Choose the Right Package Size

How big should your packaging be?

It depends.

How to Apply

• Small = Intense. Coffee seems more intense and bitter from a narrow cup because it feels like a condensed version (Van Doorn et al., 2017).
• Small = Higher Quality. Customers preferred the taste of Pringles chips from a small (vs. large) can because each chip was a higher unit price (Yan et al., 2014). And if your packaging is self-contained, even better. Participants preferred a 1 oz. serving of Gatorade when it came from an individual packet (vs. a 32 oz. container) because it seemed like a full portion (Ilyuk & Block, 2016). A partial serving from a large inventory feels less effective. Perhaps that’s why some brands of laundry detergent are now selling individual capsules (e.g., Tide Pods).

• Tall = Large. Bottles of beer seem larger than cans of beer because customers fixate on the height (Raghubir & Krishna, 1999). But there's a drawback: Customers buy tall packages in smaller quantities because they seem larger. Beer cans are purchased at a 64% higher quantity than bottles (Yang & Raghubir, 2005).

• Ilyuk, V., & Block, L. (2016). The effects of single-serve packaging on consumption closure and judgments of product efficacy. Journal of Consumer Research, 42(6), 858-878.
• Van Doorn, G., Woods, A., Levitan, C. A., Wan, X., Velasco, C., Bernal-Torres, C., & Spence, C. (2017). Does the shape of a cup influence coffee taste expectations? A cross-cultural, online study. Food Quality and Preference, 56, 201-211.
• Yan, D., Sengupta, J., & Wyer Jr, R. S. (2014). Package size and perceived quality: The intervening role of unit price perceptions. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 24(1), 4-17.