Jason Waywell
Commercial Director
Polymer Logistics UK
Dudley, UK
As befits a company nominated for the Fresh Produce Consortium’s 2014 Fresh Award for innovation, Polymer Logistics has a strong focus on adding value by developing products that offer new solutions for transporting and presenting fruits and vegetables in fresh and interesting ways.
A case in point is the firm’s Market Place crate, which has already received positive feedback from retail clients by making produce trays more attractive to shoppers. But the award-nominated crate will only be one of a series of innovative products that the company will be showcasing at this year’s London Produce Show.
What is Polymer Logistics’ core business?
We are an Israeli company that manufactures “retail-ready packaging,” focusing very much on factory-to-fixture solutions. Whereas most of the plastic equipment available to the fresh produce sector is focused on supply chain efficiency, we also concentrate on the last 50 yards, looking at how we can deliver in-store as well as supply chain efficiencies.
We supply a range of equipment, including nesting, rigid and folding crates, beverage trays, potato bins, egg shippers and pallets.
What advantages can the Market Place crate offer to retailers and suppliers?
When you go into a supermarket, the first thing you are hit with is a lot of crates, which is fine from a supply chain perspective because they deliver supply chain efficiencies. But in-store, they look a bit sterile.
What we’re trying to do is provide a traditional market look with a wooden-slatted box or a wicker-weave look. The research we’ve done has shown that it positively influences consumer perceptions of fresh produce and supermarkets. Fresh produce is a destination category, and if you can make it stand out in whatever way you can, then it is going to benefit your business.
What other products or services does Polymer Logistics supply?
In the UK, we import the products from Israel and sell directly to the supermarkets. Or, we can pool them to our clients, meaning that we hire the products out to suppliers and they can deliver goods using our equipment. Depending on the retailer, once the equipment has come back, they can either check that it is fit for use then reissue it to another supplier on our behalf, or, if it is damaged or dirty, it can be returned to one of our supply centres.
What particular products or services will Polymer be highlighting at the London Produce Show?
In terms of fruits and vegetables, the Market Place crate is a step change — it’s not just a supply chain solution, it’s a field-to-fixture solution.
At the show, we will also be launching a pallet specially designed for fresh produce. It’s a nesting pallet that can accommodate the bases of trays, which fit into recesses on the pallet decks, making transportation more stable. It’s also more space-effective — three times the amount of pallets can be fitted into a 1.8m stack compared to ordinary pallets.
We will also be showcasing a new innovation in potato bins. In all supermarkets, when you get down to the last few bags, you have to bend down to reach the potatoes. We’ve developed a bin whose base rises as bags come out, which is based on the bungee-cord principle.
We also have a product that uses polycarbonate, the material used for car headlights. Compared to conventional plastic, polycarbonate is crystal clear, allowing shoppers to see through the trays to the products behind.
Source: Perishable News