Data from the packaging company’s eighth annual survey of UK consumers about unboxing asked participants to share their experiences of unpacking their online shopping deliveries.

It was completed by over 1,000 consumers who reviewed their own deliveries from a wide range of sectors, including fashion, electronics, food and drink, home and garden, and health and beauty.

The survey found that 55% of consumers want retailers to keep sustainable packaging as a top priority, while 81% reported that the packaging they received was easy to recycle. 20% of consumers indicated that they would not continue to buy from a retailer unless the packaging was sustainable.

Retailers are continuing to reduce overpacking, the data found, with only 14% of consumers reporting that there was too much packaging, a drop of 66% from the first consumer survey in 2016.

66% of respondents said they are spending more time shopping online, with 23% saying that they expect to spend even more time shopping online in the future.

Branding on packaging has increased significantly since the unboxing survey was first conducted, from 39% in 2016 to 57% in 2023.

Parcels that arrived damaged have dropped year-on-year to 6%, a 40% drop since the first 2016 survey.

Finally, 95% of consumers said they choose home delivery over click and collect or lockers when purchasing online.

Macfarlane Packaging marketing director Laurel Granville said: “We know that packaging plays a major role in consumers’ online shopping experience. It is the first tangible touchpoint for consumers and is clearly a decision maker for many consumers when choosing a brand.

“The results of our 2023 survey highlight important areas for online retailers to focus on, with sustainability the key priority for consumers.”

The annual survey was carried out in July and August 2023.