Riverwood's New 'Fridge Vendor(TM)' Package in Hot Demand
It's like having a miniature vending machine in your refrigerator -- and it's the hottest thing in soft drink sales. ``It'' is Riverwood's newly designed 12-pack for beverage products -- the Fridge Vendor(TM).
Since its launch by Coca-Cola Consolidated in the Carolinas, the sleek new package has been a major hit with consumers. Coke says 12-pack sales have increased by a double-digit rate and consumer excitement has been palpable.
``This is a package that really clicks with consumers,'' says Coca-Cola Consolidated spokesman Lauren Steele. ``The Fridge Pack (Coca-Cola's name for the package) is the most innovative packaging idea in the soft drink industry since the contour plastic bottle.''
``This product is a direct result of the ongoing research we conduct with our customers and with their customers,'' said Riverwood International Soft Drink Marketing Manager Enrico Francis. ``The success of this packaging innovation reaffirms that consumers prefer paperboard beverage packaging due to its convenience and ease of use.''
The Fridge Vendor(TM) package is longer and thinner than the traditional 12-pack package. It fits easily in the refrigerator and has a handy, easy-to- use-dispensing feature. ``It's a 12-pack that works,'' said Steele.
The Fridge Vendor(TM) package has been an unqualified success. ``Innovation is a word we hear too often in our industry,'' said Gerry Vetter, Senior Director of Materials Management at Coca-Cola Consolidated. ``But the Fridge Pack truly is revolutionary. Coca-Cola Consolidated is proud to be the first bottler to launch this successful new package.''
The Fridge Vendor pack is produced on Riverwood's Quikflex® machinery and, with some minor modifications, is compatible with existing filling line processes. ``Based on the enthusiastic response to date, we expect other beverage companies to adopt this innovative package,'' said Phillips Jones, Riverwood Vice President and General Manager -- Soft Drink Division.
Riverwood International is a global paperboard packaging and packaging machinery company headquartered in Atlanta, GA, with annual sales of more than $l billion and 4,000 employees worldwide.
SOURCE: Riverwood International; Coca-Cola Consolidated