instore - March 2018 - 46

PACKAGING

Grab 'n go grabs market share
by Andy Nelson

ow consumers define "convenience"
has evolved rapidly in recent years, and
those changes have benefited the retail foodservice grab 'n go category and the packaging manufacturers that supply it.
"Lives are so busy, people can't even wait
for it to be prepared in the store," says Lynn
Dyer, president of the Foodservice Packaging Institute. "That's why we're seeing grab
'n go more and more."
As volumes of grab 'n go packaging increase, retailers and their suppliers are
becoming more sophisticated about what
consumers want, Dyer says. "In years
past, maybe they went for the cheapest
option," she says. "Now, retailers are seeing more and more that good packaging
can drive sales."

Packs must be tamper-evident. Consumers want to see as much of the product as
possible before they decide to buy it, so
packaging clarity is essential. Shelf life is
also increasingly a concern, Dyer says. For
example, should a sandwich be packaged
without condiments to help extend its life?
Many consumers are also interested in packaging that educates, with information about
calorie counts, food safety and other topics
printed right on the pack. They also want
the packaging to reflect their lifestyle, Dyer
says. For example, if they're eating more
healthfully, they also want a "healthier"
pack, e.g. something recyclable.

nar sponsored by the Foodservice Packaging Institute. "It's something I hadn't really
thought about," Dyer says. "How is the pack
seen if it's on the top shelf, the lower shelf
or straight-on?" Packs on the top shelf, for
instance, may need labeling on the side if
customers can't see the package's top.

Dyer says grab 'n go packaging makers also
are spending more time on questions like
"How should the pack be presented on the
shelf?" The topic came up in a recent webi-

Almost all the stock food packaging product
lines made by Fitchburg, Wisconsin-based
thermoformed plastic packaging specialist
Placon Corp. can be used for grab 'n go applications, says Ben Brummerhop, the company's stock food sales manager.

"Lives are so busy, people can't even
wait for it to be prepared in the store.
That's why we're seeing grab 'n go
more and more."
LYNN DYER, FOODSERVICE PACKAGING INSTITUTE

That's a good thing, he says, given the robust
growth in the category. "Both the grab 'n go
and snack-sized packaging categories are
growing. Accessibility and portability are
key. Consumers are busy and need freshly
prepared food available at all times for their
convenience."
Sarah Hobson, product manager for Shelton, Connecticut-based Inline Plastics Corp.,
agrees. "Grab 'n Go is a growing category
for all players in the market, as consumers'
lifestyles are changing," she says. "Preparing
meals isn't the same as it used to be. We're
looking for a quick bite and too often do not
have the time to sit down and really enjoy a
meal. With that, we are constantly looking for
new ways to present foods in a fresh, appealing way to drive sales for our customers."

Grab 'n go is the focus of Inline Plastics Corp.'s 2018 product development . Photo: Inline

46 * MARCH 2018 * commissary INSIDER

The latest addition to Inline's grab 'n go line,
Hobson says, is a kit that holds more than a
dozen different Inline Safe-T-Fresh tamperevident containers. The kit includes SnackCups, sandwich containers, Hangables (perfect for impulse buys, Hobson says), smaller
bowls (for salads and other applications)
and a variety of SnackWare multi-compartment containers.

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