70 Packaging technologists headed to Woolworths

by Press Release on 2012-05-29 12:38:46

Over 70 packaging technologists, engineers and designers came together for the 2012 AIP/IGD in-store Shelf Friendly Packaging training which was held across three states in one week thanks to the continued support and assistance from Woolworths.

James Tupper, ECR Learning & Change Manager, IGD, came out from the United Kingdom to run the hands-on training which was designed to focus on the last 50 metres of the Shelf Friendly Packaging supply chain and provided packaging technologists, SFP designers and manufacturers the opportunity to work hands-on in-store and understand the complexities and difficulties that poor SFP design causes for store fillers and staff.

The training allowed the attendees the opportunity to participate in three practical exercises in-store that showed what SFP works, which doesn’t and why. Attendees soon realised that tape over perforations, poor gluing of boxes, perforations that don’t open, no finger holes, poor design and identification of front edges and poor quality corrugate are just some of the reasons why SFP is not used in-store.

As one attendee said “At the end of the day much of the Shelf Friendly Packaging in Australia is not fit-for-purpose and needs to be redesigned.”

The training was an invaluable way for packaging technologists and designers to truly understand the last 50 metres and to ensure that their SFP designs are fit-for-purpose.

A huge thank you must go out to the Woolworths team, headed up by Matthew Cronan, who were exceptional all week. Thank you also to the store managers and staff at the Woolworths Thornleigh (New South Wales), Preston (Victoria) and Mt Ommaney (Queensland) stores for all of their hard work during the training sessions and for allowing the AIP to take over their stores.

www.aipack.com.au