Plantation brand natural “raw” sugar will be the first product to market in the newZipbox®resealable carton format. Zipbox is a joint venture between Zip-Pak and T.H.E.M.
“When we were first introduced to the Zipbox, its novelty was compelling because we knew it would resonate with retailers as an innovative new package format,” says William McDaniel, president and CEO of U.S. Sugar Co., Inc., the manufacturer of the Plantation brand. “There has not been a successful packaging innovation in the sugar category for several years, and we are excited to take our Plantation brand to market as the first in this type of package.”
Zipbox is a poly-coated paperboard carton incorporating an attached flexible film header containing a Zip-Pak Press-to-Close solution. U.S. Sugar chose a transparent top with a red zipper to allow shoppers to see the sugar and highlight the reclosability feature. The package provides the advantages of stability, stackability, and easy, mess-free pourability. Zipbox is designed to facilitate direct-filling of products without the need for an inner liner. This permits the package to hold up to 40% more product, maximizing the product-to-package ratio and cube utilization to reduce transportation costs.
Plantation’s three-pound Zipbox format was chosen to give the consumer a better value compared to existing “raw sugar” products. Zipbox also eliminates the need to use clips or transfer contents into a separate container, keeping marketing messages in front of the consumer through the last use.
It's interesting to note that this introduction in the premium Zipbox package is for a commodity product from a private-label company. The Zipbox was unveiled at Pack Expo 2010; the announcement for this first customer application of the Zipbox hybrid package was made in late September during PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2011.
