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Colour as a Purchase Driver: How Product and Packaging Design as well as Colour Psychology Determine Your Success at the Point of Sale
Alongside price and brand, packaging colour demonstrably plays a crucial role on consumer behaviour: it can evoke associations such as health, luxury or sustainability and often influences purchasing decisions unconsciously.
A study by the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW Hamburg) shows that colour communicates targeted values. Some 62 % of respondents associate green packaging with health and sustainability, while 54 % find red designs particularly appetite-stimulating. Almost half (48 %) see black packaging as a sign of luxury and exclusivity¹.
Additional Recent Studies Underpin the Influence of Colour
Market analyses over the past two years have impressively demonstrated how strongly colour guides buying behaviour. In an Adobe survey in 2025, 50 % of participants said they had chosen a brand solely because of its colour scheme—a clear indication that colour is far more than mere decoration². The study also found that 42% of all impulse purchases are directly triggered by colour cues on the shelf, and that blue instils a sense of trust in 56 % of consumers. Green, meanwhile, is viewed by 23% as an indicator of naturalness and freshness.
Similar results emerged from the POSpulse Shopper Study 2025, where 68% of German consumers confirmed that packaging design—and particularly the choice of colour—significantly affects their purchasing decisions. In the beverage category, this influence rose to 82%³. A joint investigation by GS1 Germany and YouGov also showed that 45% of unplanned purchases are attributed to appealing product designs featuring strong colour elements (4).
The UGW POS Marketing Report 2025 further demonstrates that well-coordinated colour schemes at the point of sale can increase purchase intent by an average of 38%. And according to the cross-industry study “Trends in Retail 2025,” 71% of shoppers cite store design and visual stimuli as decisive factors for a positive shopping experience⁵.
Facts & Figures from Recent Studies – At a Glance
- 62 % associate green with health and sustainability¹
- 50 % have chosen a brand solely because of its colour²
- 42 % of impulse purchases are triggered by colour cues on the shelf²
- 68 % confirm the impact of packaging colour on their buying behaviour³
- 38 % higher purchase intent through coordinated POS colour schemes⁵
- 71 % of shoppers see store design as a key factor in the shopping experience⁶
Lifocolor as Your Partner for Forward-Looking Colour Concepts
For almost 40 years, Lifocolor has been developing masterbatches and colour additives for plastics.
- Shades of Inspiration trend service: Our expert team analyses Europe-wide CMF trends (Colour, Material, Finish) and annually recommends the top colour directions for packaging and product design. Contact us for bespoke advice!
- Over 10,000 colour settings per year: From the latest trend hues and brilliant special colours to UV-stable pastels and metallic effects, we deliver tailored colour concepts precisely matched to your application.
- Practical support: From lab sample production and small batches to large-scale runs, we guide you with comprehensive customer service and application support.
Our clients benefit from colour strategies that not only impress aesthetically but also demonstrably influence purchasing decisions at the point of sale.
Would you like to maximise the appeal of your products at the point of sale? Contact us for:
- a free trend and colour consultation
- your bespoke product development
- your next masterbatch sample
Let’s shape tomorrow’s world of colour together and strengthen your brand presence sustainably.
We are happy to advise you. Please contact our Customer Service team at or on +49 9571 789-0.
Sources:
1: HAW Hamburg, “Green Means Healthy – How Packaging Colours Guide Our Buying Behaviour,” July 2025 Journal of Agriculture and Food Research.
2: Adobe, The Top Colour Trends for Branding 2025, January 2025: https://www.adobe.com/express/learn/blog/color-psychology-of-branding
3: POSpulse, Shopper Study Packaging 2025 (Germany), September 2025: https://www.gs1-germany.de/newsroom/pressemeldungen/shopper-experience-studie-zur-geplanten-oder-spontanen-kaufentscheidung-am-point-of-sale/
4: GS1 Germany & YouGov, Shopper Experience: Planned vs. Impulse Purchases at POS, March 2025: https://www.gs1-germany.de/newsroom/pressemeldungen/shopper-experience-studie-zur-geplanten-oder-spontanen-kaufentscheidung-am-point-of-sale/
5: UGW, POS Marketing Report 2025, April 2025: https://www.ugw.de/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/UGW_Report_02_2025_DEUTSCH250523.pdf
6: EHI / HDE / Kantar / KPMG, Trends in Retail 2025, February 2025: https://einzelhandel.de/images/presse/Studie_Trends_Handel_2025.pdf