Organic cans’ time is now
Sir, In answer to the question ‘is canned ready for an organic market?’, the Soil Association would say, emphatically, yes!
In fact, the canned and packaged category has been the biggest success story for organic products over the last five years, adding over £80m in value in that period, while canned vegetables grew 16% year on year to the end of June [Nielsen].
Our research tells us that much of the overall growth in the organic market is coming from millennials, whose purchasing decisions are motivated by food quality, provenance and sustainability. Organic is a trusted system of production, and canned goods represent a way into this market at an accessible price point, making it easy for ethical consumers to get convenient and sustainable food into their diets.
I hope more organic producers seize the opportunity canned presents.
Lee Holdstock, trade relations manager, Soil Association Certification
Sustainable models
Sir, The retail industry is facing challenging times, with retailers such as Poundworld and Carpetright both announcing store closures in recent weeks as brands battle with operational costs and tireless competition.
Even with digital evolutions, it is harder than ever to get consumers to purchase from stores. It is vital for retailers to plan for the long and short term, striking a balance between high street and online. Organisations need to focus on what is unique to their retail experience, whether it is exceptional customer service, product range or being a physical high street store where customers can try before they buy. This focus should be underpinned by the right technology to help streamline operations such as reporting, business intelligence and forecasting to accurately support both digital and physical offerings to build a sustainable model for the future.
Hector Hickmott, director, HSO
Can paper better plastic?
Sir, In response to Stephen Cameron’s letter regarding Morrisons’ move to paper bags for in-store groceries: Stephen makes some excellent points. However, how can Morrisons’ move to paper bags be commended?
The retailer has substituted a recyclable ‘single use’ 5 micron PE bag for a 60gsm recyclable ‘single use’ paper bag. Manufacturing paper requires about double the amount of energy to that of plastic and 20 times more water. Due to the thickness differences in this case those statistics need to be multiplied by 12.5. In other words, 12.5 times less bags would be required if the plastic bag had been retained. The change therefore has not been implemented for environmental reasons but presumably to placate the misguided consumer.
George Slack, managing director, National Flexible
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