Patrick Sbarra is President of New Creature, an in-store marketing and P-O-P display company that helps Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, and their suppliers to "sell more stuff." Here, he discusses factors that are impacting in-store packaging decisions.

What are the differences in packaging design between the U.S. and Europe?

Creative teams are looking for examples of new packages that provide real benefits for the environment. One recent example comes from Boho Vineyards, San Francisco, CA, which succeeds on the sustainability front by thinking "inside the box."

How much weight does the sustainability factor carry with consumers?

With this issue, Shelf Impact! begins a more inclusive era in dissecting the marketing strategies and trends driving packaging decisions today.

Can a package in the self-grooming aisles really influence which product a guy buys?

For some homeowners, their bar is becoming a status symbol. They're expressing interest in wine and spirits bottles that not only perform the functional task of holding a beverage, but that double as decorative pieces.

A closer look at the newest trends in today's packaging.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then why do so many brands choose to use so many words to get their message across to the consumer?

Mintel spots two products that make geographic considerations the focal point of product and packaging development.

Brand design is so much more than the artistic veneer it once was. It’s about orchestrating and delivering a total experience based on a deep understanding of what the consumer wants. When orchestrated perfectly, the design provides brand differentiation and delivers an experience that’s positive, memorable, and unexpected. In the fast-moving world of consumer goods, the opportunity for direct consumer experience with the brand is minimal. That is why Procter & Gamble’s previous way of thinking about design—regionally organized package and product design focused on simple aesthetics and technical aspects—gave way to a global design strategy based on the totality of the brand experience.

Exclusivity sells because often, the package is the product. Shelves at Sephora, a chain of beauty products stores founded in France, showcased an eye-catching example during the 2006 holiday season.