Registration No. 33-_____

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8

             REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                             SONOCO PRODUCTS COMPANY
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

        South Carolina                                           57-0966962
        --------------                                           ----------
(State or other jurisdiction of                               (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)                               Identification No.)

            One North Second Street, Hartsville, South Carolina 29551
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              (Address of principal executive offices and zip code)

                               SONOCO SAVINGS PLAN
                              (Full title of Plan)

           Charles J. Hupfer                                Copies to:
          Vice President and                       George S. King, Jr., Esquire
        Chief Financial Officer                   Suzanne Hulst Clawson, Esquire
        Sonoco Products Company                   Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A.
        One North Second Street                    1426 Main Street, Suite 1200
          Post Office Box 160                     Columbia, South Carolina 29201
   Hartsville, South Carolina 29551                       (803) 779-3080

                    (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (864) 383-7000
                          (Telephone number, including
                        area code, of agent for service)

                         Calculation of Registration Fee

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                            Proposed maximum           Proposed maximum
   Title of securities             Amount to be            offering price per         aggregate offering      Amount of registration
   to be registered              registered(1)(2)               share(3)                   price(3)                     fee
   ----------------              ----------------               --------                   --------                     ---

<S>                                <C>                           <C>                    <C>                          <C>
Common Stock,                      5,000,000                     $23.965                $119,825,000.00              $11,023.90
 no par value
</TABLE>


(1)  This  registration  statement  also  covers such  indeterminable  number of
     additional  shares as may become issuable to prevent  dilution in the event
     of stock splits,  stock dividends or similar  transactions  pursuant to the
     terms of the Plan.

(2)  In addition, pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, this
     registration  statement also covers an indeterminate amount of interests to
     be offered or sold pursuant to the employee benefit plan described herein.

(3)  Estimated  solely  for the  purpose of  calculating  the  registration  fee
     pursuant  to Rule 457(c)  under the  Securities  Act of 1933,  based on the
     average of the high and low  trading  prices of the shares  reported by the
     New York Stock Exchange on October 23, 2002.


<PAGE>


                                     PART I

              Information Required in the Section 10(a) Prospectus

         The documents  containing the  information  specified in Part I of Form
S-8 will be sent or given to employees of the Registrant eligible to participate
in the Sonoco Savings Plan as required by Rule 428(b)(1)  promulgated  under the
Securities Act of 1933.

                                     PART II

               Information Required in the Registration Statement

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

         The Registrant hereby incorporates by reference herein the following
documents:

     (a)  The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended,  for the year
          ended December 31, 2001 (File No. 0-516);

     (b)  The Registrant's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended
          March 31, 2002 and June 30, 2002;

     (c)  The  description  of the  Registrant's  common stock  contained in the
          Registrant's Form 8-A, File No. 001-11261, filed February 16, 1995, as
          amended  by File No.  002-64529,  filed  December  30,  1998,  and any
          subsequent  amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such
          description.

       All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, prior to the
filing of a post-effective amendment that indicates that all securities offered
have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall
be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this registration statement and to
be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.

Item 4.  Description of Securities

         Not applicable.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

         Not applicable.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

         Article   VIII  of  the  By-laws  of  the  Company   provides  for  the
indemnification  by the  Company of any present or former  director,  officer or
employee of the Company, or any person, who, at the request of the Company,  may
have  served as  director  or officer of  another  corporation  in which it owns
shares  or of which it is a  creditor.  Any such  person  shall be  entitled  to
reimbursement of expenses and other  liabilities to the maximum extent permitted
by the laws of the  State  of South  Carolina  or by order of any  Court  having
jurisdiction  in any  action or  proceeding  to which he is a party by reason of
being or having been a director, officer or employee.

         Article 9 of the  Restated  Articles  of  Incorporation  states that no
director  of the  Company  shall be  personally  liable to the Company or to its
shareholders  for  monetary  damages for breach of  fiduciary  duty as director,
except to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation  thereof is not
permitted  under the laws of South  Carolina,  as  presently in effect or as the
same may hereafter be amended.

         Under  the  South  Carolina  Business  Corporation  Act  of  1988  (the
"Corporation  Act"),  a  corporation  has the power to indemnify  directors  and
officers who meet the standards of good faith and reasonable belief that conduct
was lawful and in the corporate  interest (or not opposed  thereto) set forth in
the Corporation  Act. The Corporation Act also empowers a corporation to provide


                                       2
<PAGE>

insurance  for  directors and officers  against  liability  arising out of their
positions  even though the  insurance  coverage is broader than the power of the
corporation  to indemnify.  Under the  Corporation  Act,  unless  limited by its
articles of  incorporation,  a corporation  must indemnify a director or officer
who is wholly  successful,  on the merits or  otherwise,  in the  defense of any
proceeding  to which he was a party  because he is or was a director  or officer
against  reasonable  expenses incurred by him in connection with the proceeding.
The  Registrant's  Articles  of  Incorporation  do not  provide  otherwise.  The
provisions of the Corporation Act which deal with  indemnification  are codified
at Sections  33-8-500  through -580 of the Code of Laws of South  Carolina 1976,
amended.

         In addition,  the Company maintains  directors' and officers' liability
insurance for the benefit of its directors and officers.

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed.

         Not applicable.

Item 8.  Exhibits.

Exhibit No.
in Item 601
of Regulation S-K           Description
-----------------           -----------

   (a)

      4.1                  Articles of Incorporation  (Incorporated by reference
                           to  exhibits  to the  Company's  Form  10-Q  for  the
                           quarter ended June 27, 1999)

      4.2                  Bylaws  (Incorporated by reference to exhibits to the
                           Company's  Form 10-Q for the  quarter  ended June 27,
                           1999)

      4.3                  Sonoco Savings Plan

      5.                   Opinion of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A.

      15                   Letter re: unaudited  interim  financial  information
                           (incorporated   by   reference  to  exhibits  to  the
                           Company's Forms 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31,
                           2002 and June 30, 2002)

      23.1                 Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

      23.2                 Consent of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A. (included in
                           Exhibit 5).

      24                   Power of Attorney (included on signature page)

   (b) The Company has submitted the Sonoco Savings Plan, as amended, to the
Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") in a timely manner and will make all
changes required by the IRS in order to qualify the Plan.

Item 9.  Undertakings.

     (a)  Rule 415 Offerings.

         The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

         (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made,
a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

               (i) To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the
Securities Act of 1933;



                                       3
<PAGE>

               (ii) To reflect  in the  prospectus  any facts or events  arising
after the  effective  date of the  registration  statement  (or the most  recent
post-effective  amendment  thereof)  which,  individually  or in the  aggregate,
represent a fundamental  change in the information set forth in the registration
statement.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of
securities  offered (if the total dollar value of  securities  offered would not
exceed that which was  registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of
the estimated  maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus
filed with the  Commission  pursuant  to Rule 424(b) if, in the  aggregate,  the
changes in volume and price  represent  no more than a 20% change in the maximum
aggregate  offering price set forth in the  "Calculation  of  Registration  Fee"
table in the effective registration statement;

               (iii) To include any  material  information  with  respect to the
plan of distribution not previously  disclosed in the registration  statement or
any material change to such information in the registration statement;

Provided, however, that paragraphs (1)(i) and (1)(ii) of this undertaking do not
apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3, Form S-8 or Form F-3 and the
information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the
Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the
registration statement.

         (2) That,  for the  purpose  of  determining  any  liability  under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be
a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such  securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

         (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective  amendment
any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of
the offering.

   (b)   Filings incorporating subsequent Exchange Act documents by reference.

         The  undersigned  Registrant  hereby  undertakes  that, for purposes of
determining  any liability  under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
Registrant's  annual  report  pursuant to Section  13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934  (and,  where  applicable,  each  filing of an
employee  benefit  plan's  annual  report  pursuant  to  Section  15(d)  of  the
Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934)  that is  incorporated  by  reference  in the
registration  statement  shall  be  deemed  to be a new  registration  statement
relating to the securities offered therein,  and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

   (h)   Filing of registration statement on Form S-8.

         Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors,  officers and controlling  persons of
the  Registrant  pursuant to the  provisions  described  under Item 6 above,  or
otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities
and  Exchange  Commission  such  indemnification  is  against  public  policy as
expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim
for  indemnification  against  such  liabilities  (other than the payment by the
Registrant of expenses  incurred or paid by a director,  officer or  controlling
person of the  Registrant  in the  successful  defense  of any  action,  suit or
proceeding)  is  asserted by such  director,  officer or  controlling  person in
connection with the securities being registered,  the Registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit  to a  court  of  appropriate  jurisdiction  the  question  whether  such
indemnification  by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will
be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.






                                       4
<PAGE>


                                   SIGNATURES

The Registrant

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement  to be  signed  on its  behalf  by  the  undersigned,  thereunto  duly
authorized,  in the City of  Hartsville,  State of South Carolina on October 25,
2002.

                                  Sonoco Products Company


                                  By s/Harris E. DeLoach, Jr.
                                     ------------------------
                                        Harris E. DeLoach, Jr.
                                        President and Chief Executive Officer

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act of  1933,  this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following person in the capacities
indicated on October 25, 2002.

                                Sonoco Products Company


                                By  s/Charles J. Hupfer
                                    -----------------------
                                      Charles J. Hupfer
                                      Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

         Each person whose  signature  appears  below  constitutes  and appoints
Harris E. DeLoach,  Jr. and Charles J. Hupfer,  jointly and severally,  his true
and lawful  attorneys-in-fact  and agents,  with full power of substitution  and
resubstitution,  for him or her and in his or her name,  place and stead, in any
and  all  capacities,  to  sign  this  Registration  Statement  and  any and all
amendments  to this  Registration  Statement,  and to file  the  same,  with all
exhibits  thereto,  and other  documentation in connection  therewith,  with the
Securities and Exchange  Commission,  granting unto said  attorneys-in-fact  and
agents full power and  authority  to do and perform each and every act and thing
requisite and  necessary to be done in and about the  premises,  as fully to all
intents and  purposes as he might or could do in person,  hereby  ratifying  and
confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or his substitute
or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act of  1933,  this
Registration  Statement  has  been  signed  by  the  following  persons  in  the
capacities indicated on October 25, 2002.


s/ C. W. Coker                                       Director (Chairman)
------------------------------------
C. W. Coker

s/ H. E. DeLoach, Jr.                                President, Chief Executive
------------------------------------                 Officer and Director
H. E. DeLoach, Jr.

s/ C. J. Bradshaw                                    Director
------------------------------------
C. J. Bradshaw

s/ R. J. Brown                                       Director
------------------------------------
R. J. Brown

s/ F. L. H. Coker                                    Director
------------------------------------
F. L. H. Coker

s/ J. L. Coker                                       Director
------------------------------------
J. L. Coker



                                       5
<PAGE>

s/ A. T. Dickson                                     Director
------------------------------------
A. T. Dickson

s/ C. C. Fort                                        Director
------------------------------------
C. C. Fort

s/ P. Fulton                                         Director
------------------------------------
P. Fulton

s/ B. L. M. Kasriel                                  Director
------------------------------------
B. L. M. Kasriel

s/ E. H. Lawton, Jr.                                 Director
------------------------------------
E. H. Lawton, Jr.

s/ H. L. McColl, Jr.                                 Director
------------------------------------
H. L. McColl, Jr.

s/ John H. Mullin, III                               Director
------------------------------------
John H. Mullin, III

s/ T. E. Whiddon                                     Director
------------------------------------
T. E. Whiddon

s/ D. D. Young                                       Director
------------------------------------
D. D. Young

The Plan.

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  the
trustees (or other persons who administer  the employee  benefit plan) have duly
caused  this  registration   statement  to  be  signed  on  its  behalf  by  the
undersigned,  thereunto duly  authorized,  in the City of  Hartsville,  State of
South Carolina on October 25, 2002.


                                      Sonoco Savings Plan

                                      By: Sonoco Products Company,
                                          as Plan Administrator


                                      By  s/ Harris E. DeLoach, Jr.
                                        ---------------------------
                                          Harris E. DeLoach, Jr.
                                          President and Chief Executive Officer




                                       6
<PAGE>


                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

EXHIBIT NO.
IN ITEM 601
OF REGULATION S-K          DESCRIPTION
-----------------          -----------

      4.1                  Articles of Incorporation  (Incorporated by reference
                           to  exhibits  to the  Company's  Form  10-Q  for  the
                           quarter ended June 27, 1999)

      4.2                  Bylaws  (Incorporated by reference to exhibits to the
                           Company's  Form 10-Q for the  quarter  ended June 27,
                           1999)

      4.3                  Sonoco Savings Plan

      5.                   Opinion of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A.

      15                   Letter re: unaudited  interim  financial  information
                           (incorporated   by   reference  to  exhibits  to  the
                           Company's Forms 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31,
                           2002 and June 30, 2002)

      23.1                 Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

      23.2                 Consent of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A. (included in
                           Exhibit 5).

      24                   Power of Attorney (included on signature page)








                                       7
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "filename": "s-8savplan.txt", "secsgml_size_bytes": 20654}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "SONOCO PRODUCTS CO", "cik": "0000091767", "assigned-sic": "2650", "irs-number": "570248420", "state-of-incorporation": "SC", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-100799", "film-number": "02800400"}, "business-address": {"street1": "NORTH SECOND ST", "street2": "P O BOX 160", "city": "HARTSVILLE", "state": "SC", "zip": "29551-0160", "phone": "8033837000"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "N. SECOND STREET", "city": "HARTSVILLE", "state": "SC", "zip": "29550"}}
Registration No. 33-_____

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8

             REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                             SONOCO PRODUCTS COMPANY
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

        South Carolina                                           57-0966962
        --------------                                           ----------
(State or other jurisdiction of                               (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)                               Identification No.)

            One North Second Street, Hartsville, South Carolina 29551
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              (Address of principal executive offices and zip code)

                               SONOCO SAVINGS PLAN
                              (Full title of Plan)

           Charles J. Hupfer                                Copies to:
          Vice President and                       George S. King, Jr., Esquire
        Chief Financial Officer                   Suzanne Hulst Clawson, Esquire
        Sonoco Products Company                   Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A.
        One North Second Street                    1426 Main Street, Suite 1200
          Post Office Box 160                     Columbia, South Carolina 29201
   Hartsville, South Carolina 29551                       (803) 779-3080

                    (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (864) 383-7000
                          (Telephone number, including
                        area code, of agent for service)

                         Calculation of Registration Fee
Proposed maximum           Proposed maximum
   Title of securities             Amount to be            offering price per         aggregate offering      Amount of registration
   to be registered              registered(1)(2)               share(3)                   price(3)                     fee
   ----------------              ----------------               --------                   --------                     ---
Common Stock,                      5,000,000                     $23.965                $119,825,000.00              $11,023.90
 no par value
(1)  This  registration  statement  also  covers such  indeterminable  number of
     additional  shares as may become issuable to prevent  dilution in the event
     of stock splits,  stock dividends or similar  transactions  pursuant to the
     terms of the Plan.

(2)  In addition, pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, this
     registration  statement also covers an indeterminate amount of interests to
     be offered or sold pursuant to the employee benefit plan described herein.

(3)  Estimated  solely  for the  purpose of  calculating  the  registration  fee
     pursuant  to Rule 457(c)  under the  Securities  Act of 1933,  based on the
     average of the high and low  trading  prices of the shares  reported by the
     New York Stock Exchange on October 23, 2002.
PART I

              Information Required in the Section 10(a) Prospectus

         The documents  containing the  information  specified in Part I of Form
S-8 will be sent or given to employees of the Registrant eligible to participate
in the Sonoco Savings Plan as required by Rule 428(b)(1)  promulgated  under the
Securities Act of 1933.

                                     PART II

               Information Required in the Registration Statement

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

         The Registrant hereby incorporates by reference herein the following
documents:

     (a)  The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended,  for the year
          ended December 31, 2001 (File No. 0-516);

     (b)  The Registrant's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended
          March 31, 2002 and June 30, 2002;

     (c)  The  description  of the  Registrant's  common stock  contained in the
          Registrant's Form 8-A, File No. 001-11261, filed February 16, 1995, as
          amended  by File No.  002-64529,  filed  December  30,  1998,  and any
          subsequent  amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such
          description.

       All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections
13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, prior to the
filing of a post-effective amendment that indicates that all securities offered
have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall
be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this registration statement and to
be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.

Item 4.  Description of Securities

         Not applicable.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

         Not applicable.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

         Article   VIII  of  the  By-laws  of  the  Company   provides  for  the
indemnification  by the  Company of any present or former  director,  officer or
employee of the Company, or any person, who, at the request of the Company,  may
have  served as  director  or officer of  another  corporation  in which it owns
shares  or of which it is a  creditor.  Any such  person  shall be  entitled  to
reimbursement of expenses and other  liabilities to the maximum extent permitted
by the laws of the  State  of South  Carolina  or by order of any  Court  having
jurisdiction  in any  action or  proceeding  to which he is a party by reason of
being or having been a director, officer or employee.

         Article 9 of the  Restated  Articles  of  Incorporation  states that no
director  of the  Company  shall be  personally  liable to the Company or to its
shareholders  for  monetary  damages for breach of  fiduciary  duty as director,
except to the extent such exemption from liability or limitation  thereof is not
permitted  under the laws of South  Carolina,  as  presently in effect or as the
same may hereafter be amended.

         Under  the  South  Carolina  Business  Corporation  Act  of  1988  (the
"Corporation  Act"),  a  corporation  has the power to indemnify  directors  and
officers who meet the standards of good faith and reasonable belief that conduct
was lawful and in the corporate  interest (or not opposed  thereto) set forth in
the Corporation  Act. The Corporation Act also empowers a corporation to provide

                                       2
insurance  for  directors and officers  against  liability  arising out of their
positions  even though the  insurance  coverage is broader than the power of the
corporation  to indemnify.  Under the  Corporation  Act,  unless  limited by its
articles of  incorporation,  a corporation  must indemnify a director or officer
who is wholly  successful,  on the merits or  otherwise,  in the  defense of any
proceeding  to which he was a party  because he is or was a director  or officer
against  reasonable  expenses incurred by him in connection with the proceeding.
The  Registrant's  Articles  of  Incorporation  do not  provide  otherwise.  The
provisions of the Corporation Act which deal with  indemnification  are codified
at Sections  33-8-500  through -580 of the Code of Laws of South  Carolina 1976,
amended.

         In addition,  the Company maintains  directors' and officers' liability
insurance for the benefit of its directors and officers.

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed.

         Not applicable.

Item 8.  Exhibits.

Exhibit No.
in Item 601
of Regulation S-K           Description
-----------------           -----------

   (a)

      4.1                  Articles of Incorporation  (Incorporated by reference
                           to  exhibits  to the  Company's  Form  10-Q  for  the
                           quarter ended June 27, 1999)

      4.2                  Bylaws  (Incorporated by reference to exhibits to the
                           Company's  Form 10-Q for the  quarter  ended June 27,
                           1999)

      4.3                  Sonoco Savings Plan

      5.                   Opinion of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A.

      15                   Letter re: unaudited  interim  financial  information
                           (incorporated   by   reference  to  exhibits  to  the
                           Company's Forms 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31,
                           2002 and June 30, 2002)

      23.1                 Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

      23.2                 Consent of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A. (included in
                           Exhibit 5).

      24                   Power of Attorney (included on signature page)

   (b) The Company has submitted the Sonoco Savings Plan, as amended, to the
Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") in a timely manner and will make all
changes required by the IRS in order to qualify the Plan.

Item 9.  Undertakings.

     (a)  Rule 415 Offerings.

         The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

         (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made,
a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

               (i) To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)(3) of the
Securities Act of 1933;

                                       3
(ii) To reflect  in the  prospectus  any facts or events  arising
after the  effective  date of the  registration  statement  (or the most  recent
post-effective  amendment  thereof)  which,  individually  or in the  aggregate,
represent a fundamental  change in the information set forth in the registration
statement.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of
securities  offered (if the total dollar value of  securities  offered would not
exceed that which was  registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of
the estimated  maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus
filed with the  Commission  pursuant  to Rule 424(b) if, in the  aggregate,  the
changes in volume and price  represent  no more than a 20% change in the maximum
aggregate  offering price set forth in the  "Calculation  of  Registration  Fee"
table in the effective registration statement;

               (iii) To include any  material  information  with  respect to the
plan of distribution not previously  disclosed in the registration  statement or
any material change to such information in the registration statement;

Provided, however, that paragraphs (1)(i) and (1)(ii) of this undertaking do not
apply if the registration statement is on Form S-3, Form S-8 or Form F-3 and the
information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those
paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the
Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the
registration statement.

         (2) That,  for the  purpose  of  determining  any  liability  under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be
a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such  securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

         (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective  amendment
any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of
the offering.

   (b)   Filings incorporating subsequent Exchange Act documents by reference.

         The  undersigned  Registrant  hereby  undertakes  that, for purposes of
determining  any liability  under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
Registrant's  annual  report  pursuant to Section  13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934  (and,  where  applicable,  each  filing of an
employee  benefit  plan's  annual  report  pursuant  to  Section  15(d)  of  the
Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934)  that is  incorporated  by  reference  in the
registration  statement  shall  be  deemed  to be a new  registration  statement
relating to the securities offered therein,  and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

   (h)   Filing of registration statement on Form S-8.

         Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors,  officers and controlling  persons of
the  Registrant  pursuant to the  provisions  described  under Item 6 above,  or
otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities
and  Exchange  Commission  such  indemnification  is  against  public  policy as
expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim
for  indemnification  against  such  liabilities  (other than the payment by the
Registrant of expenses  incurred or paid by a director,  officer or  controlling
person of the  Registrant  in the  successful  defense  of any  action,  suit or
proceeding)  is  asserted by such  director,  officer or  controlling  person in
connection with the securities being registered,  the Registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit  to a  court  of  appropriate  jurisdiction  the  question  whether  such
indemnification  by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will
be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                       4
SIGNATURES

The Registrant

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement  to be  signed  on its  behalf  by  the  undersigned,  thereunto  duly
authorized,  in the City of  Hartsville,  State of South Carolina on October 25,
2002.

                                  Sonoco Products Company

                                  By s/Harris E. DeLoach, Jr.
                                     ------------------------
                                        Harris E. DeLoach, Jr.
                                        President and Chief Executive Officer

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act of  1933,  this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following person in the capacities
indicated on October 25, 2002.

                                Sonoco Products Company

                                By  s/Charles J. Hupfer
                                    -----------------------
                                      Charles J. Hupfer
                                      Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

         Each person whose  signature  appears  below  constitutes  and appoints
Harris E. DeLoach,  Jr. and Charles J. Hupfer,  jointly and severally,  his true
and lawful  attorneys-in-fact  and agents,  with full power of substitution  and
resubstitution,  for him or her and in his or her name,  place and stead, in any
and  all  capacities,  to  sign  this  Registration  Statement  and  any and all
amendments  to this  Registration  Statement,  and to file  the  same,  with all
exhibits  thereto,  and other  documentation in connection  therewith,  with the
Securities and Exchange  Commission,  granting unto said  attorneys-in-fact  and
agents full power and  authority  to do and perform each and every act and thing
requisite and  necessary to be done in and about the  premises,  as fully to all
intents and  purposes as he might or could do in person,  hereby  ratifying  and
confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or his substitute
or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act of  1933,  this
Registration  Statement  has  been  signed  by  the  following  persons  in  the
capacities indicated on October 25, 2002.

s/ C. W. Coker                                       Director (Chairman)
------------------------------------
C. W. Coker

s/ H. E. DeLoach, Jr.                                President, Chief Executive
------------------------------------                 Officer and Director
H. E. DeLoach, Jr.

s/ C. J. Bradshaw                                    Director
------------------------------------
C. J. Bradshaw

s/ R. J. Brown                                       Director
------------------------------------
R. J. Brown

s/ F. L. H. Coker                                    Director
------------------------------------
F. L. H. Coker

s/ J. L. Coker                                       Director
------------------------------------
J. L. Coker

                                       5
s/ A. T. Dickson                                     Director
------------------------------------
A. T. Dickson

s/ C. C. Fort                                        Director
------------------------------------
C. C. Fort

s/ P. Fulton                                         Director
------------------------------------
P. Fulton

s/ B. L. M. Kasriel                                  Director
------------------------------------
B. L. M. Kasriel

s/ E. H. Lawton, Jr.                                 Director
------------------------------------
E. H. Lawton, Jr.

s/ H. L. McColl, Jr.                                 Director
------------------------------------
H. L. McColl, Jr.

s/ John H. Mullin, III                               Director
------------------------------------
John H. Mullin, III

s/ T. E. Whiddon                                     Director
------------------------------------
T. E. Whiddon

s/ D. D. Young                                       Director
------------------------------------
D. D. Young

The Plan.

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  the
trustees (or other persons who administer  the employee  benefit plan) have duly
caused  this  registration   statement  to  be  signed  on  its  behalf  by  the
undersigned,  thereunto duly  authorized,  in the City of  Hartsville,  State of
South Carolina on October 25, 2002.

                                      Sonoco Savings Plan

                                      By: Sonoco Products Company,
                                          as Plan Administrator

                                      By  s/ Harris E. DeLoach, Jr.
                                        ---------------------------
                                          Harris E. DeLoach, Jr.
                                          President and Chief Executive Officer

                                       6
EXHIBIT INDEX

EXHIBIT NO.
IN ITEM 601
OF REGULATION S-K          DESCRIPTION
-----------------          -----------

      4.1                  Articles of Incorporation  (Incorporated by reference
                           to  exhibits  to the  Company's  Form  10-Q  for  the
                           quarter ended June 27, 1999)

      4.2                  Bylaws  (Incorporated by reference to exhibits to the
                           Company's  Form 10-Q for the  quarter  ended June 27,
                           1999)

      4.3                  Sonoco Savings Plan

      5.                   Opinion of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A.

      15                   Letter re: unaudited  interim  financial  information
                           (incorporated   by   reference  to  exhibits  to  the
                           Company's Forms 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31,
                           2002 and June 30, 2002)

      23.1                 Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

      23.2                 Consent of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A. (included in
                           Exhibit 5).

      24                   Power of Attorney (included on signature page)

                                       7