Increasing online and omnichannel marketing present challenges to produce shippers and packaging suppliers.
In a recent survey by The Packer, produce industry leaders were asked, “How are omnichannel sales of produce (including online and nontraditional retail) influencing packaging design and innovation?”
“Omnichannel sales of produce are influencing packaging design in that we need to find ways to provide a package that is easy for selecting in-store for curbside pickup, but also creates a sturdier barrier to protect fruit if it might be shipped through non-traditional retail,” said Chuck Sinks, president of sales and marketing for Yakima, Wash.-based Sage Fruit Co.
A good consumer experience is key, one supplier said.
“With the movement toward meal kits by mail, packaging is still a big part of the design as the supplier still needs to give the end user a good customer experience when they receive the package,” Steve Greenfield, director of sales and marketing for NNZ Inc., Lawrenceville, Ga. “I think this is also a great way to educate the consumer about how to discard the packaging correctly that I don’t think can be done at the retail level.”
Online and omnichannel sales force more creativity or production efficiency and volume pricing, said Andrew Hare, cofounder and general manager of Charleston, S.C.-based Vertical Roots.
“For example, we are creating tooling for packaging that has the same tooling requirements but handles different volume pack sizes.”
With the explosion of omnichannel sales for fresh produce in the online environment, the industry has seen an even greater need for packaging to ensure the product does not get damaged or destroyed in the shipping process, said Jeff Watkin, director of marketing for Sev-Rend, Collinsville, Ill.
“This has been where we have seen a lot of innovation in the past year.”
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