ARTICLE

Candy Industry, Innovation in Packaging, “The Total Package, It’s Not Just Product, Box Suppliers Point Out, Presentation Is Also Key”, By Jessie Ray Sectzer, May 2002, Pages 41 –44, selected excerpts.

A box is not just a box - it’s a selling tool. Consumers may salivate thinking about boxed chocolates, but what really closes the sale is when they see the product. And while many consumers may not consciously appreciate the packaging, there’s little doubt that a beautifully packaged box of chocolates influences the purchase decision. Often, it’s the packaging that reinforces a product’s premium image.

To Daniel Dermer, vice president of Sweet Packaging, a Division of Beachwood Packaging Corp., Cleveland it’s all about presentation and image.

A box is not simply a package for confectionery items, but reflects the retailers’ image and the value of the products. Packaging therefore, is critical in determining how products are priced in the market place and hence impacts your profit margins, “ he says.

“If you want to sell at premium prices, then your product must look like a premium product,’ Dermer says.

But it’s no just the exterior packaging that can help increase the value of the product. Interior elements, such as trays and pads play a critical role.

“When trays are used, the price point for the packaging goes up, but even more important to the retailer, the amount of chocolate used goes down. The cost of the trays becomes negligible factor,” Dermer says.

In terms of trendy approaches to candy boxes, Beachwood Packaging plans to offer custom papers, targeting a more exclusive look. “We also plan to offer unique boxes on a custom basis that are event or special occasion oriented, using other senses besides sight, which will be able to enhance the experience in receiving a box of chocolate. These can include the senses of touch (silk, velvet, velour, soft touch) and maybe even hearing/sound,” Dermer says. “There are many other innovative ideas that tie candy to special occasions and also into gifts. The result is to create added value not only for the consumer, but increased profits for the retail confectioner.’

The new SWEET PACKAGING™ product line by Sweet Packaging, a Division of Beachwood Packaging Corp. offers matching pads as well as trays for each of the boxes offered, so that the system fits perfectly, and the trays used in the .5-lb., 1-lb., 1.5-lb are interchangeable. The SWEET PACKAGING™ system trays in either gold or brown offer a very high quality look. Thereby raising the perceived value of the confections offered.

The type of packaging used will also have an impact on the shelf life of the product. This relates not only to potential damage-breakage of the candy, but to the issues of freshness and bloom. “Shelf life determines the salability of the product and has a direct impact on profits.’ Dermer says.

“There are many ways to look at the profit/loss as related to shelf life: damaged products thrown out, customers receiving damaged product and the loss of potential future sales, production line inefficiencies, storage of product, and turnover of inventory,” he adds.

“From a storage perspective, the need to use shrink warp over the proper box and then using cold storage conditions to keep the product is important,” Dermer says. “Finally, how the product is brought back, to room temperature is important, since sugar bloom could result if not perperly done.”

“The use of trays and pads provide the confections with insulation, which can have a beneficial result in extending the product’s shelf life. The paperboard used to construct the box can also have an effect on the product’s shelf life since it adds strength/package integrity and insulation. Its construction is an additional factor as well,” he explains.

Product prsentation, product preservation. That’s the total package.