Why is flat pouch packaging Better?

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A comparison of stand-up vs. flat pouches

While packaging might not be the most thrilling aspect of running a business, its importance is clear. The right pouch does more than just encase your product; it protects, highlights, and can even drive sales. Whether you’re choosing food packaging pouches for coffee or small sachets for bath salts, the decision between stand-up and flat pouches goes beyond looks. It’s about convenience, storage, brand identity, and, most importantly, what effectively caters to your product and your customers.

So, how do you find the best pouch packaging for your needs? Let’s dive into the pros and and cons of stand-up pouches vs. flat pouches to help you discover the perfect solution for your brand.

Stand-up pouches: Durable, spacious, and ideal for retail display

Stand-up pouches offer a sturdy and flexible packaging solution that excels in both function and presentation. With a bottom gusset that allows them to stand upright, these pouches are perfect for products that need a strong shelf presence. Ideal for a wide range of food and non-food items, they combine practicality with visual appeal. They are a top choice for brands looking to stand out in stores and keep contents fresh.

The advantages of stand-up pouches

• Outstanding retail presence: These pouches stand upright on shelves, maximizing visibility and making it easy for customers to find your product.
• Enhanced storage capacity: With a gusseted design, these pouches can hold more product, making them perfect for coffee, tea, pet treats, and snacks.
• Resealable features: You can order your stand-up pouches come with zip closures to maintain freshness, ideal for perishable goods.
• Protection from elements: Constructed with barrier layers that help keep contents stay fresh and guard against contaminants.
• Room for branding: The larger surface area allows plenty of space for branding elements, product details, and compliance information.
• Flexible display options: Certain sizes feature hanging options, providing retailers with additional display choices.
• Best suited for: Coffee, dried foods, powdered items, pet food, snacks, granola, nuts, and products that benefit from resealable packaging.

Flat pouches: Compact, lightweight, perfect for single-use

Flat pouches, often called pillow pouches, offer a simple and effective packaging solution. Without a gusseted bottom, they lay flat, making them perfect for lightweight or single-serving products. Commonly used for samples or single-use applications, these pouches provide a cost-effective choice for businesses looking to deliver flexible packaging.

Benefits of flat pouches

Cost-effective: A wallet-friendly option for businesses aiming to reduce packaging costs without sacrificing quality.

Perfect for small or single-use items: Excellent for sample packs, seasoning sachets, or small beauty products, enabling trial sizes or portion-controlled packaging.

Convenient storage & shipping: Their compact design minimizes shipping costs and storage needs, making them ideal for e-commerce.

Sleek, minimalist appearance: An ideal choice for brands that want a clean packaging look.

Versatile sealing options: Can be heat-sealed for tamper evidence or fitted with tear notches for easy opening.

Retail-friendly display options: Certain sizes include hanging options for enhanced merchandising opportunities.

Best suited for: Spices, seasonings, sample packs, bath salts, small beauty items, condiments, and flat-packed food products.

Material options for pouches

Avery custom pouches are available in high-barrier materials designed for optimal product protection:

High-barrier white film: This white film creates a strong barrier, keeping your products safe from moisture, oxygen, and light. Its clean, stylish look not only protects but also helps your brand shine and stand out on the shelf.

High-barrier transparent film: This clear transparent film combines excellent protection with product visibility. It safeguards contents against moisture, oxygen, and light while allowing customers to see the product inside.

Are you interested in learning more about flat pouch packaging? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!

High-barrier metallized film: This metallized film delivers excellent protection against moisture, oxygen, and light, all while showcasing a sleek, eye-catching appearance that enhances your brand and boosts shelf visibility.

Hang hole options

If your pouch needs to hang on a display, there are two styles of hang holes to choose from. The 0.31″ round hole is a simple, versatile option that works well for many retail environments. For broader compatibility with display pegs, the 0.39″ x 0.98″ Euro hole offers a more specialized shape that fits most standard hooks. Both hole types are positioned 1/4″ below the top edge of the pouch for consistent alignment. The Euro hole however, isn’t available on a few of the smaller pouch sizes.

Seal options

Sealing options help determine how your customer interacts with the pouch. A resealable zip adds convenience and keeps products fresh, allowing customers to easily open and close the pouch multiple times. This is a great option for items used in portions or that need to stay protected over time. If resealability isn’t needed, you can opt for no zip, which creates a tamper-evident pouch that clearly shows if it’s been opened before purchase—ideal for single-use or safety-sensitive products.

Which pouch is right for your needs?

The choice between stand-up and flat pouches ultimately depends on your product type, branding goals, and how you want customers to experience your packaging. Whether you’re looking for food packaging or solutions for crafts, consider the following:

Showcase vs. shipping: If your product is meant for retail display, stand-up pouches offer greater visibility. For lightweight or single-use items, flat pouches may be the more economical choice as they allow for more items in a shipping container.

Cost & volume requirements: If your goal is to optimize storage and minimize costs, flat pouches require less material and can be a more budget-friendly option.

Display preferences: For hanging displays, both stand-up and flat pouches offer certain sizes with round hole and euro hole options for more merchandising opportunitites.

No matter which pouch style fits your needs, we have you covered with custom stand-up pouches and custom flat pouches to fit your brand’s unique requirements. We offer high-quality, customizable packaging solutions designed to make your products shine while keeping them protected. And if you need help along the way, our Care Team is available to help you out at (800) 942- or chat at avery.com.

If you are new to flexible packaging, it’s important to understand the differences between lay-flat pouches and stand-up pouches before deciding which one is right for your product. In essence, stand-up pouches include a gusset at the bottom so your product will stand up on a retailer’s shelf. Lay-flat pouches, on the other hand, do not include the bottom gusset and, as the name suggests, are designed to lay flat. In this blog, we will walk you through the differences and advantages of each one.

Product Types

Lay-flat pouches are often perfect for products that are slim, and they can neatly fit inside a tray or box. They can be intended for single-use or, with the addition of a zipper closure, they can be re-used multiple times. They are the most economical of

pouch formats. Due to its extended internal space, stand-up pouches are typically used for products that are bulkier and for larger quantities. Like lay-flat pouches, they can be resealed with the addition of a zipper. Although they are often preferred over lay-flat pouches because of convenience to consumers, your product and purpose will determine which one is more applicable for you.

Design

Lay-flat pouches, also known as a flat pouch or bag, and stand-up pouches can have the same visual impact as other types of packaging but at a fraction of the cost. Stand-up pouches have slightly bigger surface area, due to the gusset, and, as they

stand upright on retailers’ shelves, they allow loyal fans and potential customers to quickly see the design as they walk down store aisles. Lay-flat pouches have a design that is repeated on every product which reinforces the brand and are sometimes added

to trays or cartons for display purposes. Both types of pouches can include a hang hole for displaying on a retailer’s pegs or hooks.

Size

Both pouch types are offered in a range of sizes. With lay-flat pouches, you can choose a size and shape that fits tightly to your product, avoiding packaging waste. Stand-up pouches with the added gusset on the bottom come in a variety of sizes and can allow room for your product to fit comfortably inside.

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