Breaking into the Market with Bagged Produce

Case Study: Produce Grower/Packer

Overview

Crawford Packaging met with an established produce grower who had been growing and selling their tomatoes, jalapeno and poblano peppers to brokers for several years. With years of experience and a strong belief in their product, the grower had decided to move to be a direct to retail seller, reaping the full rewards of all their hard effort.

Initially meeting at a California based trade show, Crawford Packaging began working closely with the Grower to develop bag and pouch bags that could be presented to perspective retailers of their new products. Crawford Packaging also worked to develop samples for testing on the Growers packaging line. The Grower, knowing the risk involved in changing from a grower to a grower/seller, and had some reservations. With a strong belief in the quality of the Growers products, Crawford’s Packaging Specialist developed a trial program to make sure the chosen bags were a good fit for their brand but also provided the proper product shelf life when a retail partner was found.

Challenge

Launching a new product can be very difficult and often lengthy in time to accomplish. As an established grower, the client already had a tried and tested product. What they needed was to find a bag or pouch that would help them draw in retailers and customers alike. This would require separating the products for sale and ensuring proper shelf life. With the right bag, the Grower would be able to approach prospective retailers in an effort to find a vendor to match their products. Once the client established a retail partner, cost control would be vital to ensure a positive launch and allow for the new program’s success.

Process

Crawford’s Packaging Specialist began working with the Grower after initially meeting at the PMA conference in California. The packaging solution development process began with deciding proper bag sizes to match the Growers desired unitization. Testing was then performed to find the bags that provided an extended product shelf life without impacting per pack cost efficiency. This included the consideration and testing of products ranging from Modified Atmosphere Packaging to printed pouches for increased branding options.

With an excellent product and a fitting package, the Grower was the ready to begin the complicated process of presenting their products to perspective clients. Throughout the early stages of the processes Crawford Packaging worked closely with the Grower to develop appealing packages that would draw in prospective retailers. The collaborative efforts and close working relationship truly paid off for the Grower, as they were able to gain a contract with a major grocery chain in the Southern United States. Included in the initial product launch were their Jalapeno and Poblano Peppers, with a new line of 3 Pack of Peppers planned to launch soon.

Solution:

After testing a variety of bag types, the Grower decided on 1 LB Zipper Produce Bag with die cut handle, punched holes and bottom gusset branded with a printed label. This bag allowed for proper condensation and gas release while providing a convenient easy to handle bag for consumers.

Results

With the right solution, the Grower was able to achieve a successful entrance into the retail packaged produce market. The close interaction of Crawford’s Packaging Specialist helped the Grower to find an attractive package that met both their need for cost management, and product shelf life. Their existing bag solution has helped ensure their products reach the retail markets fresh and ready to sell with minimal product waste. Since the successful launch of the bagged produce program, Crawford has worked closely with the Grower to improve packaging efficiencies and costs resulting in a cost savings of over 40% on the Growers produce bags. This has helped the client grow and expand their current product offering and increase their presence in the competitive produce retail market.