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                                         57-0248420
  (State or other jurisdiction of                             (I.R.S. Employer
  incorporation or organization)                             Identification No.)

              Post Office Box 160, Hartsville, South Carolina 29551
              (Address of principal executive offices and zip code)

                             SONOCO PRODUCTS COMPANY
                             CENTENNIAL SHARES PLAN
                              (Full title of Plan)


       F. Trent Hill, Jr.                         Copies to:
       Chief Financial Officer                    George S. King, Jr., Esquire
       Sonoco Products Company                    Suzanne Hulst Clawson, Esquire
       Post Office Box 160                        Sinkler & Boyd, P.A.
       Hartsville, South Carolina 29551           1426 Main Street, Suite 1200
                                                  Columbia, South Carolina 29201
(Name and address of agent for service)
                                                         (803) 779-3080
             (843) 383-7000
      (Telephone number, including
    area code, of agent for service)

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                                          Calculation of Registration Fee
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     Proposed
                                                           Proposed                   maximum
  Title of securities          Amount to be            maximum offering         aggregate offering            Amount of
   to be registered          registered(1)            price per share(2)             price(2)              registration fee
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                          <C>                          <C>                     <C>                         <C>       
     Common Stock,
     no par value            1,800,000 shares             $26.625                 $47,925,000.00              $13,323.15
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</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)  Based on the exercise price of the employee stock options  pursuant to Rule
     457(h)(1) under the Securities Act of 1933.

                                                         Exhibit Index on page 6


<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 chosen to participate in the Sonoco
Products Company Centennial Share Plan as required by Rule 428(b)(1) promulgated
under the Securities Act of 1933.

                                     PART II

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  for the  year  ended
          December 31, 1997 (File No. 1-11261).

     (b)  The Registrant's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended
          March 29, 1998, June 28, 1998 and September 27, 1998; the Registrant's
          Periodic  Reports on Forms 8-K,  filed  January 22, 1998 and April 14,
          1998.

     (c)  The  description  of the  Registrant's  Common  Stock set forth in the
          Registrant's  Form 8-A, filed  February 14, 1995, as amended  December
          30, 1998.

     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 (the "1934
Act"), 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.


                                       2
<PAGE>

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

         Not applicable.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

     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  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.

          4      Sonoco Products Company Centennial Share Plan

          5      Opinion of Sinkler & Boyd, P.A.

         15      Letter from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP regarding unaudited
                 interim financial information

         23.1    Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

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

         24      Power of Attorney

Item 9.  Undertakings.

         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;

         (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;

                                       3
<PAGE>

         Provided,   however,   that  paragraphs  (1)(i)  and  (1)(ii)  of  this
undertaking  do not apply if the  registration  statement is on Form S-3, 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.

         (4)  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.

         (5)  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 foregoing  provisions,  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 December 30,
1998.

                               Sonoco Products Company

                                    s/Peter C. Browning
                               By:----------------------------------------------
                                    Peter C. Browning
                                    Chief Executive Officer

                                    s/F. Trent Hill, Jr.
                               By:----------------------------------------------
                                    F. Trent Hill, Jr.
                                    Chief Executive Officer and Principal
                                        Accounting Officer


                                        5

<PAGE>

         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 December 30, 1998.

s/P. C. Browning
--------------------------
P. C. Browning                                    President and Chief Executive
                                                  Officer and Director
*s/F. T. Hill, Jr.                          
--------------------------
F. T. Hill, Jr.                                   Principal Financial and 
                                                  Accouning Officer
*s/C. J. Bradshaw
--------------------------                          
C. J. Bradshaw                                    Director

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

*s/C. W. Coker                           
--------------------------                        
C. W. Coker                                       Director

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

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

*s/T. C. Coxe, III                          
--------------------------
T. C. Coxe, III                                   Director

*s/H. E. DeLoach, Jr.
--------------------------
H. E. DeLoach, Jr.                                Director

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

*s/R. E. Elberson                          
--------------------------
R. E. Elberson                                    Director

*s/J. C. Fort                          
--------------------------
J. C. Fort                                        Director

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

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

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

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

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

*By: s/F. Trent Hill, Jr.
    ----------------------
    F. Trent Hill, Jr.
    Attorney-in-Fact

                                        6

<PAGE>



                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

EXHIBIT                                                                    

4        Sonoco Products Company Centennial Shares Plan

5        Opinion of Sinkler & Boyd, P.A.

15       Letter from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP regarding unaudited interim
         financial information

23.1     Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

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

24       Power of Attorney




                                        7
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 15839}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "SONOCO PRODUCTS CO", "cik": "0000091767", "assigned-sic": "2631", "irs-number": "570248420", "state-of-incorporation": "SC", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-69929", "film-number": "98778438"}, "business-address": {"street1": "NORTH SECOND ST", "street2": "P O BOX 160", "city": "HARTSVILLE", "state": "SC", "zip": "29551-0160", "phone": "8033837000"}}
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                                         57-0248420
  (State or other jurisdiction of                             (I.R.S. Employer
  incorporation or organization)                             Identification No.)

              Post Office Box 160, Hartsville, South Carolina 29551
              (Address of principal executive offices and zip code)

                             SONOCO PRODUCTS COMPANY
                             CENTENNIAL SHARES PLAN
                              (Full title of Plan)

       F. Trent Hill, Jr.                         Copies to:
       Chief Financial Officer                    George S. King, Jr., Esquire
       Sonoco Products Company                    Suzanne Hulst Clawson, Esquire
       Post Office Box 160                        Sinkler & Boyd, P.A.
       Hartsville, South Carolina 29551           1426 Main Street, Suite 1200
                                                  Columbia, South Carolina 29201
(Name and address of agent for service)
                                                         (803) 779-3080
             (843) 383-7000
      (Telephone number, including
    area code, of agent for service)
Calculation of Registration Fee
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     Proposed
                                                           Proposed                   maximum
  Title of securities          Amount to be            maximum offering         aggregate offering            Amount of
   to be registered          registered(1)            price per share(2)             price(2)              registration fee
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock,
     no par value            1,800,000 shares             $26.625                 $47,925,000.00              $13,323.15
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(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)  Based on the exercise price of the employee stock options  pursuant to Rule
     457(h)(1) under the Securities Act of 1933.

                                                         Exhibit Index on page 6
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 chosen to participate in the Sonoco
Products Company Centennial Share Plan as required by Rule 428(b)(1) promulgated
under the Securities Act of 1933.

                                     PART II

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  for the  year  ended
          December 31, 1997 (File No. 1-11261).

     (b)  The Registrant's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended
          March 29, 1998, June 28, 1998 and September 27, 1998; the Registrant's
          Periodic  Reports on Forms 8-K,  filed  January 22, 1998 and April 14,
          1998.

     (c)  The  description  of the  Registrant's  Common  Stock set forth in the
          Registrant's  Form 8-A, filed  February 14, 1995, as amended  December
          30, 1998.

     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 (the "1934
Act"), 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.

                                       2
Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

         Not applicable.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

     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  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.

          4      Sonoco Products Company Centennial Share Plan

          5      Opinion of Sinkler & Boyd, P.A.

         15      Letter from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP regarding unaudited
                 interim financial information

         23.1    Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

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

         24      Power of Attorney

Item 9.  Undertakings.

         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;

         (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;

                                       3
Provided,   however,   that  paragraphs  (1)(i)  and  (1)(ii)  of  this
undertaking  do not apply if the  registration  statement is on Form S-3, 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.

         (4)  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.

         (5)  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 foregoing  provisions,  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 December 30,
1998.

                               Sonoco Products Company

                                    s/Peter C. Browning
                               By:----------------------------------------------
                                    Peter C. Browning
                                    Chief Executive Officer

                                    s/F. Trent Hill, Jr.
                               By:----------------------------------------------
                                    F. Trent Hill, Jr.
                                    Chief Executive Officer and Principal
                                        Accounting Officer

                                        5
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 December 30, 1998.

s/P. C. Browning
--------------------------
P. C. Browning                                    President and Chief Executive
                                                  Officer and Director
*s/F. T. Hill, Jr.                          
--------------------------
F. T. Hill, Jr.                                   Principal Financial and 
                                                  Accouning Officer
*s/C. J. Bradshaw
--------------------------                          
C. J. Bradshaw                                    Director

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

*s/C. W. Coker                           
--------------------------                        
C. W. Coker                                       Director

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

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

*s/T. C. Coxe, III                          
--------------------------
T. C. Coxe, III                                   Director

*s/H. E. DeLoach, Jr.
--------------------------
H. E. DeLoach, Jr.                                Director

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

*s/R. E. Elberson                          
--------------------------
R. E. Elberson                                    Director

*s/J. C. Fort                          
--------------------------
J. C. Fort                                        Director

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

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

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

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

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

*By: s/F. Trent Hill, Jr.
    ----------------------
    F. Trent Hill, Jr.
    Attorney-in-Fact

                                        6
EXHIBIT INDEX

EXHIBIT                                                                    

4        Sonoco Products Company Centennial Shares Plan

5        Opinion of Sinkler & Boyd, P.A.

15       Letter from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP regarding unaudited interim
         financial information

23.1     Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

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

24       Power of Attorney

                                        7