Packaging requirements in retail distribution networks: the impact of connected automation initiatives

Journal article, 2026

This paper explores how connectedness among automation initiatives impacts packaging requirements in retail distribution networks. Drawing on a single case study involving three connected automation initiatives - the extension of unloading automation by a logistics service provider, the adoption of warehouse automation by a retailer, and the introduction of packing automation by a producer - the study examines how automation implemented in one part of a retail distribution network influences packaging requirements across connected firms. The findings show that while automation often enhances internal efficiency, it also generates cross-firm alignments and misalignments in packaging requirements. These alignments and misalignments create challenges for packaging development, particularly when packaging is adapted to meet the technical and operational demands of partners' automation solutions and thereby constrain packaging flexibility. The study highlights the importance of recognising automation initiatives not only as firm-internal investments but as connected change initiatives with consequences for packaging efficiency and sustainability-related outcomes. Packaging decisions therefore require attention to changes in resource interfaces across connected relationships.