New Tetra Pak cereal packaging could boost product appeal
associated with juice cartons could be the new way to improve the
appeal of products and add consumer value, according to Tetra Pak.
A new product using the packaging firm's Tetra Rex gable top carton has recently been launched onto the French market, and its unique look has helped achieve good distribution, said the firm.
Danone's Mini Biscuits in its Lu Petit Déjeuner brand are the most recent in a line of products slowly appearing in Europe and the US to use the packaging.
According to the firm, advantages include extended freshness without the need for an additional plastic cereal bag, as well as a more convenient box size for storage.
Tetra Pak claims to be the first to come up with this packaging, and believes it is still the only firm to provide it for solid goods.
"We had a look at our products and thought if we're able to keep liquids protected, why not also try food? We looked at which other markets could benefit from this packaging and we realized it would be good for cereals and biscuits," said Tetra Pak's business development market manager in France Thierry Gihan.
Using this packaging instead of traditional cereal boxes will not necessarily be cheaper- or more expensive, said the company.
"The value of Tetra Rex is not so much the price; I don't think it is particularly cheaper. It's more that you add value to consumers, bringing them innovation and service," Gihan said.
"People are fed up with traditional cereal packs. They take up a lot of space and are difficult to store. Our packages are more efficient when it comes to space. They are also easy to pour and reclose with a plastic clip to maintain freshness," he told BakeryAndSnacks.com.
Other products on the market using Tetra Rex include a savoury biscuit brand in the US, a sweet and savoury biscuit product in Spain, a premium muesli product in the Czech Republic, and a pourable sugar with a screw cap in France. All products were launched within the last few years.
Tetra Pak said its new packaging is "a true advance… in total contrast to the usual market codes for dry goods."
According to the company, the new Lu product has been on the market for 2 months, and has already achieved 60 per cent of its retail potential in the French market.
"The company is very pleased with this as it is not always that easy to get new products into stores," said Gihan.
