Domino sweetens sugar packaging

Introduced in six test markets beginning in February, Domino Sugar in a 4-lb canister represents “a first in the sugar industry,” according to Yonkers, NY-based Domino Foods, Inc. What makes the canister so unusual in this instance is that sugar “is a large-volume, low-profit commodity item,” notes Kevin McElvaney, the company’s marketing manager.

Introduced in six test markets beginning in February, Domino Sugar in a 4-lb canister represents “a first in the sugar industry,” according to Yonkers, NY-based Domino Foods, Inc. What makes the canister so unusual in this instance is that sugar “is a large-volume, low-profit commodity item,” notes Kevin McElvaney, the company’s marketing manager. Consumer pressure led Domino to the canister as an alternative—not replacement—for its 4- and 5-lb bags. Domino considered lay-flat and stand-up zippered pouches, and gable-top cartons as alternatives to paper bags, “but they can’t be stacked three-, four- or five-high like bags or boxes, which fit like puzzle pieces on the shelf and fill all the space from bottom to top with no wasted air. These other alternatives end up on a second, third, or fourth shelf,” McElvaney says, forcing retailers to have to restock them frequently, adding labor costs. Pretium Packaging blow-molds HDPE into a yellow, handled container. “It mimics the look of our paper bag and uses Domino’s yellow color,” says McElvaney. Graphics come from Di-Na-Cal Label’s heat-transfer labels. A low-density polyethylene overcap from Berry Plastics snaps on the canister to top the package. Beneath the overcap, a clear film is heat-sealed to the mouth of the canister for tamper evidence. The words “Domino Sugar” and “Do not use if seal is broken” are random printed on the film. Once the product is gone, the canister can be reused for storage. While Domino Foods fills bags at its own facilities, the test-market containers are outsourced. McElvaney affirms that capital outlays for packaging lines to accommodate the canister would have to be justified by strong sales.