Packaging
POLISH CHEESE IN DARFRESH PACKAGING CATCHES CONSUMERS EYE AND WINS GOLD MEDAL AT 2008 POLAGRA-FOOD INTERNATIONAL FAIR OF FOOD PRODUCTS AND CATERING
Monday 17. November 2008 - AGROHURT is a well established Polish dairy processor specializing in the production, curing, packing and wholesaling of high quality smoked cheese, supplied by the best cheese plants in the region. This family business owned and run by the brothers Czes?aw and Leszek Kuprel has experienced fantastic growth in the past five years, a result of its innovative product strategy focusing on premium quality and pioneering marketing.
With a clear focus on premium products, Agrohurt has chosen to compete through quality rather than price, thus making differentiation on retail shelves a key priority. “Polish consumers are very price sensitive, so it is paramount for a premium product to really stand out and show its value. Consumers must be able to judge by the packaging that our products are of the highest quality”, explained co-owner Czes?aw Kuprel.
LEADING EDGE VACUUM PACKAGING
As a result, for their latest launch of premium quality smoked cheese in consumer portions, the company opted for leading edge packaging: “Sealed Air Cryovac came to us with an optimal solution and suggested Cryovac Darfresh vacuum skin packaging which not only provides reliable, long shelf life but also catches consumers attention and differentiates our products from competition”.
Sealed Air Cryovac provided the company with full sales and technical support in preparing the launch. Various customer visits in Germany, Hungary and Italy served to confirm the final decision, along with product testing at Multivac in Germany and attending the Cheese Seminar at Packforum in Paris in 2007.
UNIQUE EYE CATCHER
The well-known Darfresh vacuum skin pack by Sealed Air has long been associated with high perceived value in food retailing. This packaging ensures enhanced merchandising appeal. It emphasizes the premium quality of the product by best showcasing it at retail, making it stand out from competition. The pack leaves no doubt to consumers that its content is more sophisticated than that of other products, thus justifying the higher price.
The new Agrohurt pack comprises a plain top web combined with a gold bottom web, both running on a Darfresh R272 CD packaging line. It is branded with transparent labels, allowing for an easy change within the wide range of products.
In addition to differentiation, the new packaging ensures premium quality preservation thanks to the vacuum skin technology and barrier materials. The extended shelf life (of up to 90 days) is of great value for an efficient distribution. Logistics are also enhanced as products of different formats (chunks, slices) and sizes can be packed on the same line, allowing for a wide product assortment.
Consumers also benefit from this leading-edge pack. It reflects premium quality and great tasting cheese while also offering the convenience of easy opening. The cheese remains fresh even after partial opening of the pack. The attractive second skin appeal provides the product with a natural, appetizing look.
All these benefits won Agrohurt Gold Medal of the Pozna? International Fair for its “Ustrzycka Roll” blanched-smoked cheese. 2008 Polagra-Food International Fair of Food Products and Catering was held in Pozna?, Poland, on September 15-18. “The award is a great honour to us” – said Czes?aw Kuprel and added: “We believe it will strengthen our brands image resulting in even higher sales and more extended distribution network”.
SUCCESS AT RETAIL
Launched in the fall of 2007, the new Agrohurt cheese products in attractive Darfresh packs have met with great success amongst consumers and retailers. The major customer of Agrohurt in Poland is Makro C&C. Other customers are wholesalers to other major retail chains, such as Tesco, Alma, Kaufland, Aldi and Polomarket. The new products are also available at Tesco in the Czech Republic, Makro C&C in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, as well as Maxima in Lithuania.
OPTIMAL RESULTS
“Thanks to Darfresh we were able to successfully expand our product offer and launch totally new and innovative products on the market”, said Czes?aw Kuprel. The newly launched product is highly innovative on the Polish market. It not only fits in the market trend, it anticipates it! As a trend-setter and pioneer, Agrohurt took great risk in creating a new market.
The new product also shows great potential for further growth. “We are only several months after the product launch but we can already see great market potential, both in Poland and abroad. We want to grow locally, by expanding our distribution network, as well as geographically, by reaching new international markets”, added Leszek Kuprel. Agrohurt already exports their products to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Lithuania, Latvia and the USA.