PACK THAT
Retailers must offer conveniently-packaged, value-added
produce options in grab-and-go destinations to keep up with
consumer demand for personalization.
BY NATALIE TAYLOR
FRUITS AND VEGETABLES have long been a universal staple in a healthy, balanced diet, but the latest consumer trends are dras- tically changing the way we eat
them. Once viewed as simply a side dish or
“diet” food, produce is becoming the focus
of the meal for many consumers. The unrelenting demand for convenience, coupled
with the trends toward snacking and healthy
lifestyles, has caused considerable growth in
packaged produce sales.
Indeed, from 2011-2015, the compound
annual growth rates (CAGR) for value-added fruits and vegetables were 12 percent
and 15 percent, respectively, according to a
2016 consumer report by Nielsen. This trend
creates a major opportunity for retailers and
manufacturers to provide pre-cut, conveniently-packaged and nutritious products
for consumers who live a healthy lifestyle,
but are short on time.
CREATING CONVENIENCE
For years, convenience has been the driving
factor for innovation throughout the store
perimeter. Particularly in the produce department, suppliers and retailers have been teaming up to offer a plethora of products that are
pre-cut, pre-chopped and pre-washed, available in a variety of packaging sizes and styles,
or paired with a dip, sauce or side to provide
quick, complete meal solutions.
“Convenience can take many forms, but
especially coming to the forefront recently
is snacking,” says Matt Lally, associate client
director at Nielsen Fresh. “Customers con-
tinue to replace meals with snacking through-
out the day, and produce companies are abso-
lutely responding to this trend. Taking the
concept that originated with those fresh-cut
fruits and vegetables, and the value-add, and
expanding it by adding new combinations of
products—integrating cheese or pretzels or
dips and making it a more balanced snacking
occasion—is something that is really taking
convenience and tying it into an idea of snack-
ing as portability.”
The demand for convenient produce snack-
ing options was made clear at this year’s United
Fresh convention in Chicago, where Dole
won an Innovation Award in the Best New
Packaging category for its three snack-size
packages of DOLE GO Berries! The product
features three snap-off clamshells that contain
4 ounces of strawberries, packaged in venti-
lated containers for freshness and easy rinsing.
“While stone fruit, bananas and other hand-held options are favorite on-the-go snacks,
berries are eaten by 75 percent of U.S. households, yet enjoying them away from home has
not always been easy,” says Bil Goldfield, director of corporate communications, Dole Food
Co., based in Westlake Village, Calif. “After
Dole research pointed to this growing mobile-fruit snacking trend, we developed DOLE GO
Berries!, the smart solution for busy strawberry
