Davao City — Generation Z consumers in Davao City, Philippines, place strong emphasis on visual appearance when choosing chocolate bar packaging. A study by Cheslei I. Floresta, Ma. Althea Pacete, Ryko Raphael B. Punzalan, Peter Paul A. Solis, Fathima Rahbe T. Villapa, and Emmanuel Joseph B. Sumatra of Ateneo de Davao University found that imagery and color are the two most influential factors shaping Gen Z preferences for chocolate packaging. The study, which collected data between August and September 2025, involved 364 respondents aged 18–28 and provides insights into packaging designs that are more closely aligned with young consumers in Davao City.
The findings show that imagery was the most important packaging attribute, with a relative importance weight of 29.4 percent, followed by color at 26.2 percent. Material type ranked third at 20.7 percent, while typography accounted for 13.3 percent and packaging shape was the least influential factor at 10.4 percent. The results indicate that Gen Z consumers respond more strongly to major visual elements than to structural packaging details when making product choices.
In the simulated design combinations, packaging featuring icons or symbols, shades of white, plastic material, a square shape, and minimalist fonts achieved the highest preference. In contrast, illustrations and shades of black recorded zero utility scores in the research model. The results provide local chocolate brands with a clear picture of the visual characteristics that are most attractive to young consumers.
The findings come as the chocolate market becomes increasingly competitive. The study notes that the global chocolate market is projected to generate approximately USD 140.12 billion in revenue in 2025. In the Philippines, the chocolate confectionery market is expected to reach USD 726.90 million in the same year and maintain growth through 2030. Davao City has an important position in this industry after being officially declared the “Chocolate Capital of the Philippines” under Republic Act No. 11547 in 2021.
For products sold in retail environments, packaging can serve as one of the first points of contact between consumers and brands. The study highlights the increasingly short attention span of consumers in fast-moving consumer goods environments. When shoppers have only a brief moment to notice products on a shelf, packaging can determine whether an item attracts attention or is ignored.
Packaging design also serves a purpose beyond protecting the product. Color, shape, imagery, and typography can create impressions of quality, safety, modernity, and brand identity. Understanding which design elements consumers prioritize is therefore important for chocolate producers seeking to strengthen their competitiveness.
Floresta and colleagues conducted the research using a quantitative descriptive design and conjoint analysis. Respondents completed paired comparisons using the PAPRIKA method through the 1000minds software platform. This approach allowed the researchers to examine how consumers trade off one packaging advantage against another when making choices.
Data collection was conducted across Davao City using a mall-intercept approach. The research locations included NCCC Main Chinatown in District 1, Gaisano Grand Citygate Mall in District 2, and Gmall of Toril in District 3. Data gathering took place from August 25 to September 23, 2025. After quality-control procedures, 364 responses were considered valid for analysis.
The sample was dominated by younger respondents. Those aged 18 represented the largest group at 22.80 percent, followed by 21-year-olds at 15.66 percent and 22-year-olds at 12.09 percent. The gender distribution was relatively balanced, with 50.82 percent male and 49.18 percent female respondents. District 2 accounted for 38.74 percent of the sample, followed by District 1 at 31.32 percent and District 3 at 29.95 percent.
Chocolate consumption was also relatively common among the respondents. Exactly 50 percent reported consuming chocolate bars occasionally, while 33.79 percent consumed them regularly on a weekly basis. More importantly, 93.68 percent of respondents said they often or sometimes evaluate packaging styles while shopping. This finding reinforces the importance of packaging design during point-of-sale decisions.
Among the five packaging attributes examined, imagery had the highest importance weight at 29.40 percent. Icons and symbols were the most preferred imagery option, while illustrations received a zero utility score. Color ranked second at 26.20 percent, with shades of white receiving the strongest preference and shades of black recording a zero utility score. Material type accounted for 20.70 percent, while typography and packaging shape contributed 13.30 percent and 10.40 percent, respectively.
Typography preferences also pointed strongly toward simplicity. Minimalist fonts received a utility score of 13.30 percent and were the preferred option, while bold modern fonts recorded zero utility. For packaging shape, square packaging received the highest utility at 10.40 percent, while rectangular packaging recorded zero utility in the model.
One particularly interesting finding concerns the respondents’ preference for plastic packaging. Plastic received a utility score of 20.70 percent, while biodegradable or compostable material received zero utility. This result contrasts with international trends emphasizing young consumers’ growing interest in environmentally friendly packaging. The researchers suggest that, in Davao City’s retail environment, practical considerations such as freshness preservation, affordability, and physical durability may still outweigh environmental concerns during quick everyday purchases.
The finding does not mean environmental considerations are irrelevant. The researchers suggest that manufacturers could explore high-barrier bioplastics or recyclable polymers that maintain the clean and bright visual identity preferred by Gen Z. Such alternatives could allow brands to balance practical packaging requirements with sustainability goals.
The level of agreement among respondents was also strong. The conjoint analysis produced a Kendall’s W of 0.724 and a mean Spearman rank correlation coefficient of 0.723. These results indicate a relatively strong and consistent preference structure across the 364 respondents.
The market simulation then combined all attributes with the highest utility scores. The combination of white color, icons or symbols, plastic packaging, a square shape, and minimalist fonts achieved a 100 percent first-choice preference probability in the simulation. When that configuration was unavailable, Packaging 6 became the most preferred second-choice alternative at 28.2 percent. This profile changed only the shape from square to rectangular while retaining the other four attributes.
The results demonstrate that consumers do not assign equal importance to every packaging element. Shape can be changed without causing as large a shift in preference as a change in color or imagery. Because color carries a 26.2 percent importance weight, changing the color can produce a larger shift in consumer choices than changing the shape, which has only a 10.4 percent weight.
For local chocolate manufacturers, the findings provide an opportunity to redesign packaging without completely restructuring their products. The researchers suggest that companies can begin with the visual elements that have the greatest impact, particularly imagery and color. By maintaining existing production materials where practical, brands can test new designs incrementally and measure consumer responses before making larger investments.
Overall, the study shows that visual simplicity is a key factor in chocolate packaging preferences among Gen Z consumers in Davao City. Icons or symbols, white colors, minimalist fonts, and square shapes formed the most preferred design combination in the research model. For local businesses, these findings provide a practical basis for developing packaging that can capture young consumers’ attention while strengthening brand identity in an increasingly competitive chocolate market.
Authors
Cheslei I. Floresta — Ateneo de Davao University.
Ma. Althea Pacete — Ateneo de Davao University.
Ryko Raphael B. Punzalan — Ateneo de Davao University.
Peter Paul A. Solis — Ateneo de Davao University.
Fathima Rahbe T. Villapa — Ateneo de Davao University.
Emmanuel Joseph B. Sumatra — Ateneo de Davao University.
Research Source
Article Title: Understanding Gen Z's Preferences for Chocolate Bar Packaging Design: A Conjoint Analysis in Davao City
Journal: International Journal of Scientific Multidisciplinary Research (IJSMR), Vol. 4 No. 8, 2026, pp. 1853–1864.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/ijsmr.v4i8.73
Journal Link: https://journalijsmr.my.id/index.php/ijsmr
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