Four snacks can be served in the same pack, which comes in two configurations; an outer square featuring a drawer on each of the four sides or a rectangular shape with two drawers on each of the two sides.
Biscuits, crisps, chocolate
Colac says SharePac is made from recyclable or compostable paperboard, and is ideal for sweet, and savoury snacks, cakes, crudités, breadsticks, crisps, popcorn, biscuits, nuts and dried fruit.
The design also comes with an optional aperture at the top of the pack for dips or sauce.
Neil Goldman, MD, Colpac, said the company celebrated its 80th anniversary last year and thanks to its global client base it adapts its packaging to the demands of international markets.
He said SharePac ‘has an innovative and clever design, great for sharing biscuits, crisps, chocolate or any other snack’ and can be customized with a logo, graphics or the best material to suit customers' needs.
The packaging is printable in up to six colors, allowing for a variety of branding options for maximum design impact and on shelf appeal.
According to Arianna Bucci, European marketing manager, Colpac, the role of packaging has evolved dramatically over the years.
“While it still preserves the product within, packaging is no longer a functional and practical container. Today, it helps to drive change and, if done correctly, can attract the consumer eye," she said.
"The snacking craze underpins the fact that consumer demands for convenience and products that accommodate their lifestyles, have far-reaching implications for the entire supply chain, particularly packaging, and the new sizes are a clear response to this.
"While food manufacturers are responding to the preferences of their customers, navigating through the myriad of packaging options available to them adds another layer of complexity to the process of getting their product to the consumer.
"As a packaging supplier, our role is getting even more complicated once new emerging materials, and different board types are factored in, however it is our responsibility to educate the food manufacturers, ensuring they are equipped with all of the relevant information to help them take full control to make the right decision for their product, and their brand.
"Exploring new materials is an on-going process, and we invest a lot of time and resources in market research. We tend not to discontinue old sizes as, due to our international presence, we have noticed that certain markets are using different type of packaging and are sometimes only influenced by trends at a later stage, or not all so, consequently, they may use packs sizes which may differ a lot from the UK market."
According to Euromonitor, the demands of modern day life have driven sales of snacks up, and the UK savoury snacks category is now worth $7bn per annum, making it the largest market for savoury snacks in Western Europe.
It believes, to capitalize on the growing snacking trends, retailers are increasingly looking at ways to capture the attention of ‘Generation Graze’, with eye-catching packs of gourmet vegetable crisps, salted caramel popcorn, roasted chickpeas and oatmeal crackers.
Sharing bags of crisps & snacks
How consumers eat snacks has also changed, says Kantar Worldpanel (January 29, 2017), with a major shift towards sharing, and sales in this area surged in 2016 as consumers splashed out an additional £19.7m on sharing bags of crisps and snacks.
Colpac claims a major contributing factor to the sharing snack craze is the growing ‘Big Night In’ phenomenon, driven by money conscious, time poor consumers.
“Packaging companies are responding to these demands with packaging innovations and designs. From better portability, varied size options to sealing technology ensuring products can be repackaged and shared, again and again, while still maintaining its just bought freshness,” it said in a statement.
It believes, consumers, particularly millennials, seek a more personalized experience through packaging, so, along with more defined marketing and social media campaigns, the packaging can enhance the experience through new technology in digital printing.