The ECR UK definition of Retail Ready Packaging (RRP) is to encourage the industry to:
- Focus on achieving target performance rather than just complying with design specifications; and,
- Utilise a broad range of packaging types rather than just jump to a conclusion like tray and shrink-wrap
Retail Ready Packaging is easy to:
| Identify | clear recognition of brand, product type & variant on case for store staff |
| Open | reduced time, clean / no tear for best finish & reduced need for cutter |
| Replenish | single ‘one touch’ movement onto shelf faster than decanting each unit |
| Shop | at-a-glance recognition of category & unimpeded access to shop product |
| Dispose | straightforward to dismantle, separate & recycle or return materials |
Retail Ready Packaging includes:
'UNREADY' Packaging
Strap Line: 'brown box' outers & individual unit decanting
Process:
- Difficult to ID
- Difficult to open
- Length & high cost replenishment by individual units direct to shelf
- Difficult outer packaging disposal
- May facilitate small display spaces or very low volume items
- May utilise difficult space cube well
Examples of:
- Personal Care
- Imported GM
- Frozen veg
Different ways to merchandising: Decanted single pack crisps
'REPLENISHMENT READY' Packaging
Strap Line: RRP Packaging but not placed on shelf
Process:
- Easy back room ID
- Easy open outer
- Easy replenishment
- Product not packaging placed on shelf
- Enhances product ID in back room
- Improves ease of opening
- Improves replenishment speed
- Reduces need for further shop-keeping
Examples of:
- Wine cases
- Crisps
- Frozen chips
Different ways to merchandising: Banded Crisps
'SHELF READY’ Packaging
Strap Line: Case to shelf ‘ one touch replenishment’
Process:
- Easy back room ID
- Easy open outer
- Easy replen - Place directly onto shelf in one movement
- Easy collapse & dispose of outer packaging
- Improves ability to respond to & sustain availability
- Medium cost replenishment
- Efficient & effective replen process
- Aids rotation & stock control
- Production on-costs
- Improves brand identity
- Improves customer shop-ability
Examples of:
- Canned goods
- Cooked meats
- ‘Display crates’ e.g. produce
Different ways to merchandising: Crisp Case Display Solution
'DISPLAY READY’ Packaging
Strap Line: Stand alone display unit
Process:
- Locate MHE if required
- Remove ‘almost exhausted’ MU
- Replace with full MU
- Add residual units to MU
- Supports high volume replen
- Improves ability to respond to & sustain availability
- Low cost replenishment
- Potential on-costs (production, transport & reverse logistics)
- MU line must be ‘high velocity’ to demand the store space/cube
- Enhances customer shop-ability
Examples of:
- Shippers
- Pallet pens
- Card stands
- Promotional MU’s
Different ways to merchandising: Delivered Crisp shipper
‘INFRASTRUCTURE BASED’ Packaging
Strap Line: Specific change to kit to enable/facilitate RRP
Process:
- Determine category characteristics
- Effect kit change to best fit characteristics
- Design RRP to maximise Kit changes
- Enhances RRP benefit
- Exploits cube space
- Can add or reduce capital costs
- Can resolves issues eg range, availability
- Enhances customer shop-ability
Examples of:
- Shelf sizes
- Peg hooks
- Inverted base shelf
- Push system
- Produce fridges
Different ways to merchandising: Hopper in fixture