Storecheck New York City – professional analysis of current packaging trends in the USA

The USA inspires with its diversity and spirit of innovation, which is also impressively reflected in the packaging designs of US brands. In the “land of opportunity,” there truly seem to be no limits when it comes to creative packaging design. Every time we travel to the United States for our store checks, we have high expectations—and time and again, we find that they are not only met, but exceeded.

This was also the case during our recent stay in New York City, where we analyzed the latest packaging trends in a highly authentic setting: We visited a typical drugstore, a posh supermarket in SoHo, and—of course—a Trader Joe’s. Below, we present the product and packaging designs and brand identities that we found most interesting and striking.

Pharmacy in the middle of a drugstore

US drugstores usually have a large pharmacy integrated into them. Consumers can choose from countless products designed to enhance their physical well-being. The selection far exceeds the range of medical products we are familiar with in German supermarkets and drugstores.

The Dimetapp brand focuses on a clear, medically oriented design with structured information on product effectiveness. However, especially for products for kids, the brand also uses child-friendly illustrations to distract a little from the purely medicinal character—a successful approach, in our opinion.

The cough drops and lozenges from the Halls brand also emphasize a simple packaging design that focuses on the functional aspect of the product. Compared to the packaging from Rucola—yes, the Swiss brand we love is also available in the US—the bags look particularly simple and unadorned.

The increased safety standards introduced since the coronavirus pandemic are also impressive: some of the medical products, such as those from Aussie, are stored in sealed transparent “chambers” that must be opened by a member of staff. Customers can call an employee at their leisure by pressing a “customer service button.” The areas are also monitored by CCTV.

Innovative and disruptive packaging forms

The US is a reliable source of innovative and disruptive packaging options. Smucker’s jams in squeeze bottles are a particularly good example. They are both practical and visually appealing, combining convenience with high-quality aesthetics. The same applies to Smash Foods’ superfood jams, which stand out thanks to their unusual packaging and product concept.

Olive oil in beverage cans? According to the Graza brand, this is a convincingly disruptive move in a highly competitive market. By reinterpreting this product category, which is traditionally associated with glass or plastic bottles, the oil cans are sure to attract attention – whether positive or negative is up to each individual to decide.

While we’re on the subject of cooking oils, sprays are also attracting attention and appealing particularly to consumers who value functionality and convenience in everyday use.

With their visual dominance in the middle of the shelf, Prime Hydration drinks are much more eye-catching than their European counterparts. Whether you like it or not, the brightly colored packaging with the distinctive vertical Prime logo catches the eye.

Differentiating design strategies

It has long been recognized that one must differentiate oneself from competitors in order to be noticed in a crowded market. However, this is precisely where the difficulty and challenge lie: if every brand is trying to be “different,” how can one still stand out today? During our store check in New York City, we discovered some promising approaches.

Retro and vintage designs: Utz, Sound, Olipop, Saint James, and Koia deliberately use nostalgic visual codes from the 1970s to create emotional appeal.

Illustrations: Off Limits, Magic Spoon, Lundberg, Eat Meati, Beggin’ by Purina, and Pacha Soap Co use complex, detailed illustrations that capture the zeitgeist, strengthen brand identity, and often bring a smile to the viewer’s face.

Distinctive color coding: Van Leeuwen uses the color scheme of its brand name to distinguish between vegan and non-vegan ice cream flavors.

The brand name is white for the vegan varieties and black for the non-vegan products. Van Leeuwen also communicates primarily through colors.

Strong design language: At Kite Hill, triangular shapes serve as a simple but effective brand anchor, while Yellow Bird stands out with practical packaging shapes and a cheeky design. The sauce brand Truff, on the other hand, sets itself apart with the premium look of its bottles, featuring simple, elegant labels and diamond-shaped lids.

New look for cereal products: In addition to Magic Spoon, Kashi and Chex are also using packaging for their cereal products that stands out thanks to illustrative elements and innovative shapes.

Typography and color: Jolly Llama, Yasso, Kind, and Oatly each create recognition value with an exciting combination of typography and color.

Sustainability and ethics in packaging design

More and more consumers are placing greater value on products that meet sustainable and ethical standards and communicate these standards transparently, i.e., in a way that can be easily understood. Brands in the US are trying to respond to this trend. Applegate, for example, prominently displays humanitarian standards and nutritional information in a credible manner directly on the front of its packaging.

Patagonia, a brand known for sustainability in the outdoor clothing sector, has made a bold but interesting move into the food industry. Like its “parent brand,” the “subsidiary” Patagonia Provisions aims to combine enjoyment and sustainability. The range currently includes canned fish, crackers, and pasta.

And then we discovered a potential negative example: the shiny Kerrygold packaging is visually stunning, but could be illegal in Europe because its PPWR compliance is questionable, to say the least.

Convenience and snacking culture

Americans love convenience and snacking – especially when combined. When easy access and convenience are complemented by aromatic flavors and visual appeal, as is the case with the extraordinary variety of donuts, few can resist. And we don’t just mean the locals…

Apart from the incredibly delicious-looking (and tasting) donuts, the stores in New York City offer a huge range of snacks. In this context, the countless varieties of chips are worth mentioning, as are the many seeds, nuts, and dried fruits for the health-conscious. The special products and bright packaging designs from 365 by Whole Foods are particularly striking.

Also noteworthy is the obvious pretzel craze among Americans. The range of pretzel snacks is surprising and exciting – not least because of the attractive food shots or transparent packaging that show off the product itself.

Meat and fish snacks are also becoming increasingly trendy, such as the high-quality and elegantly packaged strips from Epic.

Plant-based products: creative meat alternatives

When it comes to plant-based products, the packaging from Impossible, Eat Meati, and Daring in particular show that vegan meat alternatives are no longer just about green color coding. Their ultra-modern, colorful designs expressively convey the innovative character, appeal, and enjoyment of plant-based nuggets or cutlets.

Beverages in innovative designs

There is also a lot going on in the beverage aisles of stores in New York City. Packaging such as Buzz Balls is unusual – at least for alcoholic beverages. With their round, compact shape and bright colors, they primarily appeal to a younger target group.

The same applies to Liquid Death beverages, except that these are less striking in terms of their special shapes and colors, instead creating a strong presence on the shelf with provocative designs and slogans. The brand is often represented in supermarkets with its own equally unconventionally designed displays and cabinets.

Milk and milk substitute products with strong brand names

Here in Germany, the range of milk substitutes is also growing, but we still have a long way to go to catch up with the selection available in the US. There are considerable differences in packaging design, especially when it comes to differentiating between different varieties.

Tache, for example, has mastered the mix of strong brand positioning and variety differentiation quite perfectly: the brand uses striking green color blocking that is impossible to miss on the shelf and has high recognition value, complemented by interesting illustrations and different colors behind the logo that clearly draw consumers’ attention to variations in the composition.

Planet Oat also has a memorable brand anchor with oat flakes dancing wildly around the brand name and uses color variations to differentiate between varieties; however, the overall design is so cluttered and busy that it is still difficult to distinguish between the products. This is particularly evident in contrast to Tache’s very clean packaging design.

Chobani offers numerous product lines, ranging from milk substitutes and coffee creations to fruit yogurts. To present the extensive range of products and varieties to consumers as clearly and simply as possible, the brand uses different design solutions, sometimes featuring colors, sometimes illustrations. The brand name is always prominently displayed, ensuring high recognition.

Cocojune stands out from its competitors with its light, pastel colors, which also help to differentiate the different varieties.

Siggi’s drinkable yogurts feature pure white bottles and minimalist labels with retro charm. The simple yet eye-catching illustrations make it easy for consumers to distinguish between the different varieties.

Coffee and tea in attractive packaging

The packaging for the coffee brands Stumptown and Brooklyn Lab impresses with its combination of materiality, texture, and minimalist aesthetics. The elegant, high-quality designs communicate premium quality and authenticity.

The packaging for the tea brand Rishi takes a similar approach, except that its shape and illustrations add a modern Asian-inspired design language.

Fresh salads with special product or design concepts

During our store check in the US capital, we came across several exciting product and design ideas in the salad section. These include the sustainably grown green superfoods from indoor farming company AeroFarms, which are cultivated in an unusual way, and the colorful branding of Little Leaf Farms.

The lettuce leaf shape incorporated into the labels of Gotham Greens products is also extremely creative. This detail kills two birds with one stone, serving both as a brand identifier and a way of differentiating between varieties.

Further innovative solutions

Finally, we present a few more innovative solutions that do not fit into any other section but are still worth mentioning.

Seed and Mill offers the confectionery specialty halva in various varieties. With its stylish, minimalist design, the packaging embodies elegance and quality. In addition, the color differentiation makes it easy to distinguish between the different varieties.

The squeeze pouches for Serenity’s baby-friendly vegetable and meat purées are highly convenient packaging solutions.

For Cascadian Farm and Lovebird cereals, visual clarity and strong food presentation—whether through authentic food shots or modern illustrations—support credibility and appetite appeal.

The Urban Pie brand also makes use of attractive food presentations in the design of its pizza packaging, deliberately incorporating the narrow sides as well as the front. This is extremely important in order to attract attention given that the products are stored flat and stacked in the freezer section.

Products that are supposed to be beneficial to physical, mental, and/or emotional health are naturally also in high demand in the US. Innovations such as Neuro Mints and Gums are just the thing.

In the WPR sector, the special packaging form from Tide, which is still unknown in Germany, stands out.

The Woobles offers cute kits that allow children to learn how to crochet easily and create cute figures such as Hello Kitty.

Farbenfroh, süß und “unreal”: Diese Merkmale charakterisieren eine angesagte US-Marke – und fassen unseren Aufenthalt in New York City treffend zusammen.

Store check in New York City – a brief summary

Our store check in New York City has (once again) impressively demonstrated that packaging today is much more than just a protective cover. As a fundamental means of communication for brands, it must be practical and emotionally appealing.

Stores in the US offer entertainment at its finest – and in a wide variety of departments. Functionality and fun merge at the point of sale. When you leave a supermarket, you are left with the feeling that you have experienced something truly special.