The stand-up pouch (SUP) market in Central & South America has experienced rapid growth over the past five years, increasing by 50% in unit volume terms from almost 5 billion units in 2008 to just over 7 billion units in 2013. Mayonnaise and tomato sauce (not ketchup) are by far the largest individual end-use categories, each accounting for 16% and 23% of unit volume respectively.

A new report from PCI Films Consulting identifies cost reduction, sustainability and consumer acceptance as the major factors driving demand for stand-up pouches in the region, especially in the largest national market Brazil, where there has been a major switch from rigid packaging to stand-up pouches for tomato sauce.  PCI forecasts that demand for stand-up pouches in Central & South America will continue to grow by around 6% p.a. to reach nearly 9.6 billion units in 2018, at least twice as fast as volume growth expected in the region’s flexible packaging market as a whole.

The supply of printed laminate direct to packers for form-fill-seal applications currently accounts for 85% of pouch unit volumes. Report author Julian Lozowick comments: “The region has a growing number of converters with an established track record in supplying printed laminate for SUPs, especially in Chile and Colombia, who are also supplying customers outside their national markets.” Pre-made pouches are mainly used in retorted human and pet food applications. However, pre-made pouches are becoming more popular in some other applications as they make it easier for food packers to launch new shapes and sizes and achieve faster filling speeds.

PCI’s comprehensive new report, The Central & South American Market for Stand-up Pouches to 2018, which follows publication by PCI of similar studies on the US and European markets, analyzes the major factors driving growth in this dynamic market. Based on extensive fieldwork, the report provides details of the stand-up pouch market in Central & South America by unit volume; area of substrates used (million square metres) and value (US$); existing and planned new packer filling capacity; trends in end-use sub-sectors; usage split between pre-made and form-fill-seal formats; and profiles of the leading pre-made pouch and pouch laminate suppliers and associated market shares. With forecasts to 2018, this market-leading report provides valuable strategic insights into how the Central & South American stand-up pouch market is expected to develop over the next five years.