing attention span--coupled with the acceleration of the time crunch in which we're all living--convenience expectations are moving fast.

But fast is being trumped by faster, smaller and simpler. Technology enables us to do more in less time. It encourages multi-tasking that includes eating and drinking while driving, walking, keyboarding or even skateboarding. Moreover multitasking itself is increasing the need for zips, flips and handles, as well as convenience foods, notebook and handheld computers and telecommuting.

Untethered from their homes and offices and almost totally free to move about, American consumers are taking more and more products and packages with them. I'm specifying "American" here because on-the-go eating and drinking is primarily still an American phenomenon--one of the lifestyles that we haven't yet managed to export.

American consumers are gaining expertise in dashing from place to place, belief to belief, store to store, brand to brand, technology to technology and diet to diet. They're trading up and trading down as their needs and moods suggest. Technology is galloping and using the Internet is as natural as breathing. Morning joggers push baby strollers, exercise their dogs and sip bottled water all at the same time. Some even hope for a way to drink hot coffee as they run.

Convenience expectations now include no dishes to wash, hand-held options, minimal packaging waste, single-serve and bite-sized options, crush-proof transit, no extra utensils needed, and health and convenience in the same package.

Today's ideas about prep-time convenience in the kitchen are moving from 30 minutes to 15 minutes to no-prep ... from packages that're easy to reseal, to packages that do the work of pots and are easy to toss ... from quick and easy clean up to no clean up. Products, packages, stores and technology all keep moving to get the dollars consumers are willing to spend to meet these needs.

You may have noticed the recent proliferation of small sizes in snacks and beverages. Eight-ounce cans and bottles of drinks look like retro versions of an earlier, simpler and much thinner time ... or reactions to the "Super Size Me" movie. Besides being addictive, fast food can be blamed for super-escalating the need for convenience even before it started super-sizing its offerings.

The ironic thing about small size convenience is the extent to which small sizes are now being seen as right sizes. During the years of growing drink-sizes, staying cold or hot longer was a major selling point for larger and larger and still larger sizes.

In the last two years, many consumers have realized that small sizes keep their fizz and temperature throughout their short life spans. Besides encouraging smaller and more sensible portions, the small sizes stay fresher, fizzier, colder and hotter--and more convenient. Pepsi is reported to have tripled their multi-pack sales when they introduced 18-packs of 8-ounce soda cans.

Stay tuned as sizes, perceptions, needs, and expectations keep changing.

The author, Mona Doyle, is the CEO of The Consumer Network Inc., an organization that regularly takes the pulse of consumers on packaging issues. She publishes The Shopper Report newsletter. Contact her at 2401 Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 2A4, Philadelphia, PA 19130 Phone: 800-291-0100; E-mail: Mona@ConsumerNetwork.org

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