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A marked feature of the rapid, fundamental reorganization of the distribution of goods in industrialized countries is the switch to self‐service and all‐round food stores. The self‐service system is almost universal in the food trade and its importance is growing rapidly in most other sectors. Large stores with a wide range of goods based entirely on self‐service are rapidly increasing their share of turnover in the consumer goods trade. There are for example about 8,000 self‐service shops in Sweden at present, which is just under half the total number of food stores. Owing to their size the self‐service stores account for 85–90% of turnover in the food trade.

This monograph eschews the view that packaging is an exclusively marketing tool, or for that matter the concern of the distribution function alone. The author insists that a total systems view should be taken of the multiple purposes which the pack must meet. This poses very real problems for at least three levels—the conceptual acceptance of the proposition, its interpretation into operational terms, and implementation/control of the packaging activity. This discussion is intended for all directors of companies with a substantial recurrent expenditure in packaging as well as for members of the distribution function itself. Accordingly, it takes a managerial rather than a technical view of packaging. It stresses the critical importance of the state of goods on arrival with the customer; the aesthetics and sales power of packaging; the informative role of the pack; issues of unitisation; handling problems at all stages in the channel; and the ecological/environmental aspects in contemporary society. At each juncture, sensible plans of action are proposed.