Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/519717
P r o d u c e S h o w D a i l y W e d n e s d a y, J u n e 1 0 , 2 0 1 5 1 0 YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE EXECUTING PROMOTIONS DIFFERENTLY – ARE YOU? Your customers are embracing technolo- gy in their shopping habits at an increas- ing rate. More than half of U.S. con- sumers use technology in their grocery and drug store shopping; according to the Food Marketing Institute, almost one- third search online for coupons, 23 per- cent check prices from multiple stores and 31 percent use mobile technology during in-store shopping. One quarter of these customers use two of these methods together on the same shopping trip. One executive in the FMI study remarked, "We are seeing a different behavior in our stores. Shoppers are using their smartphones to gain a much deeper understanding of not only what they buy but, as well, the value of each purchase to them every time they shop with us." Leveraging technology, your cus- tomers have redefined the promotional process. With information at their finger- tips, they appear to be highly motivated with raised expectations. Executing pro- motions is becoming mission critical. Promotions account for more than 40 percent of drug and grocery sales. So what are you doing dif- ferently? A smarter, more powerful supply chain system can change the game and tilt the table in your direction. Integrate future promotions and new item rollouts into your replenishment planning. Better planning translates into better service with lower inventory. Separate and track demand, lost and promotional sales. Make better decisions today and build a track record for the future. Use analytics to track the effects of promotions. Generate promotion alerts for the key stakeholders in your company and your suppliers. Improve the flow of inbound products and maximize promo- tion lift. Provide projections of future forecasts and orders to suppliers. True demand infor- mation helps them align their inventories, lowering every- body's costs. Scorecard your promo- tions, calculating metrics like sell through percentages. This helps identify runaway promotions or non-performing events. You can better meet your customer demand and high expectations by improving supply chain execution. Becoming smarter and more efficient creates a win-win: happy customers, lower costs and an improved bottom line. For more information, visit booth #1356 or www.herlitzim.com, or call 617.440.7550. WRAPPER GETS THE MEASURE OF IRREGULAR FRUIT AND VEG ILAPAK has upgraded its Astra flow wrapper for irregularly shaped fruit and vegetables, improving seal strength and re-engineering the machine's Variable Bag Length software to create an even tighter wrap. The Astra was conceived to provide the fresh produce industry with an eco- nomic means of packing produce such as apples, leeks and courgettes into polyeth- ylene pillow packs. At the core of its design is the ability to tailor each bag to varying product dimensions using a fea- ture ILAPAK has branded Variable Bag Length. Now, ILAPAK has optimised this feature to cut the bag more closely to the product, which yields financial savings by reducing waste by five percent com- pared to previous models. The Astra achieves this accuracy by deploying sensors to calculate the dimen- sions of products as they enter the machine on an indexing belt. The index- ing belt then places product in the correct position on the film, for entry into the flow wrapper, where it is wrapped and the film is cut to the length of the prod- uct. Because the product is supported from beneath throughout the process, there is no danger of damage and irreg- ularly shaped products can be handled with ease. With hygiene a key consideration when handling unwrapped fruit and veg, the indexing conveyor belt is easy to dis- mantle for cleaning and its open 'C frame' design avoids accumulation of dust and debris. Most producers tend to use polyeth- ylene film for packaging fruit and veg- etables. Whilst this is a fairly cheap film, it is difficult to seal, which is why ILA- PAK has invested in enhancing seal strength. ILAPAK's engineers have developed dedicated profiles for the seal- ing rollers and a very precise system for controlling the pres- sure of the rollers, ensuring the optimum combination of time, temperature and pressure. Balancing the industry's demands for economy and hygiene, all parts in direct contact with product are construct- ed from stainless steel, with non-contact parts made from aluminium and stainless steel. The industry's target speed of 40 packs per minute is comfortably within the capabilities of the Astra flow wrapper. For more information, stop by booth #2617 or visit www.ilapak.com. CREAMER POTATOES: RETURNING THE POTATO TO ITS ORIGINAL GLORY The Little Potato Company is one of the largest companies specializing in Creamer potatoes. That's all it has sold for 19 years, and all it plans to sell. Creamer potatoes are now one of the fastest growing segments of the potato category across North America. The Little Potato team breeds unique proprietary varieties of Creamer potatoes and brings them to market in innovative eye-catching packaging and formats that are flying off the shelves. They are so popular that store listings have expanded across the U.S. and all provinces in Canada. "We really believe the sky's the limit for these delicious, nutritious and con- venient Creamers," said Angela Santiago, Co-Founder and CEO of The Little Potato Company. "They're visually appealing and versatile, and consumers love them. We are just getting started with innovations to support our retail partners to help Creamers achieve even more sales and success." The company currently offers sever- al proprietary varieties of Creamers, with some regional and seasonal variations in availability. Each variety has unique size, skin and flesh color, flavor and cooking attributes, and they're sold individually or in eye-catching and colorful combina- tions. With foodie- friendly names like "Baby Boomer," "Blushing Belle," "Something Blue," and "Miss Blush," most varieties are available in appealing 1.5-pound gusset bags and three- and five-pound bags. Last year, The Little Potato Company successfully launched an excit- ing line of value-added products that it will continue to expand. Another first in Creamer potatoes, the line includes Oven|Grill Ready kits that bundle Creamer potatoes, easy-to-use roasting trays and a choice of three different savory seasoning packs – Onion Medley, Garlic Herb and Barbecue Blend – in one convenient package. Its Microwave Ready kits come with microwave steam trays and pre-seasoning mixes including Garlic Parsley, Savory Herb and Zesty Italian. To entice customers to try these new lines, and keep them coming back, The Little Potato Company also offers retailers attention-grabbing POP and merchandis- ing tools. It also engages in a robust social media campaign to educate and excite consumers through Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube. As Angela Santiago said, it is just getting started and will continue to build and enhance its products and retail part- ner support. Who would have thought Creamers could soon rule the potato world? For more information, visit www.little potatoes.com or stop by booth #2245. CUSTOM BUILT HOT AND COLD FOOD DISPLAY MERCHANDISING OutFront Custom Built manufactures refrigerated and non-refrigerated food merchandisers, hot and cold food bars and custom millwork with your specific requirements in mind. Its experienced engineering depart- ment works with you on concept and design solutions to help you exceed your merchandising expectations for assisted and self-serve applications. Based in Buffalo N.Y., OutFront Custom Built is a UL-Listed manufactur- er that builds products to meet all indus- try standards while creating a showpiece display merchandising to enhance your retail decor. Custom Built's offerings include salad bars, olive bars, antipasto bars, hot bars, soup bars, combination bars, serv- ice counters, custom fixtures and custom millwork. OutFront Custom Built and Custom Built Food Trucks share their manufac- turing facility with Buffalo OutFront Metalworks, formerly Buffalo Metal Fabricating Corp. For more than 66 years, Buffalo Metal Fabricating serviced the greater Buffalo area with creative practi- cal approaches to sheet metal design and fabrication. In 2012, the 50,000 square foot facil- ity was updated, equipment was replaced, and technologies taken into the new millennium. Buffalo OutFront Metalworks saw an opportunity to build upon the established pedigree this com- pany once brought to this city, and take this facility to the next level of structural and sheet metal innovation. With the addition of state of the art machinery, experienced talented staff and state of the art software, new life has been breathed into these three companies. The expertise and creativity of the OutFront Custom Built staff combined with out- standing resources in this environment encourage the synergy that is evident in the beautifully crafted projects of stain- less, wood, stone and glass. Meet Dave Fortini and Dave Myslinski from OutFront Custom Built at OutFront Portable Solutions' booth #3626 or for more informa- tion, email Dave.Fortini@bofmw.com.