Package Or Unpackage Existing Products

Opportunities exist to package, repackage or unpackage existing products. Commodities sold in bulk may be packaged (called "breaking bulk"), while items traditionally sold in packages may be offered in bulk. Alternatively, items already supplied in a packaged form may be repackaged to make them more attractive, more convenient, reusable, easier to use, easier to preserve, or biodegradable.

Some Examples

1. Strawberries are bought in bulk, sorted into smaller amounts, and packaged in attractive boxes for resale.

2. A company buys quantities of steak and lobster tails, packages them together as steak and lobster dinners, and sells them to food stores as gourmet meals.

3. A company buys salmon and packages it for passengers on airlines.

4. A company identifies food sold in packages and offers these products in bulk with no packaging.

How To Do It

1. Look for a product that is poorly packaged and think of improvements.

2. Find a product which is normally sold without a package and devise a package that would increase its sales.

3. Locate a product that can be purchased in bulk quantities and repackaged into smaller amounts.

4. Find two or more separate products that consumers usually buy or use at the same time. Then plan a package which combines the items, and offer them for sale as a single unit.

5. Look for products which are usually packaged, and consider whether you could sell them in bulk, to lower the price or address the environmental concerns of consumers.

6. Talk to potential customers to find out whether they would buy the alternatively packaged product.

Key Questions

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