‘Removable’ Labels Present Sticky Situation for 8 of 10 Shoppers

(BPT) – You know the feeling. You buy an item you’re excited to use or give as a gift. But that excitement quickly turns to frustration when you can’t remove the label. Even if you do manage to pry it off, a sticky glue-like substance remains, marring the item’s appearance.

You are not alone. Eighty-one percent of consumers said they have had a hard time removing a label from a product, according to a new consumer survey conducted by Avery Dennison Label and Packaging Materials. More women respondents (84 percent) had experienced this compared to 74 percent of men.

Fifty-three percent of the respondents indicated, “the label came off, but the sticky residue was still on the product.” Forty-five percent of survey participants admitted to feeling annoyed or very frustrated when removing product labels.

Such difficulties can create negative association with the product and the brand. However, these sticky situations can be avoided, enhancing consumer satisfaction.

Items with stubborn stickers

Kitchen products ranked highest among items with the most difficult-to-remove labels at 72 percent. Books were second at 39 percent. Survey respondents indicated labels on the following products also proved challenging to remove:

* Picture frames, 38 percent

* Consumer electronics, 34 percent

* Clothing, 23 percent

* Shoes, 19 percent

* Sporting goods, 19 percent

* Furniture, 18 percent

* Other, 7 percent

“It’s very frustrating, especially when the sticker is put on the front, glass part of a picture frame. There is really no way to use the product if you can’t remove the sticker or residue,” one respondent commented.

Avery Dennison feels consumers’ pain. The company’s removable labels expert, Agata Kowalska, explained many survey respondents talked about how the wrong label adhesive ruined a present, damaged a collectible or just caused a lot of grief.

“It’s happened to us all,” she said.

Easy-to-remove labels do exist, she explained. But, individual brands must decide whether they will use labels with the correct removable adhesives when they make the products consumer purchase.

“The label and its adhesive may seem like a small part of a product but it can have a significant impact on the customer experience,” Kowalska said.