Today's fresh produce containers are loaded with smart features that do a superior job showing off and protecting the merchandise.
Good-looking containers that offer high product visibility help sell produce, industry sources agreed.
"Packaging plays a key role in moving fresh product," said Tim Seidel, spokesman for Penn Traffic, a 107-store chain based in Syracuse, N.Y.
Penn Traffic's produce departments stock a number of items in hinged and two-piece, clear-plastic containers in various sizes. The retailer is becoming more reliant on "ready-to-stock-and-sell items," Seidel said. Berries, cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, small hothouse tomatoes and fresh sprouts are all sold in plastic clamshells. The most fragile items, such as berries and tomatoes, are packed in containers with moist pads on the bottom.
Officials like the clear boxes because they protect the product and make for an attractive presentation. They're also easy to display and allow for better air circulation and refrigeration.
In creating displays, store associates usually don't stack the containers high, opting for wide, horizontal displays instead to ensure correct temperature, proper rotation and to avoid "overhandling," which can cause bruising and damage, Seidel said.
Penn Traffic's stores still sell precut salads and ready-to-use veggies, including baby carrots, carrot chips and matchstick carrots in bags.
"The only pitfall is that the plastic containers are more expensive than plastic bags," Seidel said..
Shoppers don't mind paying more for upscale packaging at Roche Bros. supermarkets in the Boston area. The stores sell produce in bags and clamshells. A 7-ounce clamshell salad sells for $3.99, while a 10-ounce salad in a bag retails for $3.49.
In fact, clamshells outsell bagged salads 8 to 1, said Paul Kneeland, produce director for the chain of 16 stores.
Consumers like the packages because they can be resealed unlike many bags, Kneeland said. The retailer introduced organic broccoli and cauliflower florets in clamshells earlier this month.
"Clamshells are hot right now," he said. "Bags were great when they first came out. Customers really love clams."
Rigid plastic containers have made a big difference in sales for Earthbound Farm, a leading grower and shipper of organic produce and specialty salads. The San Juan, Bautista, Calif.-based company tested new hard plastic boxes for a line of restaurant-style salad blends last year. Three new products in clamshells were rolled out this year. Earthbound's top-seller is a mix of baby greens packed in a clamshell.
"In every offering [where] we have clamshells vs. bags, we find clamshells are outselling bags," said Larry Hamwey, vice president of marketing for Earthbound Farm. "Sales are 60% higher with clamshells vs. bags. Our clamshell sales doubled in 2004 vs. 2003."
The sturdy, recyclable boxes have a lot of consumer appeal, since they look more upscale than plastic bags, Hamwey said. The boxes also do a better job protecting easily bruised leaves of lettuce, and that extends product shelf life.
Making fresh produce more convenient will lead inevitably to greater consumption, industry observers have noted. At the Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Summit trade show in Anaheim, Calif., last fall, SN observed a number of exhibitors with products aimed at that market.
Leading packaging manufacturer Cryovac showed off its trademarked Simple Steps heat-and-serve package. It's a microwave-safe container, consisting of a black tray and a flexible, vacuum-sealed, clear film covering the prewashed and trimmed vegetables. Consumers can pop the whole thing in the microwave, watch the film inflate as the package heats up, and enjoy steamed veggies in a minute or less.
Officials at Cryovac, a division of the Sealed Air Corp., Duncan, S.C., have been talking to retailers who've expressed an interest in the package. The technology behind it offers extended shelf life for veggies, the company said.
"It's a new format for produce," said Myra Foster, Cryovac's marketing director for produce. "Now we're giving you a package you can see in close detail. You'll be able to see every spear of asparagus."
