Sunday, July 26, 2009
COLD CEREAL PACKAGING
I do not understand why packaging for cold (dry) cereals (eg rice, corn, wheat... with various brand names and varying amounts of excess sugar) is so badly designed. It is usually hard to open, and much harder to close. It usually has some kind of waxed paper that can not be re-sealed, and an outer cardboard box that can not be closed at all: with an ineffective flap that can not stay closed even when the box is not twisted out of shape as it usually is.
The cereal in the box easily becomes stale, and can be attacked by various insects if it is left out. It can best be stored in the refrigerator, but is usually so big that it takes up too much room in the fridge. Moreover, after a bit of use, the remaining cereal occupies only a fraction of the box, just wasting space.
The only explanation for this lousy packaging is that the manufacturer wants customers to waste cereal, so they will buy more.
Perhaps they would sell more if the packaging were better.
Packaging could be improved by:
1- an easy-sealing inner bag (like one-zip or liplock);
2- making little (one-serving) boxes available for all cereals, not just the (mostly sugared) collections usually available;
3- making the product available in more sizes of boxes (not just big and little);
4- making the outer box more easily closeable.
Labels: Cold cereal packaging
