Amid ever-intensifying retail competition, one strategy that no brand can afford to falter upon is ‘eye catching’ packaging.
In the day and age that we live, ‘Quality’ of product is an absolute must have. Beyond quality comes the overall experience that the product offers right from being spotted at the retail shelf up to the time it is consumed. The looks, touch, feel, convenience of carrying the pack, ease of retrieving the product, flexibility of reclosing the pack for deferred use all play undeniably important role in shaping the consumer behaviour. Packaging has absolutely re-defined the narrative of Modern Day Retail.
ALRIFAI, the Lebanese leader in the dry fruit industry approached Uflex with a rather peculiar problem. The pistachios that the brand was selling in pouches manufactured by a European converter were turning rancid much before the expiry date. This resulted in market recall of the product. The R&D team at Uflex delved deeper into the issue and diagnosed the root-cause.
Pistachios are hard and have extremely sharp edges that rupture the inner layers of packaging, disintegrating the barrier. Result: Rancidity of the expensive dry-fruit, massive market recall and the associated mayhem.
With this problem statement at hand, India’s largest multinational flexible packaging materials and Solution Company, Uflex after an extensive R&D of over six months engineered the Quad Seal Registered Gusset Pouch with a 3-ply laminate comprising PET (with registered matte coating)/ Metallized Polyester (with registered window)/ Nylon based transparent PE. This worked out to be the Holy Grail for the dry fruit giant.
The Nylon based transparent PE layer of the laminate exhibits extensive stretch property and imparts impeccable puncture and tear resistance to the pouch making it strong enough to endure the sharp edges of pistachios besides contributing to the overall barrier to oxygen and water vapour.
The special pouches engineered by Uflex for ALRIFAI have been selling like hotcakes for over three months now and there hasn’t been a single recall.
The Quad Seal Gusset pouch has a brilliant gloss finish on the front and a matte finish with registered gloss on the back giving it a very premium look. The side gussets have de-metallized windows on either side that allow the consumers to see through the pouch and check the quality of the product packed inside before making a purchase decision.
Talking about the unmatched features of Quad Seal Registered Gusset Pouch, Mr Anup Sachdeva, Uflex joint president of packaging (global exports) at said: "This pouch spells immense functional ease for consumers. The final pull for a product always comes from the end-user. Talking about aesthetics, an eclectic combination of gloss and matte finish gives the pouch a very niche look.
"Certain elements of the imagery on the matte side of the pack have been printed in registered gloss finish with 3D effect further adding to the visual appeal. The windows on both the side gussets are achieved through a special De-Metallization process that we carry out with immaculate precision. The pouch with absolutely stunning looks unmistakably stands out on the retail shelf.
"The simple D-punch handle that we have provided within the pouch structure makes it convenient for the consumer to carry the pack. The press to close (PTC) zipper on the front of the pack allows easy access to the products packed inside. The most interesting part is the fact that even if you retrieve some dry fruits from the pack and then re-close it properly, the barrier to oxygen and water-vapour remains pretty much intact for the pouch thus extending the shelf-life of the product. Anybody would love to place this aesthetically designed pack in the kitchen cabinet without having to decant the dry-fruits in an airtight container."
Notably the infallible PTC zipper solution provided in this pouch could become possible because of the pocket zipper installation machine manufactured and supplied by the Engineering business vertical of Uflex.
Explaining about the demand of Quad Seal Registered Gusset Pouch, Mr Sachdeva added: "This packaging is gaining a lot of traction overseas and many international brands have approached us for similar solution for their products too. No other company in the world has been able to offer this perforated zipper solution.
"Just to give you an idea about the swelling demand for these pouches, Uflex Packaging has placed an order on the engineering business for seven more zipper installation machines to keep pace with the growing demand of Quad Seal Registered Gusset Pouches from across the world."
Congratulating the team for designing and successfully launching this packaging solution, Uflex Limited chairman and managing director Mr Ashok Chaturvedi said: "The Quad Seal Registered Gusset Pouch is as much a functional delight as visually stimulating it is. This product is the result of a perfect interplay of expertise of film, packaging, cylinder, engineering, chemicals and holography businesses of Uflex.
"The fact that this superior and innovative packaging solution that is ‘Made in India’ by Uflex is going places and winning adulations from some of the best brands across the world is truly endearing."