For Younger Consumers, Packaging Is Part of the Dining Experience

Packaging is playing an important role in food purchase decisions among younger consumers, who place greater value on visual appeal, health claims, and the overall dining experience than their older counterparts, according to Datassential’s Packaging Perspectives report.

For takeout and delivery, temperature retention (48%) and leak prevention (46%) top the overall priority list, but the report notes that those concerns “intensify with age.” Boomers for instance are significantly more likely to prioritize temperature retention.

Gen Z, by contrast, places comparatively higher value on ease of eating directly from the packaging and on visual design, increasingly viewing the delivery container as part of the dining experience itself.

Eighty-seven percent of consumers overall agree that poor packaging can ruin an otherwise good meal — though Gen Z (74%) is notably less likely to feel this way than Gen X (91%) and Boomers (93%). Additionally, 74% of consumers said that consistently poor packaging would make them less likely to order from a restaurant.

On the flip side, 77% of consumers say high-quality packaging elevates the restaurant experience, and 74% agree that well-designed packaging can make takeout or delivery feel closer to a dine-in experience. In both cases, younger generations drive those sentiments more strongly than Boomers.

Packaging innovation also skews younger. Gen Z and Millennials are significantly more likely than older consumers to value QR codes, edible packaging, plate-or-bowl formats, and built-in utensils.

The pull of visual appeal extends beyond packaging design itself. According to Datassential’s Quality vs. Aesthetic report, 50% of Gen Z and 44% of Millennials say they purchased a new food or beverage primarily because of how it looked — well above the 37% overall average.

Social media, where aesthetics and presentation often take center stage, may be playing a role. Almost a quarter of both Gen Z and Millennials say they regularly purchase food or beverage products after seeing them on social platforms, while more than half of Boomers say they have never done so.