Consumer Perception of Food and Beverage Packaging Attributes: A Multidimensional Study of Visual, Functional and Sustainability Dimensions in Chennai

Abstract

Packaging has evolved beyond its conventional functions of product containment and protection to become an important medium through which consumers evaluate product attractiveness, convenience and environmental responsibility. This study explores the consumer perception in terms of three aspects of food and beverage packaging viz. Visual, functional and sustainability aspects, and also analyzes the effect of overall perception of the packaging on buying decisions of the consumers in Chennai. The study employs descriptive and explanatory research design and a structured questionnaire, and the data obtained is 400 usable responses which are used for model analysis. The constructs are measured using a five-point Likert scale, while the tools used are reliability analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). All the three categories of packaging attributes such as visual packaging attributes (β = 0.243, p < 0.001), functional packaging attributes (β = 0.386, p < 0.001) and sustainability packaging attributes (β = 0.298, p < 0.001) are found to be significant and positive to consumer perception. The most powerful predictor is functional attributes. The 3 dimensions account for 58.4% of the variance of consumer perception. Consumer perception, on the other hand, has a significant influence on purchase intention with a beta value of 0.641 and a p value of <0.001, explaining 41.1% of the variance in the purchase intention. The study concludes that successful food and beverage packaging should combine all of these elements – visual appeal, practical, and perceived environmental responsibility – and not focus on one element alone. The results have implications for manufacturers, marketers and packaging designers who want to provide an attractive, informative message while ensuring convenience and sustainability for consumers.