Package Joins The Club

Houston -- Merchandising product in club stores is a key element to the Drake Company's Club Pack system and Lite Pak product package. The Club Pack system, which Drake creates with proprietary methods, uses a pre-set pallet template to create packaging and pallet configurations. There are currently 11 templates. "The Club Pack takes the guesswork out of how to work with club stores," says Dave Gaidousek, executive vice president of sales and marketing. The pallet configurations for Club Pack are designed to meet space requirements dictated by club stores such as Costco and Sam's Club.The Lite Pak is made from a durable combination of corrugated, graphics and recycled PET. The PET is 100% post-industrial recycled content, the corrugated is 60% post-consumer content and the graphics are printed with soy-based inks and water-based coatings. "The entire product is earth-friendly," says Gaidousek. Drake designs the packaging graphics in select flute combinations with SBS or SBS-corrugated strengths, and calculates pallet count and configurations that meet the club store's guidelines. A secure seal on Lite Pak lets retailers merchandise high-end product on the shelf instead of using a scan card. Theft is deterred with a two-part system -- a full perimeter seal around the package, and a seal around the blister. The perimeter seal also makes the package rigid so it can support double-stacked pallets. Products packaged in Lite Pak integrate with the Club Pack system. Using what the company calls its Integrated Solution and Speed to Retail process, Drake specializes in working with CPGs and does the work in-house. Drake designs the P-O-P graphics, manufactures the packaging components and combines all the elements for contract assembly, logistics and shipping. Even transporting and storing products in Lite Pak makes it eco-friendly. Fewer fillers are used so space is maximized in storage and transport, and it uses all the available space in a trailer, leading to fewer carbon emmisions during transport. "The system allows you to be sustainable throughout the life of the package," says Gaidousek.While the main focus is on Lite Pak's use with the Club Pack, it can be used as a standalone package. It can be configured to hang on a J-hook, for instance, or made with a foot to stand on a shelf.A pilot project for the Club Pack and Lite Pak is in the works, says Gaidousek.

Package Joins The Club

P2PI MEMBERS

JOIN P2PI

Related Topics

Related Images

Business Topic

Market Segment