SMURFIT Kappa has announced the launch of an ‘innovative and sustainable’ packaging solution specifically tailored for wine.
It comes as the firm looks to help businesses in the sector capitalise on the continued growth in e-commerce wine sales.
The new solution holds Amazon’s ‘Frustration-Free Packaging’ (FFP) certification, which Smurfit Kappa said is a world first for a generic packaging solution that caters for different case counts and wine bottle types.
The e-commerce wine sector has seen a significant increase in sales since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. Shopping for wine online has been hailed as the next big consumer trend with market research company Euromonitor reporting a 52% increase in online wine sales between 2019 and 2021.
Smurfit Kappa’s new wine multi-pack consists of a ‘sleek’ design comprising an outer box and buffers and is said to be robust enough to reach the end consumer in ‘perfect condition’ no matter how complex the supply chain is.
Amazon’s FFP programme was introduced to reduce over-packing, improve the consumer experience, and enhance sustainability. Amazon provides sellers with a set of packaging guidelines which they must meet before they can list their products.
Arco Berkenbosch, VP of innovation and development at Smurfit Kappa, said, “We are delighted to partner with Amazon to deliver another pre-certified Frustration-Free packaging solution. We have used our 15+ years of e-commerce experience to design this solution for the direct-to-consumer wine sector which is continuing to grow at a phenomenal pace.
“Our 100% recyclable new pack will enable businesses selling wine through Amazon Marketplace to get their products to the end consumer quicker and speed to market is a key differentiator in today’s world.”
