Liqui-Box innovates bag-in-box wine packaging as demand for boxed wine grows

By Mary Ellen Shoup

- Last updated on GMT

Demand for bag-in-box wine is growing as consumers shift their perception away from tradtional glass bottles. ©iStock/igorr1
Demand for bag-in-box wine is growing as consumers shift their perception away from tradtional glass bottles. ©iStock/igorr1
The bag-in-box wine packaging market is expected to gain 4% growth by 2020, according to Euromonitor, which may mean flexible liquid packaging manufacturer Liqui-Box has innovated its bag-in-box packaging at the right moment with its new dispensing tap Liqui-Top. 

The latest innovation to its line of bag-in-box packaging for wine follows the company’s $4m investment in two of its manufacturing facilities in April 2016 – a strategic move specifically aimed at addressing increasing consumer demand by enhancing and updating its bag-in-box offerings.

"The bag-in-box wine industry has been asking for something new and exciting, and the Liqui-Box team is proud to continue with its strong culture of innovation and bring this new design to the market,"​ Greg Gard, senior vice president R&D at Liqui-Box, said.

Easy pouring

Improving upon the current structure of bag-in-box wine packaging, the company’s new Liqui-Top tap is placed at the top of the wine box allowing the consumer to place a standard glass directly under the tap for pouring. The new tap design also contributes to ease of use by eliminating the need to lift the box over a glass to dispense, or pouring over the edge of a countertop. 

This new tap design is manually activated, meaning the consumer no longer has to deal with slow pour rates as the bag nears depletion.  In addition to an improved experience for the consumer, the Liqui-Top has been designed entirely from plastic components for improved oxygen barrier performance while maintaining recyclability.

Market appeal in mature countries

According to Euromonitor, the bag-in-box concept has the most volume growth opportunity in developed markets such as North America, which accounted for the majority of boxed wine sales in the world with roughly 130 million units sold in 2015.

Europe, too, has shown signs of breaking down its traditional views of how wine should be packaged and has embraced the bag-in-box concept representing the second largest market for sales.

Advantages of bag-in-box wine packaging

According to Liqui-Box, bag-in-box packaging format offers a number of advantages including a longer shelf life and an overall lower carbon footprint compared to rigid packaging. Once opened, the wine packaged in a bag-in-box format will stay fresh for longer as the wine is protected from outside oxygen.

“Consumers can expect fresh wine from four to six weeks after opening versus one to seven days for traditional forms of packaging,”​ the company said. 

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