AeroFlexx Blog

The Future of Multiformat Packaging: Trends and Best Practices for Consistency

Written by AeroFlexx | Aug 12, 2025 1:59:40 PM

Today, brands are tasked with navigating a range of complexities shaped by evolving consumer preferences, mounting regulatory demands, and a shift toward omnichannel retailing. At the center of it all is the need for multiformat packaging—a solution that works across sizes, channels, and use cases.

The challenge is both logistical and strategic. Companies must balance visual identity, performance, and sustainability while not compromising brand consistency. In the past, packaging was simply about protecting the product. Now, it’s a key part of a brand’s strategy for driving consumer engagement, operational efficiency, and environmental responsibility.

From AeroFlexx’s perspective as a next-generation packaging partner, the opportunity is clear:

  • Scale consistently across formats and channels.
  • Align with evolving sustainability goals.
  • Enhance consumer experiences at every touchpoint.
  • Preserve and elevate brand value through innovative design.

Why Multiformat Packaging Is No Longer Optional

The shift to multiformat packaging is a direct response to the pressures shaping today’s market. To compete, brands must adapt to consumers expecting more tailored experiences, increases in sustainability regulations, and varied retail formats. 

Addressing Consumer Needs and Frustrations

Consumers expect options that align with their needs, including portion control, portability, easy dispensing, and product clarity. The format often determines how well the product fits into a consumer’s lifestyle. For example, a parent may want a large family-sized body wash at home but a compact version for travel. Or they may want single-serve formats that meet convenience expectations in fast-paced environments.

Consider the variety of formats for a single product, such as Daisy sour cream or Dawn dish soap. Both brands are equipped for multi-use packaging but maintain a consistent identity across each version. This approach meets modern demands for convenience, portion control, and ease of use while still signaling a unified brand presence.

Consumers expect flexible formats that don’t sacrifice performance.

Pricing and Value Tiers

Multiformat packaging supports tiered pricing strategies, helping brands reach a broader range of shoppers. Premium formats can signal elevated positioning, while smaller stock-keeping units (SKUs) offer affordable entry points. A larger format may emphasize value for club store shoppers, while a sleek, high-design version may resonate in luxury retail or boutique environments.

This flexibility allows brands to serve multiple segments with precision while preserving brand identity.

Channel Requirements: One Brand, Many Touchpoints

Packaging needs vary drastically depending on the sales channel. What works in a convenience store won’t always perform in a club store or online marketplace. Multiformat packaging enables brands to tailor design, volume, and material use to meet these needs without compromising consistency.

E-Commerce vs. Brick and Mortar

  • E-commerce packaging must withstand transit, minimize leakage (especially for liquid packaging), and deliver on what consumers see online. Compact, durable shapes with bold visuals and legible messaging matter most here.
  • Brick-and-mortar packaging competes on the shelf. The format influences shelf impact, stocking efficiency, and in-store visibility.

Club Stores vs. Convenience Stores

  • Club stores often favor bulk packaging that conveys value and minimizes consumers’ trips to restock.
  • Convenience stores require smaller, quick-grab formats designed for portability and impulse purchases.

AeroFlexx’s no-mold, flexible format allows brands to scale and customize across all of these environments without retooling delays.

Sustainability and Regulatory Demands

Consumers increasingly favor brands that prioritize eco-conscious design. In fact,  according to a 2025 McKinsey report, the environmental impact of packaging is a key consideration for a significant subset of consumers. That means brands must not only diversify formats but also do so with environmental impact in mind.

Multiformat solutions that reduce plastic usage or offer refill options respond to rising consumer demand for sustainable choices. They also respond to new packaging regulations taking hold everywhere from California to the European Union. Requirements around recyclability, labeling, and material composition vary widely by region. 

AeroFlexx’s packaging uses up to 85 percent less plastic than rigid bottles, helping brands reduce waste while still delivering strong functionality. Our flexible, mold-free format lets brands adapt to these regulatory demands more easily, avoiding delays and noncompliance risks.

Brand Positioning and Shelf Impact

Multiformat packaging also serves a critical role in brand positioning. In crowded markets, the format of a package can instantly communicate a product’s identity and value.

Shelf Impact

Unique shapes and finishes help brands stand out and create a sense of premium value or functional superiority. Whether it’s a distinctive silhouette, a textured surface, or a clever dispensing feature, the format becomes a visual and tactile signal.

Category Cues

Format can also guide consumer understanding. Flexible pouches often signal eco-consciousness or a refill solution, while sturdy upright bottles might suggest performance or durability.

AeroFlexx helps brands incorporate these cues across packaging lines while ensuring consistency in shape, design, and messaging.

Creating Cohesion Across Formats

Whether launching a travel-sized shampoo, a refill pouch, or a limited-edition seasonal product, the packaging must feel connected to the brand.

Brands can create cohesion of brand identity through: 

  • Signature shapes, colors, and icons
  • Consistent messaging and tone
  • Familiar functional features, such as valve dispensing

With AeroFlexx’s mold-free technology, brands can maintain these elements across formats and launch cycles without incurring high tooling costs or production delays. This not only strengthens brand recall but also builds trust with consumers.

Design and Function: Why It Must Work Everywhere

A product’s packaging must deliver a consistent experience, whether it's in a consumer’s gym bag or sitting in a bathroom cabinet. That means:

  • Dispensing should be easy and mess-free.
  • Durability should withstand shipping and daily use.
  • Sustainability goals shouldn’t vary by size.

Take liquid packaging: Traditionally, smaller formats sacrifice functionality for portability. But AeroFlexx’s flexible packaging design allows the same easy-to-use, self-sealing valve and sleek form factor in travel sizes and family packs alike. And because the structure is inherently more sustainable—reducing up to 85 percent of plastic compared to rigid bottles—it supports a lower carbon footprint across SKUs.

Future-Ready Packaging: What Leading Brands Are Doing Now

The most forward-thinking companies are building platform-based packaging strategies—modular designs that scale efficiently and create operational flexibility. This approach lets brands:

  • Introduce new SKUs faster.
  • Stay visually cohesive across innovations.
  • Reduce waste through streamlined production.

Additionally, brands are experimenting with smart packaging features, helping connect physical products with digital experiences. In addition to engaging consumers, these features collect valuable insights for future iterations.

As packaging becomes a source of data and differentiation, it's increasingly seen as a strategic growth driver, not just a necessary cost.

A Unified Brand Experience Starts with Packaging

In an environment where every product must show up, stand out, and perform flawlessly across formats, channels, and use cases, multiformat packaging has become an imperative.

AeroFlexx empowers brands to stay ahead by delivering scalable, sustainable, and consumer-friendly packaging solutions. Whether you're reimagining your refill strategy or optimizing for e-commerce, the right packaging partner can turn packaging from a challenge into a competitive advantage.

Ready to transform packaging into a growth engine? Check out our e-book, Transforming Packaging into a Strategic Growth Driver: A Guide for Brand Leaders. Download your free copy.