Max Brunk, the
acclaimed Cornell Marketing guru, once commented years ago that the
poly apple bag did as much for the apple industry as slicing bread
did to the flour industry. In fact, Mr. Brunk used to say that the
apple industry copied the flour industry when the poly bag was first
introduced. According to professor Brunk, consumers purchased bagged
apples because they had a use for the empty bag. In those days, only
bread was sold in plastic and the empty bread bag provided hundreds
of uses. Lunches were packed in Wonder Bread bags, leftovers were
stored in the icebox, and even wet socks found their way into the
recycled poly bag.
You see, grocery stores used paper, and Hefty bags would not come
along for decades. It is obvious that the poly packaging industry
has benefited as we look at today’s usage. Not many children
find a sandwich in a bread bag today, and leftovers are in special
throwaway hard poly containers. Hefty recently introduced a special
poly bag for conscientious dog owners for reasons that I suspect you
can guess.
So I should now announce, “Let’s get rid of apple poly
bags!” Apple buyers today have no use for empty poly bags, so
why use them? If these reasons seem silly to you, how about this:
“Consumer research shows that consumers perceive bagged apples
to be lower quality because they are either bruised or spoiled.”
Research conducted in 1997 showed that 65 percent prefer to purchase
bulk apples, because they can select what they want, and want better
quality. Recent research shows that over 40 percent of consumers believe
that sub-standard apples are purposely sold in bags and are cheaper.
The only positive responses about bags are that they are convenient,
often cheaper, and will offer smaller apples for smaller appetites.
So why does the apple industry continue to sell apples in a package
that often disappoints their customers or offers the consumer reasons
to complain?
The answer: Bags are cheap, easy, efficient and quick to pack as well
as adaptable to numerous sizes and styles. Retailers accept them because
they are convenient, portable, and simple to throw around at displays
and offer a profitable ring at the cash register. Unfortunately, when
you list all the reasons to continue to use the standard 3- or 5-pound
poly bag, they outnumber the reasons not to.
Listening to and delighting the consumer with a quality product becomes
a secondary concern. It’s been decades since the first apple
bag appeared in the marketplace, and for all the aforementioned reasons,
alternative packaging has not replaced the bag. Consumers are changing
and bulk sales are replacing bag sales. One might say, “They
are still buying apples,” but now they pick out a few and unless
all we grow and sell are sometimes 100 size but mostly 88 and larger
size, they are not buying our apples.
It is most likely that the poly apple bag will continue to be the
most used apple package for some time, so what’s the choice.
Changing consumer perception of bagged apples is a major task, but
not impossible. Increasing consumer acceptance by increasing the take
home quality of bagged apples needs to be the goal. Apples with consistent
size, color, good taste and condition, conveniently packed in attractive
poly bags that showcase rather than hide the fruit, will delight customers
and guarantee repeat sales.
I titled this column “Smart Fresh Should Lead to Smart Marketing,”
and I will close with it as well. It is understood that the poly bag
is the reason why the U.S. apple industry is as large as it is today,
and the introduction of bagged apples increased demand more than any
other factor. Now we know that the poly bags are usually the main
reason that consumers are dissatisfied with an apple purchase. Better
quality for the consumer can be achieved for many varieties using
MCP. All of the good news about eating apples to improve health or
lose weight, increase your fiber, breathe easier, or just satisfy
your urge to snack, will not replace the need to delight the customer
with a quality eating experience.
Today, if Max Brunk were alive, perhaps he would be saying, “MCP
will revolutionize the apple industry and the poly apple bag”,
and I think he would be right again.
Jim Allen is the president of the New York Apple Association.
