Examining the Market Potential for Smart Intelligent Packaging: A Focus on Italian Consumers

This study addresses the effect of smart intelligent packaging on consumers’ perceptions and aims to explore new market opportunities for smart intelligent packaging. Based on a quantitative research methodology, this study is exploratory in nature and aims to determine consumer attitudes toward smart, intelligent food packaging. The research findings show that smart packaging offers new technologies that better satisfy consumers’ needs. Italian respondents appreciate the monitoring and tracking functions of food packaging. In addition, different factors of food packaging that lead consumers to purchase are emphasized in our findings. This study confirms that packaging affects consumer purchase decisions. According to the results, although consumers’ knowledge of smart packaging technologies was low, their interest in obtaining more information related to smart intelligent packaging was high. Findings indicate that integrating smart packaging with advanced storage systems and technologies designed to prolong product shelf life is a sought-after technological approach for reducing food wastage. However, the research highlights a lack of consumer awareness and understanding concerning intelligent active packaging, hindering its widespread adoption. Therefore, it is recommended to ascertain consumer preferences regarding packaging characteristics to uncover effective marketing strategies. Consumer expectations vary in terms of significance, ranking, and preferences for specific packaging attributes that influence purchasing decisions. The development of smart intelligent packaging solutions has the potential to meet consumers' requirements regarding the features of food packaging, thereby influencing future demand for innovative packaging functionalities.