Whether we chose not to visit the shops as often during the height of the pandemic or were unable to get out due to self-isolation as a result of being in contact with a positive case of the virus, this has been good news for many companies in the food industry. Those companies who already had a supply chain in place for chilled food deliveries saw their businesses growing. Individuals, unable to enjoy the luxury of meals out, looked for other ways to treat themselves at home. Some companies found themselves with no customers and a need to expand their existing food business. In order to keep money coming in to support themselves and also to help feed the growing demand for the type of food that people had become used to enjoying outside the home, food deliveries also presented some great opportunities.
Companies such as ProtPack have been there from the start, helping to support this growth and innovation in a sector that has had to think of new and clever ways to adapt in order to survive. The growth of companies specialising in online or mail order food deliveries was greater than many could possibly have imagined. Therefore, the need for bespoke barrier foil box liners as a way of offering a cost effective thermal packaging solution was an immediate one that needed fulfilling.
What sort of businesses need this type of packaging solution?
Any business in the food sector who is looking to diversify understands that in order to make the most of promoting their online ordering for home delivery service that the products they offer is only part of the equation. Whilst the products they have to sell might be fantastic, if they are not packaged appropriately for shipping then it doesn’t matter how good they are. These might be specialty foods like vegetarian chilled products, weekly or special occasion recipe boxes, meat bundles from farm shops or even chilled food for pets. Thermal barrier foil liners are a popular choice, and growing in popularity, when it comes to looking for a solution for shipping this type of item, and with good reason.
Most of the time any new business in these sectors, or indeed an established business looking to branch out, will have had time to put their time into all of their planning. However, the pandemic changed this and businesses needed to adapt quickly. This meant not only finding a supplier who had the products that they needed but also one that could offer them a fast turnaround. Customers, suddenly finding themselves “trapped” at home without some of the luxuries they were used to, were looking for alternatives and they wanted them fast. Companies who had the right online shopping experience and offered a really fast delivery in around 24 hours from purchase were exactly what was needed. In order to achieve this, the framework needed to be in place in terms of having all of the necessary products and packaging materials in order to ensure customer satisfaction.
The new normal
The pandemic has changed the way people do a great many things, and whilst the opening up of hospitality will undoubtedly see people returning to their pre pandemic eating out habits they have also got used to the convenience of being able to buy a great deal more things online. This trend towards many of those specialty chilled foods that need thermal packaging if they are to arrive in optimum condition can only be seen as a good thing, particularly for those companies who offer the right packaging solutions.
