As a category where the packaging is so integral to the product, home fragrance had a prominent place at Luxe Pack Monaco, with a dedicated zone (which will be extended to an entire hall next year) and a panel discussion exploring “the art of sensory packaging”. Evolving consumer preferences and new formats were hot topics across both.

Beautiful packaging was firmly back in the spotlight as manufacturers unashamedly focused on crafting immaculately engineered boxes, bottles, paper collections and detailed decorations. With designs created for exhilarating unboxing experiences and continuous display, these are ideal for (self-)gifting.

The effects of the EU’s stringent recycling regulations reverberated across the fair. Both panellists and exhibitors highlighted efforts to comply with the new rules, which state that all packaging must be fully recyclable by 2030, with minimum recycled content targets put in place, too.

No longer a novelty, new refillable designs either focused on universal functionality or proprietary mechanisms, giving the act of refilling a premium edge that’s also easy and mess-free.

The introduction of electric packaging formats created a buzz on the fair floor, while designs for enhanced user experiences were based on consumer research. Despite augmented reality being called out as a great opportunity to connect with a Gen Z audience, packaging formats using connected technology were far from widespread.