Pressure-Sensitive Labels Gain Ground in the Beer Aisle, Analysis Claims

CLEVELAND, Ohio — According to a new Freedonia Group analysis of the US labels industry pressure-sensitive labels (PSLs) are by far the leading type of label, accounting for 77% of total demand in 2020, and will remain so through 2025, the group predicts.

Some factors supporting gains:

• Dominant position of PSLs in a number of high-value, high-growth areas — including the fast-growing secondary packaging, and mailing and shipping markets
• Growing popularity of specialized labels, including RFID-enabled and extended content types
• The promotion of higher-value and higher-performance labels such as more durable types for automotive, appliance and electronics applications
• Rapid growth of e-commerce, as PSLs face minimal competition from other label types in shipping, warehousing, and return applications

PSLs Expand Penetration in Beverage Applications, Especially Beer Bottles

Traditionally used for pricing, promotional, data processing, warning and other secondary labeling applications, PSLs have significantly extended their application range in recent decades, Freedonia said, particularly at the expense of glue-applied labels in various primary packaging and shipping applications — in large part because PSLs offer superior consistency and reliability, as well as greater visual impact.

Most recently, PSLs have found greater use over glue-applied paper labels in beverage applications, especially beer bottles. PSLs have also become widely used in the wine and spirit labeling market, traditionally a wet-glue stronghold.

Growth in the beverage market has been driven by the following: