C o n ve n i e n c e S t o r e P r o d u c t s JULY/AUGUST 2014 45

arning: There are some unusual words in this story. You may not understand

what they mean. You may need a dictionary to help you get it.

PACKAGED BEVERAGES

Sure, in context “standard extruded aluminum

package” might make sense to you. But what about

EVOH, LLDPE, LDPE, PET or HDPE? And certainly

main barrier polymer, aseptic pouch and Blippar

might leave you scratching your head.

What will make perfect sense, however, is how

new, innovative packages are sprucing up your cold

vault, marketing to your customers, helping the

planet and, really, selling themselves.

Let’s start easy and consider marketing. Packag-

ing is a billboard, and The Coca-Cola Co. makes a

good example. Marketers of the iconic Atlanta-based

brand realized way back in 1916 that they had a good

thing going. Bottlers decided they needed a standard

vessel across the board, something consistent that

would make the brand instantly recognizable. Today,

Coca-Cola’s distinctive contoured bottle can be

recognized in the dark. And that says nothing of the

red and white logo: It is recognized by 94% of the

world’s population, evident in the 1.7 billion servings

of Coke products sold every day, all over the world.

And the company isn’t resting on its red and white

laurels. Coca-Cola’s summer campaign, “Share a

Coke,” personalized each bottle by swapping the

iconic logos on 20-ounce bottles with 250 of the

nation’s most popular names among teens and mil-

lennials. Got a friend named David? Did you happen

to see his name in the c-store cold vault while pick-

ing up your own Diet Coke? I bet Dave would like that

Coke with his name on it a lot. Coca-Cola is making

that same bet—only they bet you buy it for Dave.

Now for something you’ve probably never heard

of. Imagine a bottle for a healthy beverage marketed

to children and their parents. Now imagine that

bottle is shaped like a building block. That block can

fi t only with other bottle blocks of the same brand—

you have to purchase all three to have the full build-

ing and thirst-quenching experience. To boot, the

Ladera Ranch, Calif.-based Drink Blocks beverages

feature the popular kids’ brand Chuggington. This

triple threat combines a healthy beverage with popu-

lar brand merchandising in a fun, imaginative shape.

Above all, marketing is geared toward the cus-

tomer’s aesthetic preferences and brand loyalties.

But more frequently, customers are also asking

for sustainable packaging. A recent survey com-

missioned by the Can Manufacturers Institute in

Washington, D.C., found that of the 400 executives

Judging the Beverage

by its PackagePackaging innovation ups product visibility,

cachet in the cold vault

By Abbey Lewis

CATEGORY TRENDS

▶ Non-glass, single-serve wine packaging▶ Resealable packages beyond bottles▶ Consumer interaction through customization, social media

C o n ve n i e n c e S t o r e P r o d u c t s JULY/AUGUST 201446

and managers at food and beverage retail companies,

97% believe that consumers are driving demand for

sustainable, earth-friendly packaging. And 98% of

them think that demand will continue to rise through

next year. This belief is so deeply ingrained that when

making decisions about packaging, manufacturers

ranked as the top four most important attributes

product integrity (68%), cost effectiveness (67%),

consumer preference (65%) and sustainability (50%).

So what exactly is a sustainable package? To be

sure, it must be recyclable; that certainly goes without

saying. But packaging can also biodegrade. According

to a biodegradable-packaging report from Dallas-

based RnR Market Research, the global biodegradable

plastic packaging market is expected to grow at a

compound annual growth rate of 18.5% from 2013 to

2019, reaching a value of $8.4 million.

But what is biodegradable? By defi nition, biodegrad-

able plastics should degrade enough that microor-

ganisms can metabolize them into carbon dioxide and

water. Where oil and natural gas are used to produce

traditional plastics, some biodegradable plastics are

manufactured with starch-based materials such as tapi-

oca, potatoes, corn, limestone, grass fi bers and more.

Speaking of sustainable, PepsiCo, Purchase, N.Y.,

recently unveiled a lighter and stronger bottle for its

Gatorade product. Not only does the bottle use less

plastic, but it also costs less and is easier to ship to

stores. The increase in bottle strength also allows the

manufacturer to ship the bottles in shrink-wrapped

trays instead of fully enclosed corrugated bliss cases.

This also reduces materials necessary for delivery.

This is where things start to get more complicated.

Some of the biggest innovations in beverage packaging

are material innovations, forcing common plastics and

extruded materials into shapes and structures they’ve

never been in before for sustainability, functionality or

marketing purposes. Or, sometimes, just because it’s cool.

For example, there has been a lot of momentum in

single-serve wine packaging. It’s not easy to get wine

Packaging Purchase AttributesRespondents to Mintel’s beverage packaging survey found environmentally friendly packaging

to be the most important consideration when purchasing a beverage.

Environmentally friendly 58%

Easy to pour or serve 44%

Resealable 44%

Retains freshness 43%

Recyclable 43%

Multiple servings (e.g., family or value size) 35%

Portable (e.g., available to take on the go) 25%

BPA-free plastic 19%

Lightweight 18%

Reusable 16%

Biodegradable 12%

Portion controlled (e.g., 100-calorie cans) 9%

None of the above 10%

Source: Mintel

PACKAGED BEVERAGES

I try to recycle drink packaging 74%

60%

60%

54%

53%

40%

46%

21%

25%

18%

19%

13%

I consider serving size when I purchase drinks (e.g., single serving, portion control, multiple servings)

I read the nutrition and/or ingredient labels on drinks before I buy them

I like packaging that includes recipes or ideas on how to use the product

I like packaging that offers a free item or incentive (e.g., free glassware or new product sample)

I look for seals from organizations that I trust (e.g., American Heart Association)

Source: Mintel

Drink Packaging DesiresRespondents to Mintel’s beverage packaging survey were asked to indicate the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with certain statements regarding drink packaging.

Any agree Strongly agree

C o n ve n i e n c e S t o r e P r o d u c t s JULY/AUGUST 201448

into a single-serve package shaped like stemware

and manufactured out of PET (a type of plastic). Yet

Zipz, a new collection of single-serve wines, manages

to do it rather elegantly. Each “glass” is covered in a

material called Zipz Clean Wrap that helps keep the

wine fresh and the glass looking clean. The glass and

wrap are 100% recyclable.

In other single-serve-wine packaging news, The

Nuvino line of single-serve pouched wine from Mira-

vante brands LLC and Kretek International uses a

sleek pouch and reclosable spout design. The pouch

itself makes up only about 2% of the product’s weight

vs. a glass bottle, which makes up 30%. It is made of a

four-layer PreservPak fi lm technology from Miravante

that consists of two layers of nylon, one layer of alumi-

num and another of polypropylene.

Packaging Trends on the RiseAll of this is very important, of course, because new

beverage product introductions are on the rise. According

to the Mintel Beverage Packaging Trends 2014 report,

new product introductions spiked in 2010, followed by

gradual increases over the next three years. And new

introductions mean new innovations in packaging design

and label graphics. It’s no wonder your cold vault looks

different than it did just a few years ago.

“Most of the drink launches in the United States in

c-stores were bottles and cans,” says Viktorija Gnatoka,

global packaging analyst for Mintel, Chicago. “We are

seeing a lot of bottled beverages being launched in the

more convenient format cans. Drink categories like

fl avored/fruit still drinks [and] ready-to-drink tea and

coffee are all being launched in cans for easy on-the-go

use. Convenience as well as targeting younger demo-

graphics are the main drivers behind these innovations.”

Of course, with younger demographics comes

more environmentally minded and health-conscious

consumerism. Nutrition labeling is not new, but recent

labeling regulations indicate that alcohol-beverage

manufacturers can choose to use verbiage that

includes serving size, servings per container, calories,

carbohydrates, protein and fat per serving.

According to Mintel’s report, alcohol-beverage

producers may also begin to tout the fortifi ed nutrients

and health benefi ts of their products on their labels.

With 60% of all respondents in Mintel’s study agreeing

that they try to read the nutrition and ingredient labels

on drinks, imagine how this could change the aesthet-

ics—and purchase decisions—in the beer cave.

The study also shows that nearly three-fourths

of respondents attempt to recycle their beverage

packages. “Recyclability and environmentally friendly

packaging remains important to U.S. consumers, with

32% interested in eco-friendly, nonalcoholic drink

packaging,” Gnatoka says.

It’s not surprising that the face of the c-store

consumer is changing along with the packaging.

According to Gnatoka, total convenience-store retail

sales reached $127 billion in 2013 and are expected to

increase by 16% by 2018. This equates to $147 billion

due to new offerings, as well as the growing Hispanic

population that is likely to support c-stores.

“The biggest growth in the United States in c-stores

is such categories as sports and energy drinks, car-

bonated soft drinks and snacks,” she says. “Indeed,

drinks remain the second most often purchased item

in c-stores (57%) after prepackaged food (61%).”

So what then of marketing? New demographics

want different products, but how will those products

look? Gnatoka expects innovative functionality and

bright, bold colors: “Innovative closure types on the

cans are very important, and there are many new

companies improving that experience for consumers.

Following the suit of resealable pouches in food cat-

egories, consumers [want] to be able to reclose their

drinks and drink them later.” She offers the examples

of can2close, Xolution and WingTab—all of which

focus on providing a resealing solution.

“With the new pack types and closures, merchan-

dising has to be more [visible] in the cold vault, and

[it must] communicate its benefi ts to the consumers,

hence making packs very attractive, bright and vis-

ible,” she says. “We are also seeing a lot of QR codes

used, or applications like Blippar that allow consumers

to get more information or participate in a contest or

game by simply scanning the pack.”

Certainly, some of the new packaging is as much

fad as it is wholly functional. The Mintel report affi rms

that innovations in sustainability are here to stay, but

what about all those fancy closures, self-heating and

self-cooling packaging and bright shrinkwrap labels?

In the end, says Gnatoka, it comes down to one

thing: “Convenience is crucial in beverage packaging

and especially in the c-store format. Introducing new

closures and making product consumption easy will

remain important to consumers.” ■

Packaging of the Future

can2close: Not only is the can closure resealable, the mechanism offers an improved drinking experience with a large opening for added ease of use.

WingTab: This next-generation beverage can pull-tab can be printed on for brand promotion, advertising, logos, contests, detachable coupons, discounts and more.

Xolution: This closure allows consumers to reseal the can again and again after it’s been opened, and offers the added benefi t of tamper resistance and easier-to-open technology.

PACKAGED BEVERAGES

C o n ve n i e n c e S t o r e P r o d u c t s JULY/AUGUST 201450

55Yogurt smoothie Alpinawww.alpinaus.comAlpina reinvented its line of yogurt

smoothies with a thicker, creamier

texture and sleeker packaging.

They feature 7 grams of protein

and 20% of the recommended

daily allowance of calcium. The

7-ounce smoothie is available in

vanilla, mango, strawberry and

strawberry banana, with plans for

cherry, dulce de leche and tropical

coconut fl avors soon.

56Organic energy drinkLittle Miracleswww.drinklittlemiracles.comA longtime brand available primar-

ily in the United Kingdom, Little

Miracles is bringing its collection

of organic tea and juice blends to

the United States. The drinks are

powered by ginseng and açaí and

contain no added white sugar, with

90 calories per 11-ounce bottle.

Blends include Green Tea and

Pomegranate, and Black Tea and

Peach.

57Bottled lemonade Old Orchard Brandswww.oldorchard.comThe manufacturer has launched

two new naturally sweetened vari-

eties: Strawberry Lemonade and

Country Style Lemonade. Made

with real lemon juice, they are avail-

able in 32- and 64-ounce multi-

serve bottles with an SRP of $1.29

and $2.29, respectively. In addi-

tion, the company has launched

the #StayCool Summer contest

with various customer prizes.

58Ready-to-drink shakes Cold Stone Creamerywww.coldstonecreamery.comPartnering with Steuben Foods,

Cold Stone Creamery has intro-

duced Milk Shakers, a new line of

ready-to-drink premium shakes.

Milk Shakers is available in three

fl avors: Chocolate Fudge Brownie,

Simply Vanilla and Strawberry

Swirl. Packaged in 12-ounce plastic

shelf-stable bottles, Milk Shakers

are available in 12-count cases.

PACKAGED BEVERAGES

59Limited-time beverageWm. Bolthouse Farms Inc.www.bolthouse.comAvailable for a limited time this

summer in 52-ounce bottles,

Watermelon Mint Lemonade from

Bolthouse Farms combines sweet

lemons, peak-season watermelon

and a hint of fresh mint. At 80 calo-

ries and 20 grams of carbohydrates

per serving, the variety’s ingredients

include lemon juice, cane sugar,

dragonfruit purée, mint extract and

beta carotene.

60Coconut water FAL Healthy Beverages Intl.www.cocojoyusa.comCoco Joy is processed purely

from fresh, young green coconuts

picked from Southeast Asia’s

tropical forests. Never made from

concentrate, Coco Joy has fewer

calories and less sodium than

other varieties, with no added

sugar and no preservatives,

according to the company. Coco

Joy is available in 8.4-ounce

cans with an SRP of $1.90 and

42-ounce bottles at $3.90.

61Organic beverage Mamma Chia www.mammachia.comThe new 10-ounce Vitality +

Energy beverage combines the

nutritional values of chia with the

natural energy source of guayusa.

Delivering 2,500 mg of omega-3,

90 mg of natural caffeine (equal

to an 8-ounce cup of coffee) and

twice the antioxidants of a cup

of green tea, the beverages are

non-GMO verified and certified

organic by the USDA. Each has

an SRP of $2.99.

62Non-dairy beverageHain Celestial Group Inc.www.hain-celestial.comA packaging refresh for the manu-

facturer’s Dream brand will foster

greater consistency across the line

and give each beverage an easily

identifiable look. The redesign

affects shelf-stable Rice Dream,

Soy Dream, Almond Dream, Coco-

nut Dream and recently introduced

Sprouted Rice Dream and Cashew

Dream. Refrigerated Rice Dream

products will also transition to the

new design.

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