Insulated Shippers Market

Market Overview:

The global insulated shippers market size reached USD 9.2 Billion in 2024. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the market to reach USD 18.0 Billion by 2033, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 7.78% during 2025-2033. The growing utilization of skin care products with active ingredients, increasing demand for exotic seafood, and rising implementation of cryopreservation methods for storing seeds and saplings of various plant species are some of the major factors propelling the market growth.

Insulated shippers are containers manufactured to transport temperature-sensitive products while maintaining their desired temperature range. These shippers are capable of protecting the inner contents from dust, dirt, temperature fluctuations, and microorganisms. They are widely utilized in the packaging of various perishable products, including meat, seafood, baked items, fruits, and vegetables, as they can maintain a consistent internal temperature. They are also employed in packing cosmetic products that are temperature sensitive and can change their color, texture or consistency when exposed to heat and high temperatures.

At present, the increasing demand for insulated shippers, as they are efficient, cost-effective, and reduce wastage of perishable products, is propelling the growth of the market. Besides this, the rising utilization of various skin care products containing active ingredients, such as vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, and retinol, to maintain a smooth texture, reduce acne and fine lines, and prevent the accumulation of dead skin cells is contributing to the growth of the market. In addition, the growing demand for exotic seafood in restaurants, hotels, and fast-food chains is offering a favorable market outlook. Apart from this, the increasing implementation of cryopreservation methods for storing seeds and saplings of various plant species is supporting the growth of the market.

Insulated Shippers Market Trends/Drivers:

Rising demand for organic vegetables and fruits positively influencing sales of insulated shippers

Organic vegetables and fruits are considered extremely nutritious and beneficial for consumption as they are grown without the use of chemical pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. These chemical components often degrade the beneficial aspects of crops and contribute to soil acidification, causing the destruction of organic matter in the soil. Organic vegetables and fruits are currently in high demand due to the rising health awareness among the masses. Besides this, various e-commerce platforms are focusing on selling organic produce for which insulated shippers are required to maintain the shelf life. Insulated shippers ensure that the organic products remain intact and do not degrade by protecting them from temperature fluctuations, dirt, and dust. They enable farmers and manufacturers to safely transport healthy organic products to the doorstep of buyers.

Increasing drug research activities catalyzing demand for insulated shippers

At present, there is a rise in drug research activities to manufacture novel medications for curing a wide variety of chronic diseases. Besides this, governing agencies of various countries and private pharmaceutical companies are heavily investing in research and development (R&D) activities to improve healthcare facilities for patients. Research activities carried out in laboratories and research centers require a wide variety of chemicals, samples, and biological agents, which are often ordered or transported from other sources. Insulated shippers are required to safely transport chemicals and various biological agents. Insulated shippers keep these components protected from dirt, dust, and microorganisms and prevent temperature fluctuations from altering their chemistry. They are also used for packaging organ samples, tissues, and cell cultures, which are extremely temperature-sensitive.

Rising online shopping augmenting market growth

At present, online shopping activities are increasing due to the wide availability of a wide variety of products on various e-commerce platforms. Online shopping provides numerous benefits to buyers, such as shopping from the comfort of home, avoiding long lines in shops, eliminating the hassle of visiting physical shops, making cashless transactions, and availing various discounts and offers. It also enables individuals to purchase a wide range of products, including grocery and electronic products, medication, clothing products, and cosmetic products, which are ultimately delivered to their doorstep within a specific timespan. Apart from this, the quality of these items is thoroughly maintained by using various forms of insulated shippers, which help keep these products intact and protected from extreme temperatures.

Insulated Shippers Industry Segmentation:

IMARC Group provides an analysis of the key trends in each segment of the global insulated shippers market report, along with forecasts at the global, regional, and country levels from 2025-2033. Our report has categorized the market based on type, material, and end use.

Breakup by Type:

• Single-Use
• Multiple-Use 
   

Single-use represents most popular insulated shippers

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the insulated shippers market based on the type. This includes single-use and multiple-use. According to the report, single-use represented the largest segment. Single-use insulated shippers are ideal for packing a wide range of products, including seafood, laboratory samples, meat products, cakes, chocolates, medicines, breastmilk, vaccines, insulin, and chemicals. Furthermore, as single-use shippers are not allowed to be reused and are discarded after the first usage, they offer enhanced protection and highly sterile packaging for perishable and temperature sensitive products.

Multiple-use shippers are primarily utilized by pharmaceutical companies to pack various types of medications. They enable pharma companies to reuse them as many times as possible, thereby making them a sustainable packaging choice that leads to less wastage.

Breakup by Material:

• Paper-Based
• Wool
• Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)
• Expanded Polypropylene (EPP)
• Polyurethane
• Others
   

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) holds largest share in insulated shippers market

A detailed breakup and analysis of the insulated shippers market based on the material has also been provided in the report. This includes paper-based, wool, expanded polystyrene (EPS), expanded polypropylene (EPP), polyurethane, and others. According to the report, expanded polystyrene (EPS) accounted for the largest market share. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is a lightweight and rigid material that is manufactured from solid beads of polystyrene. The application of EPS helps achieve a closed cell within an insulated shipping box accurately for the packaging of various temperature-sensitive products, including fruits, vegetables, herbs, frozen seafood, and frozen meat. EPS also possesses a superior shock absorbing capability, which makes it perfect for packaging various valuable and fragile products, such as wine bottles, electronic equipment, and chemical products.

Expanded polypropylene (EPP) is primarily available in the form of boxes, which are widely used in the food and beverage (F&B), logistics and health sectors for packing temperature-sensitive items. EPP boxes are also equipped with eutectic plates for improving their efficiency.

Polyurethane is often used in protective packaging applications, as it is resistant to abrasion, oil, and solvents and possesses anti-static properties.

Breakup by End Use:

• Home Delivery
• Agriculture
• Fish
• Life Sciences
• Others
   

Home delivery dominates the market

A detailed breakup and analysis of the insulated shippers market based on the end use has also been provided in the report. This includes home delivery, agriculture, fish, life sciences, and others. According to the report, home delivery accounted for the largest market share. Home delivery of various products, such as food products, medicines, electronics, and groceries, requires insulated shippers to maintain the quality of the products until they reach the doorstep of the buyers.

Insulated shippers are employed in the agriculture sector for transporting a wide variety of plant products, crops, and seeds, to supermarkets and hypermarkets. They protect seeds or saplings of various rare species or exotic species from temperature changes and contamination.

These shippers are used to pack blood samples, tissues, cells, organ samples, and numerous types of chemicals, which can get affected at high temperatures. They also protect various novel samples of microorganisms.

Breakup by Region:

• North America
  • United States
  • Canada
• Europe
  • Germany
  • France
  • United Kingdom
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Others
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • Japan
  • India
  • South Korea
  • Australia
  • Indonesia
  • Others
• Latin America
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
  • Others
• Middle East and Africa
   

North America exhibits a clear dominance, accounting for the largest insulated shippers market share

The report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of all the major regional markets, which include North America (the United States and Canada); Europe (Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, and others); Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, and others); Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, and others); and the Middle East and Africa. North America held the biggest market share since the region has a developed medical infrastructure. Besides this, the rising consumption of frozen food products, such as cheese, fish, and meat, in the everyday diet is further catalyzing the demand for insulated shippers. Another contributing aspect is the increasing demand for meal kits among the working population, as they eliminate the hassle of cooking and can be consumed by just warming the food for a few minutes.

Asia Pacific is estimated to expand in this domain, owing to the rising amount of investment in drug development practices and increasing demand for eco-friendly and biodegradable shipping containers.

Competitive Landscape:

The key players are experiencing a surge in the demand for insulated shippers from pharmaceutical and food and beverage (F&B) companies around the world. They are also focusing on manufacturing enhanced insulated shipping containers that are eco-friendly in nature and can be re-used multiple times without causing contamination to the inside contents. Top manufacturers are planning on the development of different liner materials due to the rising product demand and increasing stringent policies over the use of EPS across the globe. They are also investing in research and development (R&D) activities to create isothermal packaging with food grade materials to protect food products from the contamination of chemicals.

The report has provided a comprehensive analysis of the competitive landscape in the global insulated shippers market. Detailed profiles of all major companies have also been provided. Some of the key players in the global insulated shippers market include:

• Cold Chain Technologies LLC 
• CoolPac
• Cryopak Industries Inc. (Integreon Global)
• IGH Holdings Inc. 
• Insulated Products Corporation
• Polar Tech Industries Inc. 
• Sealed Air Corporation
• Sonoco Products Company
• Storopack Hans Reichenecker GmbH
• Tempack Packaging Solutions S.L. (Softbox Systems) 
• Therapak LLC (Avantor Inc.) 
• va-Q-tec AG 
• Veritiv Corporation

Recent Developments:

• In March 2024, Cold Chain Technologies announced the acquisition of Packaging Technology Group, thereby expanding its leadership in sustainable thermal packaging.
• In February 2020, TCP Reliable Announces their corporate rebranding by changing their name to Integreon Global.
• In May 2023, Sealed Air Corporation declared their rebranding and changing of name to SEE for reflecting its reinvention strategy. 

Insulated shippers Market Report Scope:

Key Questions Answered in This Report:

• How has the global insulated shippers market performed so far, and how will it perform in the coming years?
• What are the drivers, restraints, and opportunities in the global insulated shippers market?
• What is the impact of each driver, restraint, and opportunity on the global insulated shippers market?
• What are the key regional markets?
• Which countries represent the most attractive insulated shippers market?
• What is the breakup of the market based on the type?
• Which is the most attractive type in the insulated shippers market?
• What is the breakup of the market based on the material?
• Which is the most attractive material in the insulated shippers market?
• What is the breakup of the market based on the end use?
• Which is the most attractive end use in the insulated shippers market?
• What is the competitive structure of the global insulated shippers market?
• Who are the key players/companies in the global insulated shippers market?

Key Benefits for Stakeholders:

• IMARC’s report offers a comprehensive quantitative analysis of various market segments, historical and current market trends, market forecasts, and dynamics of the insulated shippers market from 2019-2033.
• The research study provides the latest information on the market drivers, challenges, and opportunities in the global insulated shippers market.
• The study maps the leading, as well as the fastest-growing, regional markets. It further enables stakeholders to identify the key country-level markets within each region.
• Porter's five forces analysis assist stakeholders in assessing the impact of new entrants, competitive rivalry, supplier power, buyer power, and the threat of substitution. It helps stakeholders to analyze the level of competition within the insulated shippers industry and its attractiveness.
• Competitive landscape allows stakeholders to understand their competitive environment and provides an insight into the current positions of key players in the market.