#OnShelf: Boxing clever with new water packaging

by Louise Burgers. A boxed water brand that hopes to change the local market; Clicks Baby family grows; Libstar infuses wellness into latest launches; and Hendrick’s Gin levels up new product press release writing.

Quenching the thirst for sustainable packs

In the global beverage market, water is one of the biggest selling categories, driven by health and wellness trends; and this is where there are opportunities for sustainable alternatives to traditional packaging. Many water brands are now turning to beverage cartons as a practical and eco-friendly packaging solution. In an IBM consumer survey, 80% of consumers indicated that sustainability is important to them, while nearly six in 10 are willing to change their shopping habits to reduce environmental impact. Sustainable alternatives in packaging can offer a solution to eco-conscious consumers wanting to shift their buying behaviour – and of course, let’s not forget saving the planet! US-based Boxed Water was launched in 2009 to great success; and in Spain, Fontsoria is a pioneer of natural spring water in cartons. The company has seen sales more than double since launching its Agua enCaja Mejor (Water in Box is Better). The beverage cartons also offer a low carbon footprint; shipping of pre-filled cartons is more effective than bottles, as cartons take up less space during transportation. It’s not just abroad where water in beverage cartons is gathering momentum. In South Africa, father and daughter team, Jan and Danielle Strydom, launched Boxy Water in 2020 in partnership with Nampak Liquid Cartons, packaging the spring water on their farm near Potchestroom. Boxy Water are now also filling 300ml and 500ml cartons for other companies in South Africa. “As consumers are favouring brands which act sustainably, beverage cartons provide an innovative, environmentally conscious solution in the water market. Producers are beginning to see the advantages and opportunities to liquid paperboard packaging, and it’s been encouraging that a number of local businesses have turned to paperboard beverage cartons for their water packaging,” says Raymond Dube, Nampak Liquid Cartons, MD.

Explore infused honeys and teas this spring

Libstar has launched an interesting range of teas for Spring, heroing natural ingredients – which could also fight pollen season and help allergy sufferers. It’s not surprising that brands should start tapping into the rising wellness trends, by reverting to natural ingredients that were originally used as medicines before our modern age. Teas also contain antioxidant properties to help the body resist viral infections. Homeopath, Dr Ebrahim Essop, explains, “Honey is a known, natural anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antifungal, antibiotic and antimycotic agent. Through the ages, honey has been used as a cough suppressant and may have anti-inflammatory effects. Infusions of certain types of tea have been used for hundreds of years to alleviate the symptoms of allergies. The most common teas used as a herbal solution to treat the symptoms of allergies are green tea, turmeric tea, ginger, rooibos, lemon peel, peppermint and nettle teas.” Exclusive to Woolworths and manufactured by Cape Herb & Spice, Libstar’s new range of teas include Blueberry with ginger and Turmeric, and Vanilla with bergamot. Libstar has also launched new Goldcrest honey variants ‘infused’ with herbs, extracts and spices, to not only intensify the flavour of the honey, but to also enhance its health benefits. These include Lemon & Ginger to help soothe the symptoms of colds and sinus infections; Chilli which assists in boosting immunity; and Lavender & Chamomile, known to relieve nausea and reduce anxiety and stress.

The birth of Clicks Baby at Menlyn Park

Love how all the retailers are launching in store and stand alone brand extensions. The consumer is ultimately the beneficiary of all this retail competitive spirit; and retail is getting more and more interesting, which is exciting for the market. Over the past 18 months, Clicks has launched four standalone Clicks Baby stores in South Africa. Clicks Baby Menlyn Park offers customers a bigger showcase of online and in-store mom and baby ranges than found in a traditional Clicks store as well as a beautifully curated shopping experience. “Our Clicks Baby Stores have been designed with convenience in mind, with wider aisles for prams and strollers and dedicated areas for breastfeeding and nappy changing,” says Vikash Singh, Clicks managing executive. “Customers can expect all their favourite local and international brands and expert advice from our in-store advisers who are on hand to help parents navigate the parenthood journey.” Other store features include a professional ear-piercing service, baby gift registry and gift-wrapping service, as well as printing facilities for Instax, a new fun way of taking, sharing and preserving memories. Babyhood Australia will also be launching soon at Clicks Baby Menlyn Park and online.

CAMPAIGN: Hendrick’s Gin tour

Hendrick’s Gin has launched a limited release of Neptunia Gin, from its “Cabinet of Curiousities” which instills Neptunia with “the magic of the sea expressed in a gin”. Okay then. Seems the copywriter did a lot of taste testing to get the copy right for this product… The campaign heroes the Hendrick’s Master Distiller and a chemist, Lesley Gracie, who visited South Africa in September to launch the limited edition new gin varient. Gracie uses “a mysterious blend of refreshing Scottish coastal botanicals to express the magic of the sea in liquid form and creates a rich, evocative sensorial story”. The copy is so evocative, here’s some more: “Hendrick’s Neptunia adds another wave of flavour with an enticing chorus of deeply refreshing Scottish coastal botanicals and combines a smooth, bright citrus finish with a deliciously distant sea breeze.” And a word from the legendary Gracie herself: “Most of my creations are based on memories – I play around with botanicals and combine them to recreate certain sensations. Hendrick’s Neptunia, for me, is that freeing feeling of the sea bottled in a gin.” Now rush out and get this very expensive gin before it “disappears from the horizon”. New product releases will never be the same. I expect more, guys!

Main image credit: Supplied.

Louise Burgers is the Publisher and Editor and Co-Founder of RetailingAfrica.com. She has spent over 20 years writing about the FMCG retailing, marketing, media and advertising industry in South Africa and on the African continent. She has specialised in local and Africa consumer trends and is a passionate Afro-optimist who believes it is Africa’s time to rise again and that the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) will be a global gamechanger in the next decade.

– Receive the Retailing Africa newsletter weekly • Subscribe here.