Weatherchem’s NutraGen II Closure Developed Specifically for Vitamins, Nutraceuticals Market

Weatherchem recently introduced the NutraGen II closure, a closure ideally suited to the VMS market with its easy-to-open and -dispense design.

5/5/2011 --- Weatherchem, creators of innovative dispensing closures, has created a variety of innovative packaging closures for the Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements (VMS) market.

Young people on the go, professionals, and busy parents have less time than ever. Often, purchase decisions are made based not only on the quality of the product on the retailer’s shelf, but on the appeal and convenience of a product's package. One of the best examples of this is the emergence of innovative packaging in the nutraceuticals market, also known as the VMS market. Convenience is a critical factor for this sector, since consumers have the spending power to get what they need.

That's one of the reasons Weatherchem recently introduced the NutraGen II closure, a closure ideally suited to the VMS market with its easy-to-open and -dispense design.

The nutraceuticals market is being driven forward by a variety of consumer trends:
• Consumers are focused today on pursuing a healthier lifestyle through wellness and healthy living. An aging population and increased life expectancy will also fuel growth in this segment contributing to a total growth in nutraceuticals of 6 percent annually.
• The market for vitamins, minerals, and supplements is highly fragmented and consumers are still trying to connect with a brand that identifies with all of their needs. Packaging will play a crucial role in the initial connection consumers have with a brand and may build brand loyalty if it provides ease of use.
• Young people, professionals, and a wide variety of different demographic cross sections are moving toward less invasive remedies for their day-to-day health issues. Many people are buying more remedies that are unrefined and based on natural ingredients, and the numbers are growing daily.
• Baby boomers, especially those starting to see symptoms of aging such as arthritis, place a significantly higher value on convenient packaging.
• The rising costs of doctor’s visits and prescription drugs also make over-the-counter drug alternatives attractive to the consumer. The value to the consumer is the ability to stay at work with minor ailments and the ease at which they can prevent illness.

Weatherchem and the overall packaging industry have taken a number of steps to accommodate consumers in response to these market forces. As people demand better packaging for their products, and refuse to buy products in sub-standard containers, packaging designers need to respond with a variety of functions in order to be considered appropriate. These include tamper-proof and/or tamper evident, child-resistant, senior-friendly, attractive, easy-to-use and (from a B2B perspective) inexpensive. All of these requirements can affect the market viability of a product, without mentioning that the packaging needs to serve its primary purpose, which is to keep the product safe. Storage and freshness are critical factors.