Oser Communications Group

PMA18.Oct19

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Produce Show Daily Friday, October 19, 2018 3 2 The Little Potato Company Launches New Packaging At The Little Potato Company, the com- pany's mission is to surprise and delight consumers with a myriad of ways to pre- pare Creamer potatoes. Consumers are increasingly heading to the produce department to shop for healthy and fresh vegetables, and more than ever they are looking for products that are quick and easy to prepare. That is why The Little Potato Company's valued added kits are family favorites and top sellers. These kits come in a microwave ready steam tray or an aluminum roasting tray, along with a seasoning pack, making them con- venient for those on the go. To make these kits even simpler to use, the compa- ny has recently re-designed the packag- ing with eye-popping colors, a vertical orientation for better merchandising and a smaller case size for faster turns on shelf. "We conducted extensive research to understand the needs and desires of pro- duce shoppers to make sure we deliver on their evolving demand for healthy prod- ucts that deliver on taste, convenience and nutrition," said Richard Vann, Vice President of Marketing and Product Innovation. "Feedback on our existing packaging was very positive, but we always want to stay ahead of trends and surpass our own expectations to drive sales and category growth." The new packaging is more sustain- able, with the elimination of the paper sleeve to reduce the environmental foot- print. The products come in new bold colors that make them easier to find on shelf and the company has added more freshness windows for consumers to see, at a glance, the freshness of the potatoes. The seasoning packs are now enclosed to avoid missing or lost packs. As more consumers are searching for and reading nutrition labels, nutri- tional call-outs are more prominent and cooking instructions are simple to follow. To round out the design, The Little Potato Company used the highest quality printing for a fresh, new modern design. "Consumers are always looking for new flavors to bring excitement to their dinner table. Based on our extensive con- sumer research, two flavors rose to the top – Tomato Basil and Roasted Red Pepper & Onion," said Vann. Tomato Basil is the new microwave flavor and Roasted Red Pepper & Onion is the new oven/grill flavor. The Onion Medley flavor has been renamed to Onion & Chive, which is more con- sumer-friendly and better represents the seasonings in the package. The microwave kit steams in five minutes and the oven/grill kit roasts in 30, making them a hit for busy moms and families. The foundation of The Little Potato Company is to transform the ordinary into extraordinary, and it is laser focused on evolv- ing to exceed retail and consumer expectations. "We're constantly looking at how we can further delight our retail partners and con- sumers, and next year we will continue to innovate the specialty potato category with exciting new products that deliver on taste, health and convenience. With today's active lifestyle, there is more pressure to cook healthy meals, and at The Little Potato Company, we strive to be pioneers in bringing new products to market and ensure that everyone, every- where has healthy, nutritious food to eat, and strive to fulfill our company vision of 'feeding the world, better,'" adds Vann. The full microwave and oven/grill kit product line were launched in U.S. and Canadian markets in late September. Visit The Little Potato Company at booth #3381. For more information, go to www.littlepotatoes.com, call 780.414.6075 or email sales@littlepotatoes.com. Fresh Success in Retail: Improving Supply Chains with Managed Procurement Services By Tony Hinderer, Retail Strategy Manager, Robinson Fresh In today's competitive marketplace, a retailer's success can hinge on the strength and agility of its supply chain. But, oftentimes, much of the focus is on the actual transportation of goods, with less emphasis on critical back-end man- agement that can bring end-to-end visi- bility, efficient processes and cost sav- ings to the supply chain. Without the right technology capabilities or distribu- tion expertise, retailers might face a num- ber of challenges. Do any of these circumstances sound familiar to you? Fragmented Supply Chain Visibility Retail stores serve a wide range of prod- uct and service categories, with multiple departments and store locations needing to restock everything from perishables to general merchandise. But if each depart- ment or location is running its own show, visibility to those needs, processes and costs can be quite fragmented. Can you truly manage what you can't see? Lack of Operational Effectiveness In addition to visibility issues, silos between departments, store locations or both can also cause sluggish processes, add time-consuming tasks to employees' already heavy loads of responsibilities and slow the pace of goods getting to market. Are your procurement and sup- ply chain processes up to speed? The Solution To begin seeing what you may be miss- ing in your supply chain, you need tech- nology that can provide a wide range of functions and integrated solutions, such as real-time, end-to-end visi- bility, standardized ordering, efficient fulfillment process- es, customized reporting and data analysis. Whether you are a stand- alone retail operation with external distribution or a multi-unit national chain that is self-dis- tributing, inbound and outbound visibility is crucial to a well-managed, consistent supply chain. With the right technology capabilities, visibility begins when a department or location places an order and ends when all data from each depart- ment, location and supplier is captured, organized and analyzed. This brings the complete supply chain into focus, aggre- gating purchase information, policies, pricing and supply chain costs, terms and performance of suppliers. Consumers today are all about con- venience, and these on-the-go shoppers are clamoring for time-saving items like cut-and-ready fruits and vegetables and meal kits. But while these items trim prep time for consumers, they can add tedious cutting and packaging tasks to store employees' already busy days. Identifying and adjust- ing inefficiencies throughout the supply chain can make all the difference in stream- lining processes, better engaging employees' time and maximizing the freshness and quality of product for consumers. Final Thoughts It takes the right blend of sophisticated technology and deep supply chain expertise to achieve end-to-end supply chain visibility and quantifiable business improvements, including increased qual- ity and consistency of product, enhanced supplier relationships, cost savings and better experiences for your customers. Robinson Fresh delivers these results through managed procurement services. Connect with a Robinson Fresh expert to learn how this comprehensive, scalable solution can support your business. Visit Robinson Fresh at booths #2129 and #4872. For more information, go to www.robinsonfresh.com. Matrix Works with Fresh & IQF Packers & Producers to Manage Flexible Packaging Needs With increasing numbers of consumers interested in eating more whole foods, the fresh fruit, vegetable and IQF mar- kets are booming. Today, these packers and producers need to increase their out- put and efficiently push more produce into the marketplace. Consumers not only are seeking to purchase family-serv- ing size packages, but they also want conveniently packaged single-serving sizes for easy consumption. As a leader in vertical form fill seal packaging equipment, Matrix can deliv- er rugged, well-engineered, cost-com- petitive and easy-to-use packaging sys- tems that are backed by large world- class service and parts teams. Celebrating 30 years in the packaging industry, Matrix demonstrates the abili- ty, knowledge and commitment to cre- ate profitable non-proprietary compo- nent packaging systems for customers on a global scale. Matrix has been working in the fresh fruit, produce and IQF industries since the beginning of its history. It started out packaging pre-washed lettuce and has expanded to cover most of the industry – from packaging fresh cantaloupe, toma- toes, grapes, carrots, broccoli and pota- toes, to IQF fruits and vegetables. Matrix machines are flexible and durable and its team works collaborative- ly with each customer to ensure machines meet their unique require- ments. Whether you need an entry-level machine to use with a hand loading pocket conveyor, or a fully automated computerized net weight scale with a high-speed packag- ing machine, Matrix has a solution for you. Matrix machines work with a vari- ety of film types: mesh, poly or resist- ance, and these systems also can pro- duce a wide range of bag sizes from 2 inches to 18 inches. Matrix also provides a comprehen- sive line of products reaching virtually every industry with its distributor part- ners. Toyo Jidoki provides pre-made pouch packaging systems that load, open, fill and cap pouches, optional Ultra Clean format. FLtecnics offers rollstock (HFFS) pouch-making technol- ogy in both carousel and walking-beam styles with speeds up to 400ppm and can produce a pouch with a top or corner valve on the same valve applicator. It all boils down to flexibility, whether you have retail or institutional needs, small or large bags, mesh, poly, resistance or some other type of film, low or high capacity. Matrix is uniquely qual- ified to provide its customers with a wealth of knowledge along the entire packaging line and can facilitate integrat- ing packaging and processing solutions for your products. For more information, contact matrix@promachbuilt.com.

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