The Package as an Actor in Organic Shops

This article examines the different and often overlooked roles that packages can perform in specialised organic shops. The paper reports on case studies of three organic shops of different types: a pioneering alternative organic shop, a small shop run by a big cooperative company and a recently started organic shop with a modern style, all located in Sweden. In addition to interviews, the paper draws on material produced through visual analysis and participant observation. Packages were found to take four main roles: the repetitive package, the unobtrusive package, the unfamiliar package and the returnable package. These different roles are approached in terms of agency and as viewing the package as playing a key part in the actor-networks of organic food.