Purpose

As a result of both shifting social concerns and stricter legislation, many companies are seeking innovative and sustainable solutions for both primary and secondary packaging. The craft beer industry has made the most notable advancements with a variety of alternatives to the traditional secondary packaging (e.g. plastic rings) used to link beer cans. Yet, despite the impact packaging has on consumer purchase behavior and the environment, secondary packaging has received far less attention in the literature. This study aims to understand consumer perceptions of craft beer secondary packaging on consumers’ willingness to buy via the underlying mechanisms of perceived packaging innovation and sustainability.

Design/methodology/approach

A single-factor between-subjects experiment with four conditions (secondary packaging format: Pak-Tech holder, Keel Clip holder, Glue-Pack holder, Biodegradable holder) was conducted with 354 participants to test the hypothesized serial mediation model.

Findings

The results demonstrate that none of the secondary packaging styles had a direct effect on willingness to buy, meaning that the package style alone does not influence a consumer’s purchase decisions. Critically, the results also revealed indirect effects; specifically, the Keel Clip and Glue-Pack six-pack can holders were perceived as more innovative than the Pak-Tech holder, which in turn positively influenced perceptions of packaging sustainability and subsequent willingness to buy.

Originality/value

The authors’ results extend the research on sustainable secondary packaging and aids craft breweries along with other beverage producers in making informed decisions as the push for sustainable packaging becomes more prominent.

中文翻译：

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拿着我的啤酒瓶子（来源于某笑话！消费者对创新和可持续二次包装的看法

目的

由于社会关注点的转变和更严格的立法，许多公司正在为初级和次级包装寻求创新和可持续的解决方案。精酿啤酒行业取得了最显着的进步，提供了多种替代用于连接啤酒罐的传统二次包装（例如塑料环）的产品。然而，尽管包装对消费者购买行为和环境有影响，但二次包装在文献中受到的关注却少得多。本研究旨在通过感知包装创新和可持续性的基本机制，了解消费者对精酿啤酒二次包装的看法对消费者购买意愿的影响。

设计/方法论/途径

对 354 名参与者进行了四种条件（二级包装格式：Pak-Tech 支架、龙骨夹支架、Glue-Pack 支架、可生物降解支架）的单因素受试者间实验，以测试假设的串行中介模型。

发现

结果表明，任何二级包装样式都不会直接影响购买意愿，这意味着包装样式本身不会影响消费者的购买决策。至关重要的是，结果还揭示了间接影响；具体来说，Keel Clip 和 Glue-Pack 六罐罐支架被认为比 Pak-Tech 支架更具创新性，这反过来又对包装可持续性的看法和随后的购买意愿产生了积极影响。

原创性/价值

作者的研究结果扩展了对可持续二次包装的研究，并帮助精酿啤酒厂和其他饮料生产商在推动可持续包装变得更加突出的情况下做出明智的决策。