For retail
buyers and category managers, the packaging of a new product is one of many
factors that have to be considered, but one that has special meaning: It’s the
attribute that projects the product’s message. And if it doesn’t do that
effectively, the product probably won’t fly.
So says Peter
Lavoy, member of the Food Institute’s Board of Trustees, the recently retired
president and chief executive officer of Foodtown Supermarkets, and a lifetime
retailer who spent time in the buying ranks.
To be sure,
category managers and buyers at retail chains need to pay close attention to
whether or not a newly offered item will provide some new dollars to its
category through innovation or recognition of new consumer needs. And, close
attention needs to be given to the levels of support that the supplier is
giving the product to drive sales and bring customers into the stores.
But
while those are the requirements that must be satisfied if the product is to
fly off retail shelves, packaging is by no means a secondary issue. “It is
absolutely essential,” says Lavoy, “that the packaging clearly, effectively and
excitingly tell the consumer what’s going on with this new introduction. If it
doesn’t, the product’s success is at severe risk.”
For
retail buyers, all the issues, and especially the packaging, have to be
transparent and presented in a well-organized way, because the task of
reviewing new products is quite frankly a daunting one due to its scale. In
2006, nearly 17,800 new food products were introduced. That’s nearly 600 a
day-retailers work plenty of Saturdays-and, while many are line extensions, a
substantial number require careful review.
For new products
to meet retail requirements, packaging has to achieve several objectives. First
of all, the packaging must be creative, and that creativity has to reflect the
innovation behind the product. The packaging has to quickly describe the
innovation to customers, so, in the split second that the customer takes to scan
the shelf, the product’s value will be effectively projected.
According
to Lavoy, a key requirement for new products is a website address on the
packaging to help consumers get maximum information on the item’s benefits, as
well as an 800 number for the same purpose. These must be in larger type and
must stand out on the label.
Other benefits, such as kosher
certification, need to be clearly stated on the label. Adds Lavoy: “Information
on product use is really necessary. Labeling for new products has to ram home
the value of the product, its benefit to the consumer, and one of the best ways
to do that is provide recipes and serving suggestions or how to access them.”
The
packaging of a new product must, of course, satisfy all labeling rules and regulations,
relative to nutrition, content, ingredients and other issues. But the bottom
line is that packaging for new products has a vital role to play: Making sure
that the consumer not only knows its benefits, but is prompted to buy into them
and purchase the product.F&BP
