THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INNOVATION STATUS AND IMPACT OF SMART PACKAGING ON SLOVAK CONSUMERS

Abstract

The decision about packaging belongs to the most substantial product characteristics. It has impact on the quality of food as well as shopping preferences of consumers. Because the significance of packaging keeps increasing, companies need to take a more innovative approach to packaging policy in the context of ecological innovations. The food packaging industry is largely subject to change from passive to innovative packaging resulting in making the smart packaging. The producing companies, processors of food, logistic operators as well as consumers constantly ask for more innovative packaging (smart packaging) to make products that fulfil standards in the area of quality, safety or identification of products within the logistic chain. The research of understanding and attitudes towards smart packaging as well as evaluation of its utility and requirements was used by the Kano model concept. The aim of the paper is to determine the development of innovation status and the impact of smart packaging on consumers in different age categories in Slovakia. The results show the positive impact of smart packaging on Slovak customers. Innovation status of smart packaging among Slovak customers in determined age categories has increased during the monitored period and younger respondents evaluate the smart packaging as an added value of the product. This added value of smart packaging supports the smart logistics to make the whole logistic chain more effective to develop a decentralized database storing the constantly increasing number of various records, such as product movement or its quality.

Keywords

• innovation
• smart packaging
• kano model