Foodstuffs & Prolife Foods Launch National Paper Bag Trial At Alison’s Pantry

Foodstuffs and Prolife Foods will trial a new, recycled paper packaging solution in thirty stores’ Alison’s Pantry departments starting today. Photos here: https://we.tl/t-LLUIXkLMBE

The recycled paper bags are on trial at a total of thirty New World and PAK’nSAVE stores around the country until the end of March. This option will be available alongside the existing Alison’s Pantry resealable LDPE (type 4) bags.

The goal of the trial is to capture customer feedback and understand which of the two packaging solutions is better suited for customers’ shopping trips from a transport, ease of use, safety and sustainability perspective.

“It’s important we deliver on our promise to operate sustainably and offer our shoppers alternative packaging solutions which enable them to shop and live sustainably,” said Kelly McClean, Sustainable Packaging Project Manager, Foodstuffs New Zealand. “We’re giving shoppers some decision-making power as we explore what the future of Alison’s Pantry looks like. For this trial, we want to hear from our customers on which bag works best for them so we can decide what a nationwide rollout looks like together.”

Alison’s Pantry, developed in partnership with Kiwi culinary legend Alison Holst and Prolife Foods, offers a wide variety of whole foods, snacks and confectionary through a self-selection model. Foodstuffs and Prolife Foods are currently reimagining Alison’s Pantry, and in 2019, a modern format of the offering was rolled out to 13 New World stores and will continue to be rolled out nationwide.

“Foodstuffs and Prolife Foods are working together to identify how we can improve the packaging options at Alison’s Pantry,” said Kristina McCalman, Senior Brand Manager, Prolife Foods. “We know shoppers use the existing Alison’s Pantry resealable bags for storage at home, so this trial is about testing different packaging options that will help us learn exactly what shoppers are looking for. We’re looking forward to capturing their feedback and applying it with the goal of improving the sustainability of Alison’s Pantry.”

The recycled paper bags are made from 70% recycled paper, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, and they are also kerbside recyclable and feature a glassine, paper-based window making it easy for shoppers to see what’s inside the bag.

“We are exploring where we can remove packaging entirely, across every category in our stores and within the supply chain,” says McClean. “It’s important we test solutions in a live store environment so we can hear directly from our customers and apply their feedback when we innovate new sustainable offerings. Moving towards a circular economy is incredibly important for our business and for New Zealand, and the customer feedback captured during this trial will help us determine where we innovate, circulate or eliminate packaging.”

How customers respond to this trial remains to be seen, but McClean says Foodstuffs will continue using this trial approach in other categories, leveraging customer insights at the heart of every sustainability decision.

“We know our customers love reusables and that’s an area we will keep exploring throughout our stores,” says McClean.

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