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Falling demand for labelling materials in Europe

The European label industry is reporting a 2 per cent decline in label material consumption in the first half of 2022 compared to 2021.

The European label industry has reported a decline in label material consumption in the first half of 2022, with consumption falling by 2 per cent compared to the same period in 2021. The reasons for the decline are supply bottlenecks and the volatile years 2020 and 2021.

The decline in consumption after an increase of 7 per cent in 2021 (with annual demand reaching a record 8.5 billion square metres) and an increase of 4.3 percent in 2020, when Europe was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. The decline was fuelled by the Break-in caused by labelling materials on paper rollsThis was particularly the case in the second quarter, when consumption fell by 8.3 per cent compared to the same period last year. In the same period, consumption of label materials on film rolls rose by a modest 2.2 per cent.

High demand during the pandemic

Firstly, the figures for 2022 follow on from the two turbulent and volatile years of 2020 and 2021, when the Peak demand for labels strongly influenced by excess demand for essential goods and services after the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020 and by the rapid economic recovery in 2021.

Secondly, since the summer of 2021, global production chains have suffered from supply chain disruptions caused by Covid-related adjustments. This led to a growing gap between the booming demand for Covid and the shrinking availability of energy, raw materials, components, chemicals, production, labour and transport capacities.

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In the first half of 2022, the European labelling industry was particularly affected by the long ongoing strike at UPMa leading paper manufacturer in Finland, was affected. This has not only limited the availability of face materials for paper labels, but - more importantly - has also caused a considerable loss of revenue. Part of the raw material supply for paper-based release liners (the siliconised materials that carry the labels) was cut off from the market for more than 100 days.

In the first quarter of the year, the impact was muted by significant inventory surpluses built up in the last quarter of 2021 in anticipation of further increases in lead times and raw material prices. However, production was severely impacted in the second quarter as lead times increased to 5 to 6 months and label converters were reliant on allocations. Part of the decline in the consumption of paper labels could be due to a Increase in demand for film labels have been intercepted.

Graph with different curves showing the demand for labels
(Image: Finat)

In the latest Finat Radar, the association's biannual market survey, it was reported that 60 per cent of participating processors surveyed this spring had suffered sales losses due to problems in the supply chain. Although the strike ended just before Easter expects that the backlogs can only be made up in the autumn.

Thirdly, supply-side constraints could be overtaken by demand factors by then, as exponentially rising energy prices, commodity costs and ultimately a Double-digit consumer price inflation will weigh on disposable income and consumer spending and the dark clouds of the terrible war in Ukraine are unlikely to clear any time soon.

As already reported, the Demand for self-adhesive labelling materials on rolls statistically an important indicator for European GDP. Although the correlation between the two has been somewhat distorted by fluctuating consumption habits during the "Covid years", some of the downturn is indicative of economic change in Europe in the coming months.

Source: Finat

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