Kiwi Phil
Commander
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2003
- Messages
- 2,182
Over the past 12 months I have had to rebuild my business to meet the changing demands of the Chain Store Supermarkets I supply.<br />Old hands will recall my previous questions regarding Quality Assurance/Product Packaging/Gift Ideas to Buyers (pens/caps etc) etc etc. All suggestions have been welcomed.<br /><br /> When you are in my situation you tend to suffer from Tunnel Vision.<br />When you call on a specilized Company for assistance/ideas, all you get is what they do.<br /><br />My next issue to deal with is Packaging from my gate to the shop floor.<br /><br /> Background. <br />Supermarket Chains are changing the packaging in the Fresh Produce area.<br /><br />Past: <br />The grower packed his produce in a box that suited him, and when it arrived at the Store, it was taken out and displayed for sale.<br /> Current: <br /> The Chain has gone to RCPC (Recyclable Collapsable Plastic Crates). They come collapsed, on a pallet, to the grower. He opens them up, packs his product in them, pallets them, and when at the Store, staff place these crates direct on shelf. Customer takes from crate. When empty staff collapse, pallet them, off to cleaners, then back to grower. We are charged a rental.<br /><br />My product does not fit the 4 different sizes of RCPC, so they allow me to pack in to Polystyrene Broccoli Boxes with lids.<br /> Problems. <br />1. My product falls over. It has moisture in the bottom. We have to spend time padding scrunched up news paper at ends for support.<br />2. Store staff have to unpack and place in a display tray we supply, these stays in store.<br />3. Store staff do not put small ones in front, large in rear,name labels facing front etc.<br />4. Sooner or later some half witted Exec from Head Office is going to pick up on this, and his easiest option is to delete us as a supplier.<br /><br /> Action Needed: <br />Product packed by me in packaging that can be used in shop display and customer buys from.<br /><br /> My Ideas to date: <br />I have a Carboard box custom made<br />Black in exterior Colour (all RCPC's are black)<br />A perforated line, high at back, slope on sides, low in front, so staff can tear off top half.<br />Inside carton, have dividers (like they use in Wine Boxes) so each product sits upright (supported).<br />We pack so largest at back, smallets at front, all labels facing forward.<br />All store Staff do is, take of pallet, cut top off, place in display gondolas....bingo....<br /><br />If anyone has any ideas, no matter how insignificant they may seem, then fire them over to me.<br />Maybe you saw eggs packaged differently, or maybe it was jars or bottles, I don't mind. I just want to get ideas together.<br />Did you see a similar product last week in your Supermarket?<br />How was it displayed?<br />Is it worth taking a photo of?<br /> Anything. ?????<br /><br />The photos below show my product (oh yes, it is fresh living Herbs, in pots, with small amount of water in bottom) in 5 or so Supermarkets.<br /><br />As you can see, all displays are different. <br /> I need to standardise it across all 70 Supermarkets I supply, so if you are the customer, no matter which store you go to, there they are, identical to every other store in the chain.<br /><br />Sorry to drag this thread out.<br />It is critical to me.<br />Thanks guys.<br />Cheer<br />Phillip<br /><br />(by the way, remember I discussed colour and layour of display sleeves way back. There they are, courtesy of all the advice you guys put forward).<br />Costings are below if you are interested.<br /><br />
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<br /><br />Recycled Styro Boxes cost $1.20 ea.<br />Plain Carboard box the same<br />Colour black and perforation line extra...not known.<br />Dividers in box...not known, but Time and Motion Study tells me it takes 14cents of labout to scrunch up and place newspaper in box, so I will save that.
<br />Now please correct me if I have it wrong but here is what I like about your idea.<br /><br />A: You will be complying with the new packaging trend in color and size.<br />B: Getting rid of wadded paper is a plus for you and the store. Remember they have to deal with sending them (the containers) back and throwing away the paper.<br />C: Anytime you can control how your product is displayed is a plus as you mentioned.<br />D: If I were a stock person and had to do the extra work your display would be the last one I worked on. <br /><br />Now I have a question or two for you.<br />If the stock person just opens, tears the top off this is good. But what happens to the top?<br />If sent in to be cleaned do they reattach it or you pay another top or new box?<br /><br />Anyway to design it so that the top is folded back and up under the bottom?<br /><br />Those are my two silly questions.<br /><br />Now we are going to be going to several store in the next three days that sell stuff like that.<br />I keep a digetial camera in the van so if we see something interesting Ill take a snapshot.<br /><br />Link
