A new industry toolkit has been launched for the grocery supply chain to help suppliers make the transition to shelf-ready packaging.

The Australian Food and Grocery Council launched the new Shelf Ready Packaging Industry Toolkit at an Australian Institute of Packaging breakfast briefing in Brisbane last week.

The toolkit, developed by Efficient Consumer Response Australia (ECRA), has been designed to act as a set of common industry standards and guidelines aimed to assist retailers, suppliers, wholesalers and packaging companies implement sustainable alternate packaging solutions.

More than 100 attendees of the seminar were provided with samples of the new store audit checklist and commercial checklist to help them better understand the processes of implementing shelf ready packaging.

The new toolkit is available free to download on the ECRA website.

AIP Branch Chairman Ralph Moyle says the group needs to continue its education program on packaging trends and innovations, including shelf-ready initiatives.

Adrian Williams, Senior Business Analyst for grocery intelligence group IGD, flew out from the United Kingdom to speak to the breakfast about how shelf-ready packaging has become a reality for the major retailers and to raise awareness of the growth of private labels in the UK and Europe.

Williams says that much of the take-up of shelf ready packaging is in the world of private labels.

He presented statistics highlighting the improved sales benefits of implementing shelf-ready initiatives and spoke of how it can change the face of branding and design in-store.

Williams also announced that IGD has launched Retail Analysis, an online service designed to provide insight into international retailers, markets and channels.

The site contains over 30,000 store photos, over 120 retailer profiles, about 45 country profiles and more than 150 store visit reports.

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