The product is an extension of the firm’s original mint product created five years’ ago and sold in Walgreen’s in the US, to demonstrate how it can add value to packaging and it has already generated interest with manufacturers keen to push their product out to market.
Shelf appeal
Stephens told ConfectioneryNews, SHI Ltd owns the shape and the packaging concept is fun because it ‘shouts out at you on the shelf’.
“I started the business 12 years ago, doing regular press mints for customers. We wanted to show what we can do with our packaging and thought why not create our own brand to add value to the company,” he said.
“The packs all have a “bite” taken out of them and so do the candies themselves as part of the theme for the branding ‘Great Bite’.
“We have a trademark on the shape, and can use the packaging for other brands. We decided everything looks the same on the supermarket shelf so we tried to do something different.”
Stephens, originally from Hastings, in New Zealand, moved to China over 20 years’ ago and has a factory with 120 staff in Qing Xi Town, Dongguan.
Great White, ‘Great Bite’
“We came up with the name following the shark theme, Great White, ‘Great Bite’ and carried this into the packaging. There is a bite in the tablet as well. The box was my idea. We do it in plastic and in tin,” he added.
“It’s not sold anywhere at the moment because it’s new but we have plans to put it on the market and there has been a lot of interest.”
The mints (and tins) come in a range of flavors including peppermint, spearmint, and orange.
In the video, (copyright ConfectioneryNews), Stephens speaks to Andrew Streeter, director, CPS International and innovātus, at ProSweets 2016 (January 29-February 1, 2016).
Streeter took part in ConfectioneryNews’ panel session ‘The Future of Confectionery Packaging’ at the show along with Andreas Leitze, sales director, Confectionery Processing Technology, Bosch.