North America Print Labels Market - Forecasts from 2022 to 2027

The North American print labels market is estimated to grow from US$ 10.039 billion in 2020 to US$ 13.084 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 3.86% over the forecast period. A printed label is an integral part of the packaging of products, irrespective of their intended use and duration of use. Print labels basically contain information about the products that need to be effectively conveyed to regular customers as well as used to woo prospective customers. It's a tool used by companies all across the world to distinguish their products from their competitors. There requires strict compliance with certain regulators whose established guidelines dictate the terms of what all information is required to be disseminated to the larger customer base in general. The list of information falls under the purview of directions to use and expiry date and so on. The rising awareness about health and the environment among consumers is going to drive the print label market during the forecast period. Furthermore, due to a marked shift among North American consumers towards healthy consumption, it is also set to drive the market for print labeling to an unprecedented zenith during the forecast period. The food and beverage market, owing to the various innovations and premiumization of alcoholic beverages, is expected to boost the growth of the print label market in this region as well. Additionally, growing environmental consciousness among consumers has also led manufacturers of personal care products to place special emphasis on the nitty-gritty of the print label. This too is set to drive the growth of the print label market in this region. Further, there is a constant investment in research and development in printing technologies towards more efficient, less cluttered, and environmentally aligned printing that is adding to the growth of the print market.

Increasing investment in research and development

With a view of the need for research and development towards cleaner and environmentally sustainable labeling options being made available to the growing number of environmentally conscious consumers, in January 2020, MacDermid Graphics Solutions, a supplier of photopolymer printing plates, expanded its patented Clean Plate Technology portfolio with the addition of Digital MCP. With Digital MCP, they have expanded to clean technology to provide clean printing options for all the major market segments. This will be inclusive of but not limited to, flexible packaging, tags and label, and post-print corrugated. Their clean technology has led to an enhancement of quality and consistency and enables printers and converters to stay with their print methods.

Furthermore, beverage labels are constantly evolving as per the changing consumer preferences and evolving tastes. Niche brands are increasingly endeavoring to make a mark in the functional beverage section by introducing organic ingredients and revolutionizing traditional beverages like milk. They are also making a healthy lifestyle the go-to brand image for their newly launched products. The print labeling sector is faced with an increasing need to come up with new and innovative labeling formats that portray a cleaner, health-conscious image of the product.

To this end, UPM Raflatac, one of the world's leading suppliers of label materials, specializes in sustainable labeling. For example, among the variety of labeling options that they have to offer, their PP Clear offers a premium no-label look, whereas PP silver produces an eye-catching and decorative effect. On the other hand, their Vanish labels provide an invisible no look that is most sought after in canned beverage labeling. Moreover, their newer Vanish PCR labels offer the same no-label look but are constructed with 90% recycled content. Moreover, in December 2019, there was a single strategic partnership announced between printing OEM Mark Andy and materials provider UPM Raflatac, wherein the knowledge and strength of both suppliers in the narrow web label space would be leveraged. The objective is to provide more high-quality, sustainable printing options for both flexographic and digital converters, in the narrow web market.

Key Developments

• March 2022: Avery Dennison Corporation, which is a global materials science company that specializes in the design and manufacture of a wide range of labeling and functional materials, successfully acquired the linerless label technology which was developed by Catchpoint Ltd, which is a UK company based in Yorkshire, England.
• January 2022: The Resource Label Group LLC acquired Everett, the MA-based QSX Labels to expand its regional strength in New England and to lead the label and packaging industry. The acquisition of QSX Labels marks the 23rd acquisition for Resource Label. The company expanded in order to be able to offer pressure-sensitive labels just like The Quik Stick Label Company.
• July 2021: Avery Dennison acquired Vestcom, which was a privately held firm and catered to the pricing and branded labeling solutions for various retailers and consumer packaged goods firms, for a sum of USD 1.45 billion. This acquisition would enable the company to extend its position in the high-value categories and also include complimentary channel access as well as the capability of data management with the potential to catalyze its Intelligent Labels strategy further.
• June 2021: Mondi came into a partnership with the German adhesive label company VPF to build the first global sustainable release liner range made from recycled paper, which is also the first commercial application of the company's paper-based EverLiner M R.
• January 2020: Epson America Inc. launched the fresh TM-L90II LFC thermal label printer at the Big Show of NRF 2020 Retail. The product is a flexible label printer that is able to support 40 mm, 58 mm, and 80 mm full media for options for flexible printing. Taking over the TM-L90 Plus LFC models, this flexible and adaptable thermal label printer is able to support liner-free printing and receipt printing and also features a back-feed functionality and a label-taken sensor.

COVID-19 Insights

After the onset of the coronavirus, the packaging and label segments were stable to a certain degree owing to the increase in demand for food and pharmaceutical packaging. The onset of the pandemic disrupted the supply chain across various industries that served as end-users, initially such as food and beverage, healthcare, and industrial due to the lockdowns that followed. However, products that included toilet paper, sanitizers, canned food, and cleaning supplies observed substantial growth in demand, while other sectors of the end users slowed dramatically.

Segmentation:

• By Type

Pressure Sensitive Labels

In-Mold Labels

Wet-glued Labels

Sleeve Labels

Multi-part Tracking Labels

Others

• By Printing Technology

Flexography

Offset

Screen

Letterpress

Gravure

Digital

• By End-user Industry

Healthcare

Food & Beverage

Personal Care

Industrial

Household Care

Consumer Electronics

Others

• By country

USA

Canada

Mexico