No need to choose between box and bottle
that uses advantages from bag-in-box packaging, its manufacturers
claim.
Amcor's new carry pack, officially launched 29 July, targets wine drinkers who appreciate the convenience of bag-in-box packaging, but who don't want to give up the traditional and more socially-acceptable bottle format. The carry case was designed in response to industry demand for an easy-to-use, six-bottle wine carrier, Amcor said. The new pack is made of corrugated carton, and includes a perforation system, divider mechanisms and handle for ease of transport, the manufacturers claim. It also provides the potential for a "wine display", where the label of each bottle is clearly seen, and so consumers are encouraged to "mix 'n match" a variety of wines, Amcor said. The packs are also easy to put up, as in-built perforations allow for quick assembly without the need for cutting machinery, and are made from environmentally-friendly materials. Although Amcor's new packaging is still designed for the "wine-in-bottles" market, the new crate also harnesses the benefits of bag-in-box wine. Box packaging for wine has become more popular in recent years, even in traditionally conservative wine countries such as France, where it now has a nine per cent share by value of the market. Consumers often choose this kind of container because it can be easily transported, and many appreciate the fact that it is often made of recyclable materials such as TetraPak. Producers on the other hand appreciate box containers as they offer cost savings, because more wine can be loaded for transport compared to bottles. According to various statistics compiled by IRI France, ACNielsen Infoscan and TNS WorldPanel, the market penetration rate for boxed packaging is up to 42 per cent in Norway, 33 per cent in Sweden, 25 per cent in Finland, 12 per cent in Denmark and six per cent in the US. Other innovations in wine packaging that are becoming more popular, even for wines at the top end of the market, include lighter glass bottles and light plastic bottles made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a recyclable compound developed in the 1970s.
