Impact of E-commerce on North American Paper Packaging Markets

The e-commerce/mail order retail sector uses 7 times as many boxes per dollar spent, compared to traditional brick-and-mortar retail logistics. But even as e-commerce spending keeps rising, containerboard demand growth slowed in the first half of 2019. Should the containerboard industry prepare for a weaker “e-commerce boost” going forward?

Prepare for any contingency with the Impact of E-commerce on North American Paper Packaging Markets. This first-ever study of this timely topic provides:

Essentials about e-commerce’s impact on corrugated packaging

Detailed breakouts of spending by merchandise type
Historical data showing impact on North American containerboard and corrugated box markets, broken out into retail and wholesale
E-commerce market statistics that are most relevant for packaging

27 risk scenarios to help model the future of the market

Forecasts of e-commerce for both the US and Canada, modeling three different scenarios for the evolution of three key variables:
- Economic conditions
- E-commerce/mail order share of relevant retail spending
- Correlation of e-commerce and packaging demand
  - Along with presenting three different scenarios for each of these factors, the Impact of E-commerce on North American Paper Packaging Markets supports comparative analysis among them. This enables the analysis of 27 different risk scenarios for the future of the containerboard market in North America – a powerful analytical tool that can’t be found anywhere else.

E-commerce giants are working to use less corrugatedThe intensity of box usage per dollar of retail spending has increased in recent years, mostly due to the growth of e-commerce. However, this relationship – of growing online sales supporting growing box-usage intensity – is likely to deteriorate going forward.

Slowing growth, alternative packaging materials, and other threatsCurrent trends that threaten containerboard demand growth include:

Overbox reduction
Primary packaging redesign
On-site custom box conversion
Corrugated alternatives such as plastic mailers
Retail store fulfillment

The Impact of E-commerce on North American Paper Packaging Markets provides expert evaluation of these trends – backed by the most exhaustive data and analysis available from any source.

Request more information

What’s happening in the forest products market today?

Get the latest market insights from our team of forest products experts

Proposal to launch price assessments for Polish recycled containerboard

Fastmarkets proposes to launch monthly price assessments for Polish recycled containerboard, including testliner 2 140 g, testliner 3 140 g and recycled fluting 105 g.

January 16, 2025

By: Fastmarkets RISI

Sellers push through pulp price hikes of $10-20 per tonne for BSK and BHK into China

Access a snippet of our weekly Fastmarkets PPI Asia newsletter, examining the market’s reaction to pulp price hikes.

January 16, 2025

By: Nick Chang

London Pulp Week: lessons learned and scoping the year ahead | 2025 preview

Get the key takeaways from our recent webinar following the recent London Pulp Week, where we discussed the latest trends and predictions for the global pulp market.

January 10, 2025

By: Patrick Cavanagh

Open consultation on methodology for Nonwovens Markets

SAN FRANCISCO, 10 January 2025 (Nonwovens Markets) – Fastmarkets is inviting feedback from the industry on the pricing methodology for Nonwovens Markets, as part of its announced annual methodology review process. This consultation, which is open until February 21, 2025, seeks to ensure that our methodology continue to reflect the physical market under indexation, in compliance […]

January 10, 2025

By: the Fastmarkets team

Potential tariffs and supply trends among key Q1 factors impacting lumber market

Access our expert analysis on the key factors impacting the softwood lumber market in the first quarter of 2025.

January 10, 2025

By: Peter Malliris

US OCC ends six-month pricing plunge as mills stock up for winter weather

Read an excerpt from Fastmarkets Pulp and Paper Week newsletter, including insights on February’s supply slowdown and DSOCC price rises.

January 9, 2025

By: Megan Workman

Everything you need to know about the US containerboard price increases | 2025 preview

Read everything you need to know about US containerboard price increases in January and how they will impact the market.

January 9, 2025

By: Derek Mahlburg

Final decision on open consultation on methodology for Latin America Packaging Paper and Board

No feedback was received during the consultation period and therefore no changes will be made to the methodologies at this stage. This consultation sought to ensure that our methodologies continue to reflect the physical market under indexation, in compliance with the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) principles for Price Reporting Agencies (PRAs). This includes […]

January 7, 2025

By: the Fastmarkets team

Final decision on open consultation on methodology for Latin America Graphic Paper

No feedback was received during the consultation period and therefore no changes will be made to the methodologies at this stage. This consultation, sought to ensure that our methodologies continue to reflect the physical market under indexation, in compliance with the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) principles for Price Reporting Agencies (PRAs). This includes […]

January 7, 2025

By: the Fastmarkets team

Final decision on open consultation on methodology for Latin America Recovered Paper

January 7, 2025

By: the Fastmarkets team

Impact of E-commerce on North American Paper Packaging Markets

Will paper packaging demand keep booming along with online retail growth, or will the "e-commerce boost" weaken in coming years? This study – the first of its kind available from any source – is an exhaustive analysis of how North American e-commerce shapes the corrugated packaging space.

Request more information