A market that keeps on diversifying
Today’s beverage manufacturers operate in a market that never stands still. Ready-to-drink beverages continue to gain popularity, while product offerings become increasingly diverse. Multipacks, smaller formats, health and functional beverages (such as probiotic and vitamin-enriched drinks), and premium segments like craft spirits and fine wines are all reshaping the market. Each new format brings its own logistical, operational, and commercial challenges.
These are the realities our teams help beverage producers and distributors navigate every day. As the market evolves, secondary packaging has become much more than a protective solution. It’s a strategic asset that improves operational performance, strengthens your brand, and supports your long-term business goals.
The operational pressures are real
In the beverage industry, the pressure starts with retailers and consumers, whose growing expectations continue to raise the bar for performance, precision, and consistency across the supply chain. Beverage producers respond with some of the fastest production lines in the food industry, while managing increasingly demanding operational realities.
Among the most significant challenges are:
- On-Time In-Full (OTIF) performance: Retailers measure every delivery based on two critical criteria: Did the order arrive on time? Was it delivered in full? In supply chains with minimal inventory, even a small delay or partial shipment can result in empty shelves. There is virtually no margin for error.
- Seasonal demand fluctuations: Peak seasons require suppliers to respond quickly and flexibly, absorbing significant changes in production volumes.
- SKU rationalization: Beverage brands are increasingly looking to standardized packaging formats to simplify operations and reduce costs. The goal is to develop "one-box-fits-all" solutions that accommodate multiple product variations while maintaining a strong and distinct shelf presence.
- Cost pressures: Growing demand doesn’t always come with larger budgets. Reliability, ingenuity, and cost competitiveness need to go hand in hand.
At Cascades, we understand these realities because we work closely with procurement, operations and production teams every day. Our packaging solutions are designed to fit seamlessly into your operations, not the other way around.
When channels change,
packaging needs to adapt
E-commerce beverage sales are growing at a compound annual rate of 6.54%.¹ Meanwhile, more companies are introducing direct-to-consumer subscription models, especially in categories such as coffee. Online grocery and club-store purchases are also redefining what secondary packaging needs to deliver in terms of strength, presentation, and visual impact on the shelf.
These shifts mean packaging now often needs to travel on its own. The Ships in Product Packaging (SIPP) model is gaining ground, which means secondary packaging must be strong enough to ship directly to consumers without added overpackaging, while still arriving in perfect condition. Beyond logistics, this approach also helps protect brand perception and reduce waste. Well-designed packaging protects products effectively, helping limit losses, returns, and unnecessary materials, which improves environmental performance.
Secondary packaging as a lever for differentiation
The data is clear, and so is what we’re hearing from beverage producers: secondary packaging now plays a key role in how beverage brands stand out.
82%
of purchase decisions are made
at the point of sale.²
72%
of consumers say packaging design
directly influences their choice.²
Up to 90%
of these decisions are guided by visual
elements on the packaging.³
On the shelf or online, secondary packaging can be the difference between being noticed and being overlooked. This is especially true in club stores and large-format retail environments, where packaging is often the first, and sometimes the only, point of contact between your brand and the buyer.
That’s where high-quality printing makes a real difference. Rich, precise printing can transform functional packaging into a powerful sales tool, without slowing down your production lines.
Paperboard is gaining ground over plastic
A major shift is underway in the beverage industry: plastic components are gradually being replaced by paperboard-based alternatives. Plastic rings are making way for paperboard options. Sleeves, wrap-around cases, and club store packaging are following the same path.
This transition is driven by shared priorities among producers, distributors and retailers, namely reducing the environmental footprint of packaging, meeting consumer expectations, and reaching their ESG objectives. This transition also makes sense from a practical business perspective. Paperboard is lightweight, recyclable, and adaptable, making it well suited to omnichannel distribution. And for brands whose customers are looking for more responsible packaging choices, it helps send the right message on the shelf.
Meanwhile, formats themselves are evolving. Standard RSC boxes are gradually being replaced by trays, a more compact alternative better suited to volume rationalization and logistics optimization.
Secondary packaging solutions tailored to an evolving market
Trays are gradually replacing standard RSC cases to support volume
optimization and improve logistics efficiency.
With the right support, this transition becomes an opportunity, not another constraint. That’s how we work with you: by developing packaging solutions that support your operations and reflect your commitments, as illustrated by our collaboration with Albion Brewery.
Cascades lithoURB: when brown packaging becomes a brand signature
Packaging that expresses your commitments without sacrificing visual impact. That is exactly what Cascades lithoURB makes possible.
Developed by our teams, lithoURB is a paperboard made entirely from recycled fibres and optimized for lithographic printing and lamination, a combination that’s still rare on the market. Its natural brown finish is not a visual compromise. It becomes a distinctive advantage communicating a brand’s commitment authentically and immediately from the first glance on the shelf.
achieve high-definition print quality on paper with a natural finish;
bring the circular economy to life by replacing the outer face of boxes with 100% recycled fibre instead of the 100% virgin component typically used for lithography;
significantly reduce their environmental footprint by using 100% recycled paper instead of a comparable 100% virgin product (up to 72% fewer GHG emissions according to a life cycle assessment conducted by an independent third party⁴);
meet the expectations of retailers and consumers who favour brands whose packaging choices reflect clear values.
lithoURB can be used to manufacture corrugated boxes and folding cartons. It is especially well suited to different beverage packaging formats, including bag in a box, multipacks, wrap-around cases, club store packs and promotional packaging.
The paper is FDA, CFIA and RPTA certified to ensure food compliance and the use of recycled fibres. Finished packaging made with lithoURB also carries FSC Mix and BRCGS certifications, and is prequalified for the How2Recycle program.
Our beverage packaging solutions
At Cascades, we offer more than packaging. We bring the expertise to help you reach your full potential, while carefully considering the impact of the materials that make up our packaging.
Our standard beverage packaging portfolio covers the essential formats your business depends on, including boxes and partitions, trays, bag-in-a-box solutions, and displays. These reliable solutions are designed for high-speed production environments and built to adapt to seasonal demand fluctuations.
Because visual appeal is just as important as structural performance, we pair our packaging solutions with high-quality printing that helps your brand stand out on the shelf, in the warehouse and throughout the e-commerce journey.
With over 60 years of experience, we understand the realities of the beverage market and believe the best packaging solutions are built together.
Looking to optimize your secondary packaging for beverages? Our team is here to help. Contact us today.
Isabelle Goyette
Senior Manager,
Market Insights
Carolyne Buron
Marketing Analyst,
Market Insights
1 Statista, Beverage Market 2025, USA & Canada, At-Home & Out of Home consumption.
2 Forbes, In-Store Branding and the Psychology of Shopping, March 2024
3 ScienceDirect, True colors: Consumers' packaging choices depend on the color of retail environment, 2021
4 Sauvegardes potentielles basées sur l'approche d'analyse du cycle de vie (ACV) selon les normes ISO 14040 et 14044. Étude ACV sur les boîtes en carton ondulé Cascades (2026), menée par Groupe AGECO,
tiers indépendant. Hypothèses basées sur des données de production de 2023, pour 1 tonne métrique de liner. La moyenne de l'industrie repose sur la production de liners blancs et bruns.
