The stand-up pouch bag is still the dominant package for California cherries, but top-seal clamshells are making inroads, shippers say.
“We see the pouch bag we use now will continue to be the mainstream,” said Jon Bailey, cherry category manager for The Oppenheimer Group, Vancouver, British Columbia.
“There is more interest in clamshells and top-seal because of its fixed weight, which makes it easier for online shopping along with the safety aspect of sealed containers in the age of COVID-19,” Bailey said.
Cherries are primarily sold random-weight (by the pound) and in pouch bags, said Brianna Shales, marketing director for Stemilt Growers, Wenatchee, Wash.
“Clamshells are another packaging vehicle, and top-seal has started to come on as an option for selling fixed weight but in a package that uses less plastic,” she said. “Top-seal packaging is highly automated, so we expect to see more cherries sold this way in the future.”
Increasing online purchasing of cherries could result in more clamshell packs over time, said Rich Sambado, president of Primavera Marketing, Linden, Calif.
Biodegradable packaging will likely be part of the landscape of future packaging trends, said Chris Medeiros, general manager of Gustine, Calif.-based Meena Farms.
Related:
California cherry crop prospects bright
Stemilt Growers fills cherry pipeline for Memorial Day promotions
California offers wide selection of cherry varieties
COVID-19 changed cherry marketing approach, but crisis is easing
