On the pallet, in the storeroom and on the shelf, Tetra Recart packages have a number of clear benefits for retailers, all of which contribute to lower direct products costs.
It comes down to basic geometry: because Tetra Recart packages are rectangular, you get more packages – and less air – on a pallet than you do with packages with a round footprint, such as tin cans or glass jars. How many more? Between 10% and 20% more product on a pallet than for cans, and even more than that for glass jars.
Other packaging formats normally come on cardboard trays shrink-wrapped in plastic, which needs to be cut off and removed before the product can be stacked on the shelves. Even if you are putting whole trays on the shelf, the plastic still has to be removed. But Tetra Recart packages are delivered in open cardboard trays, with no plastic, so there is one step fewer when stocking shelves. Another associated benefit is that Tetra Recart packages always have the label facing forward, which cuts down on the time-consuming “facing up” that can be required for cans and jars so that the label faces the consumer. Studies done by Tetra Recart show that the time savings for stacking shelves compared to other packaging formats can be as much as 30-50%.
Again this comes down to the benefits of having a rectangular package versus a round one. You can put 40% more Tetra Recart on your shelves compared to cans or jars, which means less frequent stock replenishment is required.
Choosing Tetra Recart packages reduces waste handling for retailers in two ways. Firstly, the absence of plastic mentioned above means only one waste stream to handle – cardboard from the trays. The other aspect is that Tetra Recart packages are more rugged than cans and in particular jars, and better handle being dropped. A dropped and damaged carton package will often still be purchased by a consumer, but dented cans less so. Dropped glass jars? The outcome there is obvious. Studies carried out at supermarkets in Sweden and the UK show that waste due to damaged and unsellable packages is up to 80% lower for Tetra Recart compared with cans. What does this mean for retailers? First there is less lost revenue for damaged products not sold, you avoid the extra cost for disposal of those SKUs, and of course there is less food waste.