1. Can you briefly describe your role and CIRCANA’s activities?

 Circana is a leader in consumer trend analysis. Using cutting-edge technology based on artificial intelligence and predictive data analysis, Circana enables its clients—retailers and consumer goods companies—to understand consumer behavior, the market, and demand. In France, Circana covers the retail, food service, toys, sports, and selective perfumery sectors.

I am the Director of Research at Circana. With over 20 years of experience in the consumer sector, I provide manufacturers and distributors with insights into market trends and growth opportunities by transforming Circana data into actionable insights. I represent the company with authorities, federations, conferences, and the media. I am also a member of the Board of Directors of the Institut du Commerce. I am also part of the college of personalities within the Conseil National du Commerce, where I serve as co-rapporteur for the working group on circular commerce.

2. You were a speaker at our CNE PACK ESSENTIEL conference on June 12, 2025, on the theme of “Packaging and society: Crossing paths in a world in transition.”

   – In your opinion, what societal changes will have the greatest impact on the packaging sector in the coming years?

The packaging sector is at the crossroads of major changes that are impacting and will continue to impact the trade and consumer sectors in the years to come.

The first group of changes identified are technological developments. Technical/technological developments have always shaped the trade and consumer sectors. While we are still struggling to assess the impact of artificial intelligence, we are now very aware of the impact of the penultimate major development, namely digital technology.

In a quarter of a century, 10% of French purchases are now made online, and the pace of growth is strong and steady. In 2024, 1.6 billion parcels were delivered in France, an increase of 38% compared to 2018. The challenges of this digitalization of consumption are significant for the packaging sector, with considerations regarding the materials used, package sizes, recycling, and reuse.

After technological developments, it is developments related to environmental challenges that are having a major impact on the packaging sector. Food waste in the home is still too high in our country. Each French person throws away nearly 30 kg of food per year. Reflections on portion sizes, the portionability of food, improved closure systems for better preservation, and clearer display of use-by dates will enable effective action to be taken on waste. Of course, more global considerations such as the materials used for packaging, reuse, and deposits are topics that players in the sector are considering and acting on to reduce their environmental impact.

Demographic changes are the third group of developments that will have a significant impact on the consumer sector in the coming years, and here again, packaging will have to adapt. The reduction in household size in our country and the aging of the population will lead to changes in many areas: individualized portions, packaging ergonomics and handling, legibility of labels, and opening methods.

   – What are consumers’ expectations regarding the product and its packaging in this uncertain context (purchasing power, ecology, etc.)?

Societal changes are the last group of changes identified, and this is where we touch on the lifestyles of French people and their expectations.

The urbanization of our lifestyles has been accompanied by the individualization of needs, different forms of mobility, a desire to save time and, therefore, an ever-increasing demand for convenience and practicality. All of this has consequences for packaging: once again, it must be more individualized, suitable for transport in bags, baskets, and top boxes, and stackable for smaller homes.

The ever-increasing focus on health is another important development in our society, making the issue of packaging material safety even more pressing, as is the issue of clear product composition information.

All of the developments mentioned are necessary, but they must be achieved without a major impact on price. Indeed, purchasing power remains very limited in France, especially after the years of high inflation in 2022 and 2023.

This is a very strong constraint for stakeholders, but unfortunately, French consumers are not prepared to pay significantly more for packaging that is more environmentally friendly or more practical.

3. Overall, what messages would you like the CNE to convey to companies wondering about the best options for upgrading their packaging?

The final message I would like to convey to packaging stakeholders is that packaging is the primary ambassador for the product it protects. As such, it is absolutely fundamental and can play a very important role.

Let’s take the example of food packaging. “Good” packaging, i.e., packaging that stands out on a shelf where hundreds of products are sometimes lined up, that clearly conveys information about the product’s composition and origin, that is practical to use, environmentally friendly, and ensures good preservation, can be a very effective selling point and help connect with consumers. The marketing aspect of packaging is just as important as its technical component!