An Extended Method to Measure Overall Consumer Satisfactionwith Packaging

Abstract

There are several reasons why people find it troublesome to use and handle consumer packages. A test method for evaluating the ease of opening of such packages was presented in the “Technical Specification” (TS) [1]. The present study has expanded the procedure by including consumer satisfaction measurements in two steps and engaging panels comprising two separate age groups. The expanded method, which used six different packages as test objects, engaged 75 panelists, 40 in the older group (65–80 years), and 35 in the younger group (25–40 years). The expanded method included the same operations as described in the TS, but also included panelists who graded each handling element separately on a “smiley” scale, along with feedback for their grades, and an overall judgment of the package handling.

The grading feedback differed between the two groups. The younger panelists mainly noted issues that were not connected to openability, while older panelists noted openability as the most influential factor. Further analysis revealed that openability was also a key issue for the younger panelists, despite their claims to the contrary. Satisfaction was the most critical TS element for describing a package as being easy to open.