Case Histories

Learn more about Cryovac® 805 Whole Chicken Bag

Notwithstanding the reality that the poultry industry will continue feeling price pressure into the foreseeable future, those processors willing to put the draw of "value-added" to the test are learning that everyone in the distribution chain, right down to the end-consumer, will willingly pay at least a reasonable premium if a product is perceived as offering increased convenience, exceptional quality or some interesting new twist

Dan Emery, vice president of marketing for Pittsburg, Texas-based Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., will testify to this. One of his company’s largest retail customers recently delivered one of those "easier-said-than-done" requests: The retailer wanted all bagged poultry product to be leak-proof.

"The traditional rule of thumb for those who supply the big box stores is: Don’t disappoint the buyer, find the solution quickly, and don’t hold your breath waiting for the buyer to pay a premium for the solution," Emery says.

Pilgrim’s Pride, which wasted no time finding the "leak-proof solution" ("Things happen fast here once we pull the trigger," asserts Emery), was pleasantly surprised by their customer’s willingness to pay a little extra for clearly improved packaging.

"I’ve heard of a lot of packaging deals in which the customer paid over and above the norm in return for some added value," Emery says. "But that definitely has been the case with our solution for providing whole birds with leak-proof packaging."

The solution Pilgrim’s Pride was looking for emerges as a hermetically sealed high-shrink vacuum bag. For packaging whole birds, Emery believes it represents a significant departure from the industry norms - clipped poly bags.

"The tight shrink enables consumers to see the bird more clearly, and also provide a format for printing colorful labels," he says.

Learn more about Cryovac® 805 Whole Chicken Bag