Cardboard box demand plunging at rates unseen since the Great Recession

“A downturn after a wild upswing isn’t particularly shocking. What’s troublesome is that executives grew or made plans to grow in response to this unprecedented demand”<p>In other words this is yet another situation where people who should know better think a percentage drop relative to a huge increase during the pandemic somehow indicates a fundamental problem with the economy rather than a return to normal. And other people who should have known better thought an unprecedented increase due to the pandemic would somehow be the new baseline rather than just a temporary bump.<p>It’s mind blowing how little common sense exists in business and circles.

On the one hand, it suggests that the box industry <i>serves as an excellent barometer for the larger economy</i> because so much of what we buy spends some time in a box.<p>On the other hand, it also says:<p><i>“In addition, consumer behavior changed very quickly as we exited the extreme COVID period, resulting in more of a preference towards travel, entertainment and experience versus that of tangible goods,”</i><p>On the other other hand, I wonder how much trends like buying local and use of reusable containers impacts this, perhaps without ever being measured.