Fill It Up
Target’s personal lunch set offers a great sustainable way to pack lunch and its detachable utensils won’t get lost. This Up & Up variety pack of containers compares to Gladware.
Store brand food storage provides shoppers a variety of ways to save leftovers.
Today there are a number of reasons why store brand containers could be a hot selling item. As shoppers follow all sorts of healthy trends one thing is certain, packing a lunch allows them more control over what they and their families eat.
Transporting and storing food in reusable containers is a great way to embrace environmental sustainability, a major issue in the media today. And of course, while reports say the economy might be better, there are still segments of society cutting back on dining out, which leaves leftovers in need of a place to call home.
According to the nationwide Whymomsrule.com 2010 Dining Survey of almost 600 moms, 58% of moms are saying they will eat out less often, compared to 30% of overall consumers. The survey also found that 80% of moms currently use leftovers at least once a week, and 57% plan to use leftovers more often this year. Almost three-quarters (72%) of moms prepare school or work lunches at least once a week at home, and close to half (46%) do so four or more times a week. With plenty of leftovers in need of storage solutions already store brand containers can be a big appeal to moms. The study also found that this year, 42% of moms plan to prepare lunches at home more often, perhaps predicting that the need could increase.
So what products are out there to help shoppers pack up extra food and ship family members off with nutritious lunches? Twist and store items continue to be a trend. Supervalu, Eden Prairie, MN, sells a three pack of leak resistant twist and store containers under its Homelife brand. The package alerts consumers to compare them to Ziploc Twist ‘n Loc and illustrates how they can go from freezer to microwave to dishwasher. From Topco Associates LLC, Food Club offers Reusable Twist & Store Leak Resistant Containers in either a three pack of 16-fl. oz. containers or a two pack of 32-fl. oz. containers. Features include easy opening and closing and textured sides for easy handling.
Dollar General, Goodletts-ville, TN, has its own version of the freezer/microwave/dishwasher illustration on its 4 Pack Disposable Square Container. The no name containers are clear with blue lids and bring simplification to the table. Containers sized for specific types of dishes can be found as well. Delhaize America, Salisbury, NC, sells Home 360 soup and salad containers. The five containers and lids each hold three cups and are packaged in plastic with a black and purple sleeve. Stater Bros., San Bernardino, CA, sells Reusable Storage Containers in Snack Size in a pack of six, as well as Deep Dish, Entrée, Large Multipurpose, and Big Bowl containers.
At Target, Minneapolis, MN, shoppers will find a variety pack of containers with lids under the Up & Up brand. The store brand compares to Gladware and offers two snack, five soup and salad, and five entrée containers, to complete a set of 12. The variety pack retails for $4.64 and the Gladware variety pack cost $5.14, but had the same types and amount of containers.
Target also offered a great sustainable way to make packing lunches easier. In bright red or blue the retailer sells a personal lunch set for $2.99. The set includes a divided lunch box (with three separate sections) and a reusable plastic knife and fork that fit into the lid for safekeeping. At one Target, the personal salad set with a sauce container and fork attached to the lid seemed to be popular since there were only two left on shelves. Both lunch kits are found in the seasonal aisle under no name, but would make a great addition to the Up & Up collection.
In addition to food storage containers, shoppers making big batches of food and freezing portions for later could be finding store brand storage bags helpful. According to SymphonyIRI Group, a Chicago-based market research firm, Private Label Sandwich/Freezer/Food Storage Bags are up just over 5% to approximately $314 million with a 27% share, according to data from Supermarkets, Drugstores, and Mass Merchandise Outlets, excluding Wal-Mart, for the latest 52 weeks ending May 16, 2010. Aldi Inc., Batavia, IL, is one retailer that offers a big selection of bags, including sandwich bags, reclosable slider bags, a box of 50 quart-sized storage bags, ten two-gallon freezer bags, and 40 quart-sized freezer bags. Under the store brand Kwik ‘n Fresh, the Freezer Bags offer “Twin Lock” for extra resealable protection. The bags are also preprinted with white labels reading “Date” and “Contents” so shoppers can write on them and keep foods properly dated and identified.
At Your Disposal
Store brands offer an array of trash bags for kitchen waste including tall kitchen bags. Delhaize America offers them with twist ties under its Smart Option brand in a yellow box. Wegmans Food Markets, Rochester, NY, offers Strong & Flexible Tall Kitchen drawstring bags, also packaged in a bright yellow box.
For big clean ups Supervalu sells its large trash bags with twist ties in a plastic bag. The back of the bag package alerts consumers to the retailers concern for the environment: Environmental Awareness. The Environmental Protection Agency’s integrated waste management guidelines have been a consideration in the manufacturing of this product. Source Reduction. A smaller package is produced with fewer natural resources. Landfill. This smaller package has been designed to reduce waste going to landfills.
Duane Reade, NY, NY, avoids landfill waste altogether with its 100% Degradable Tall Drawstring Bags under its Apt. 5 Goes Green line. The bags are made with recycled material (65% recycled plastic, 55% pre-consumer, 10% postconsumer), are recyclable and 100% degradable. The product is degradable within 12-24 months when disposed of in a landfill or in soil with the presence of oxygen, heat and stress, according to the package. A box of 40 bags retails at $8.29, meaning each 13-gallon bag costs less than $0.21.
Reusable containers and environmentally friendly trash bags are sustainable solutions and store brands provide consumers the option to purchase these products and still save money in the process.
