From brown box to high impact tool

12 November 2012




Corrugated packaging is no longer just a commodity product – in the competitive world of retail, it has now assumed a prominent role in high impact packaging, as Sally Cousins reports

Corrugated packaging has entered a new era. With the development of new flutes and high impact printing, corrugated has emerged from its brown box image into a vital tool for gaining brand recognition as a form of retail ready packaging (RRP).

The growth of high impact corrugated RRP has been fuelled by retailer demands to create more efficiency instore and less time unpacking the product, plus the desire for brands to have more ‘shelf shout’ for their products. This, combined with new lighter weight corrugated packaging coming on to the market as an alternative to B-Flute, is leading to some exciting developments in the sector.

According to Smithers Pira’s new report, ‘The Future of Retail Ready Packaging to 2017’, environmental concerns are also behind the on-going development of ever-lighter boards. Associate consultant Stephen Harrod says: “Whilst there has to be a physical limit to the amount of lightweighting that can be achieved in the containerboard industry, the growing demand for these lighter weight boards, driven by cost reduction targets as well as environmental considerations, is seeing an increase in lightweight board production capacity throughout the industry.”

The report also identified a noticeable trend in favour of corrugated RRP in a number of food products, especially fresh produce, frozen and chilled food, ready meals bakery and snack products as well as some non-food categories.

League of its own
Excellent graphics and advanced printing techniques have led to corrugated RRP entering a league of its own. A good liner is one of the first steps towards creating impact. Boosting sales at the point of purchase was Stora Enso’s aim with the launch of its MediaLiner – a bright white graphic liner for corrugated packaging.

Stora Enso identified that buying decisions being made by consumers at the point of sale is one reason why the trend in corrugated packaging is changing and traditional brown boxes are gradually being replaced by multi-functional and eye-catching packaging designed to actively support sales.

Standout on shelf, according to Jeannette Kuhanen from Stora Enso’s Speciality Papers Division can be achieved using high quality graphics, unique surface effects and the tactile appeal of the corrugated liner. She feels the launch of MediaLiner addresses these requirements while giving brand owners a host of exciting new ways to create a high-impact product.

New avenues
Producing corrugated packaging that stands out on shelf using eye-catching graphics is a way of thinking for Smurfit Kappa UK, and its status as a world leader in corrugated packaging is a testament to its success in this respect.

Three of its converting plants in the UK – based in Essex, Staffordshire, and Scotland under the title of Smurfit Kappa Print Vision – are leading the way in pre- and post-print technology. The reason behind the demand for RRP goes much deeper, according to sales director Paul Cahill. He says the huge growth of RRP can be attributed to brand marketing departments seeking new avenues to promote their products.

With levels of print advertising down, the retail environment is an important medium with which to lure the consumer. Cahill explains: “The marketeers need to get to us somehow, and they are doing it instore by the use of packaging.”

Cahill feels that the shopper marketing principle of Attention, Interest, Desire and Action (AIDA), which create impulse purchases plays a huge part in the success of the corrugated pack.

“The reason why corrugated RRP works so well is that compared to watching a TV advertisement the AIDA principles are in place immediately. The supermarket is the perfect environment to boost sales and catch the consumer’s eye,” adds Cahill.

Smurfit Kappa UK’s S-Flute, manufactured at its Norwich site, sits between its B and E-Flute products. S-flute is designed to mimic the performance characteristics of B-Flute, but is lighter, stronger and more durable. Highly sustainable, S-Flute is manufactured from FSC certified fibres, is fully recyclable and designed to reduce the impact of logistics on the environment.

Another innovative example of the use of corrugated is a development from the Smurfit Kappa Sheetfeeding branch of the Ireland-headquartered company, in conjunction with metallic laminated board and paper specialists Mirri. Its development of a silver laminated board called MirriNor consists of Smurfit Kappa’s T-Flute high strength corrugated material – also super lightweight at 435g/m².

The material has recently been used for an eye-catching beer pack for the award winning Wold Top microbrewery in Yorkshire. The presentation pack offers a high quality finish, good strength but lightweight capabilities.

Smurfit Kappa Sheetfeeding’s technical sales manager Richard Revell says: “The beauty of microflutes is that they can be used in place of solidboard. It is all about perceiving value and allowing the brand owner to demonstrate the product in a much better way. Microflutes take a pack to the next level. It puts commodity into luxury without breaking the bank.”

B-alternative
It took two years of development work and extensive trials with customers before DS Smith Packaging brought its R-Flute to market. DS Smith is pitching its new flute as an ideal RRP material because of its supply chain efficiency and good carbon footprint credentials.

The R-Flute has a caliper, or thickness that is 20% thinner than the B-Flute that is currently the standard for RRP. This thinner alternative allows more board to be delivered on a pallet and is said to possess a better printing surface because of the structure’s close fluting.

The sheetfeeding arm of the Logson Group, Board24 launched its M-Flute as ‘a modern alternative to standard B-Flute board’ aimed at customers seeking to increase efficiency long-term. The environmental credentials are impressive too. According to the company, using M-Flute instead of B-Flute board will yield up to a 36% saving on pallet space and, with an estimated 30% more sheet board fitting onto a full load, it provides significant savings on transport costs.

Managing director at Board24 Richard McBride says: “M-Flute is the perfect product for customers who are looking to cut costs, save warehouse space and enhance environmental commitments. With no compromise on quality or performance it is a great alternative to standard corrugated sheet board – especially for the RRP market.”

Corrugated companies are making significant plant investments to accommodate the production of lighter weight corrugated products. Rigid Containers, part of the VPK Group, is also offering an alternative to B-flute which, according to sales and marketing director Julian Freeman, was made possible following investment in new single facer equipment and special corrugating rolls at its Desborough, UK site.

The company’s Performance Grade sits between B-flute and E-flute and allows crisper cuts for perforations. Freeman comments: “Due to the lighter weight of the board itself, we can help reduce supply chain costs considerably, further reducing carbon footprint.”

Price structure
Achieving a more competitive pricing structure will also figure highly in the future development of corrugated RRP. New corrugated supplier eCorrugated feels that the biggest change in the industry will be for RRP to be more cost competitive.

Director Andrew Carver comments: “The biggest change we’ll see over the next few years is for RRP to be available at much lower prices. This change is being driven by both a desire to minimise waste and to reduce the overall cost of packaging.”

The company has invested in machines that are able to handle the lighter material required to meet this shift in demand, and is launching a new lightweight corrugated board, Next Box, which is said to deliver a 10% improvement in ECT and an enhanced surface structure for quality printing, while requiring 5% less material.

Carver explains: “Our EMBA 170 machines use a vacuum transfer system that moves the boards without using heavy, mechanical grips that can end up crushing the finished item.”

Consequently the company can offer boxes with a 70-gram configuration – 70-gram paper on the outside and inside of the box, with 70-gram fluting. The demand has been so great that eCorrugated has invested £1 million to double capacity.

“This means we can provide cheaper, shelf-ready packaging that meets a client’s bespoke box design with a 2-colour flexographic print,” says Carver.

Raising awareness
Combining a cost effective product with increased efficiency involves education, according to packaging consultancy Packology director Doug Johnston.

He feels that although the new flutes are certainly making an impact, with their narrower profiles, reduced handling, distribution and storage costs, educating the industry holds the key to future success. He says: “These benefits are not always reflected in the unit price of the box, which can make it difficult for customers to embrace these new options. They are not paying less for the item, which can be perceived as being of a reduced specification.”

He also feels that with so many companies introducing B-Flute alternatives, all named something different, it can be very confusing to the market.

Johnston concludes: “Education is the key word in understanding the new flute profiles. For where it is potentially the correct product there has to be focused education from the supplier of where the benefits lie.

“From an industry point of view it is very exciting, as it is genuinely new. The issue is how mainstream it will become.”


Smurfit Kappa Print Vision - RRP for Bacardi Breezer Stora Enso’s MediaLiner - bright white graphic liner for high impact corrugated packaging Smurfit Kappa used MirriNor metallic laminated board to create Wold Top Brewery's latest gift pack

Smurfit Kappa Print Vision - RRP for Bacardi Breezer Smurfit Kappa Print Vision - RRP for Bacardi Breezer
Stora Enso’s MediaLiner - bright white graphic liner for high impact corrugated packaging Stora Enso’s MediaLiner - bright white graphic liner for high impact corrugated packaging
Smurfit Kappa used MirriNor metallic laminated board to create Wold Top Brewery's latest gift pack Smurfit Kappa used MirriNor metallic laminated board to create Wold Top Brewery's latest gift pack


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