Holiday Rush Now, Chinese New Year Next: Don’t Let Your Packaging Get Caught in the Squeeze
It happens every year.
Summer ends, pumpkin spice appears everywhere, holiday orders start rolling in... and suddenly everyone realizes:
“Wait. We need packaging for next year!”
Welcome to the annual packaging squeeze.
Between holiday demand, overseas production schedules, freight availability and Chinese New Year, the next few months can move incredibly fast.
But this year, we don't just want to talk about ordering early.
2027 is bringing some pretty cool ideas to packaging — and now is the perfect time to start thinking about them.
First: Don't Forget Chinese New Year
If your packaging is manufactured in China, Chinese New Year isn't simply a few days marked off on a calendar.
Factories close. Workers travel home. Production slows before the holiday and takes time to ramp back up afterward.
That means a project you wait until January to start may not move the way you expected.
Custom glass?
Specialty closures?
Printed pouches?
Custom boxes?
Labels?
Child-resistant packaging?
Beverage packaging?
Start the conversation now.
You don't necessarily need to order everything today. Getting your specifications, artwork, samples, pricing and production plan together now can save a lot of scrambling later.
Because nobody enjoys hearing:
"We can make it... but you'll have to air freight it."
💸💸💸
That's usually when the calculator comes out and everyone gets very quiet.
So What's Looking Interesting for 2027?
Packaging continues to become more than a container.
It's becoming part of the product experience.
📱 Packaging That Actually Does Something
QR codes have been around for years, but we're moving well beyond a simple QR code that sends someone to a website.
Brands can use connected packaging for:
Product authentication • Instructions • Batch information • Loyalty programs • Promotions • Reordering • Recycling information • Traceability • Videos • Recipes • Product education
And then there's NFC.
A customer can tap the package with their phone and instantly connect with the brand.
QR and NFC are also increasingly being used together rather than as competing technologies. Connected-packaging research in 2026 showed growing use of combined QR/NFC systems, along with increased interest in serialized QR codes.
At MSN Packaging, we've already been exploring NFC stickers and QR-enabled labels, and I think we're going to see much more of this in 2027.
Your package doesn't have to stop communicating when it leaves the store.
🔐 Packaging Can Help Prove It's Really YOUR Product
Counterfeiting isn't only a luxury-brand problem.
Cosmetics, supplements, pharmaceuticals, specialty foods and other products can all benefit from better product verification.
One particularly interesting development combines product information, traceability and authenticity verification through advanced QR technology. Researchers demonstrated systems in 2026 that can connect a package's unique physical characteristics with a digital identity.
That's a long way from the old UPC barcode.
♻️ Sustainability Is Getting Smarter
For years we've heard:
"Make it sustainable."
But what does that actually mean?
The conversation is moving toward provable sustainability rather than simply putting a green leaf on a package.
We're seeing increased interest in mono-material packaging, refill and reuse systems, recycled-content materials, fiber-based alternatives and packaging designed to use less material in the first place.
And here's something especially interesting for our pharmaceutical customers.
Work is underway on mono-material pharmaceutical blister packaging designed to improve recyclability while still meeting the demanding protection and production requirements of medicine packaging.
That's the type of innovation I'm excited to watch.
💄 Packaging Is Becoming Part of the Product
This one is fun.
Especially in cosmetics and skincare, brands are experimenting with packaging that doesn't just hold the product — it improves how you use it.
Built-in applicators, dispensing systems, refillable components, unusual openings, portion-controlled packaging and packaging designed specifically around the customer's routine are gaining attention.
Think about the difference between:
“Here's my moisturizer.”
and
“Look what my moisturizer does.”
That little difference can make a product memorable.
📦 Smaller, Lighter and Smarter Can Also Mean Cheaper
Here's a packaging trend that isn't nearly as glamorous but can save real money:
Stop shipping empty space.
A beautiful bottle isn't such a great deal if its shape requires an oversized carton, fewer units per case and fewer cases per pallet.
For 2027, brands should look at the entire package:
Product → Primary Package → Inner Pack → Master Carton → Pallet → Container
Sometimes shaving a little weight or space from one package becomes a significant savings when multiplied by 10,000, 50,000 or 100,000 units.
Packaging design and freight planning should be friends.
They haven't always been. 😂
🎨 And Don't Be Afraid to Have Some Fun
Sustainable doesn't have to mean boring.
Smart doesn't have to mean sterile.
And professional definitely doesn't have to mean every product sits inside another beige box.
We're seeing packaging move toward stronger personality, tactile experiences, interesting finishes, personalization, and packaging customers actually want to interact with.
Try something different.
A unique bottle shape.
A dramatic closure.
Embossed glass.
A QR experience.
An NFC tag.
A refill concept.
A limited-edition color.
A package designed to be reused instead of thrown away.
Or maybe something we haven't thought of yet.
Those are my favorite projects.
Let's Start Planning 2027
The worst time to start thinking about packaging is when you're almost out of it.
If you're considering a new product, redesign, new bottle, jar, tube, pouch, closure, label, box or completely custom package for 2027, now is a great time to start the conversation.
At MSN Packaging — My Supply Networks, we work with manufacturers and suppliers around the world to help connect our customers with packaging solutions for pharmaceutical and medical products, cosmetics and skincare, food and beverage, candles, retail products and more.
We can help with existing packaging or start with an idea and see what we can create.
Because sometimes the best packaging for your 2027 product...
hasn't been made yet.
Let's make it.
MSN Packaging — Your Liaison to Overseas Manufacturing
msnpackaging.com