Beyond the Shelf: What Cheese Brands Can Learn from Consumer Attitudes Towards Reclosable Packaging 

For cheese manufacturers, selecting the right lidding film for cheese trays typically begins with technical considerations. The choice of tray or base web material plays a key role in determining the appropriate lidding or top web material, while also affecting seal performance, barrier properties and pack integrity, all of which are critical for maintaining product quality. In today’s competitive dairy market, packaging is also a point of interaction between the consumer and the brand. The best packaging solutions combine technical performance with a positive user experience. 

To better understand consumer expectations around cheese packaging and reclosable features in particular, Amcor’s Market Insights Team conducted qualitative research with European shoppers who regularly purchase cheese. They conducted interviews using four different hard cheese reclose lidding samples at the Amcor Innovation Center Europe in Gent, Belgium. The research explored the study group’s perceptions and reactions to different reclose solutions, providing valuable insights for dairy brands. 

Reclosability drives long-term satisfaction 

One of the key findings was that reclosability is rarely an active purchase driver. At the point of purchase, consumers tend to focus primarily on  taste, format, brand, price, and pack size when selecting cheese products. In fact, many participants did not notice reclose features on the pack while shopping. However, once consumers experienced a reclose solution that worked reliably, their perception of this feature changed significantly. 

Participants associated effective reclosability with several practical benefits, including helping to keep cheese fresh, making the pack more convenient to use, and reducing unnecessary food waste. Importantly, consumers often became aware of these benefits at home rather than at the shelf. This suggests that the value of reclosability is not always immediately obvious before purchase but can become meaningful through everyday use. 

Performance shapes consumer trust 

The study also revealed that some consumers had relatively low expectations of reclosable packaging due to previous experiences with poorly performing solutions. This highlights the importance of reliability. A reclose feature only creates value when it functions consistently throughout the life of the product. When it works every time, consumers are more likely to appreciate its benefits. When it fails, the feature quickly loses credibility and consumer trust 

Three takeaways for cheese brands 

So, what can cheese brands learn from these findings? 

First, reliable performance should be a priority. A reclose feature that preserves freshness and remains easy to use after multiple openings is more likely to deliver a positive consumer experience. 

Second, brands should make reclosability easier to identify. Many participants overlooked the feature on the shelf, suggesting an opportunity to communicate its presence and benefits more clearly through pack design and on-pack messaging. 

Third, it is important that the reclosable feature is paired with an intuitive opening design.  In the case of sliced cheese, the package should open from the side where the top layer of the product is, allowing consumers to access the desired amount without fully opening the pack. This helps prevent tearing, reduces product exposure, and supports maintaining freshness for longer. 

Turning insights into better packaging 

While reclosability may not be the feature that initially influences purchase decisions, it can play an important role in shaping the consumer’s experience after purchase. For dairy brands, the challenge is therefore not simply to add a reclose feature, but to ensure it is visible, intuitive, and performs reliably throughout the product’s lifecycle. When these elements come together, reclosable packaging has the potential to support freshness, convenience and overall satisfaction, ultimately building consumer trust and strengthening consumer perceptions of the brand.