Case Study: Tea Time

Challenge​

As word spread and demand from both consumers and retailers increased over the years, one tea company needed to expand their distribution reach. To do this, the company would have to replace its reusable plastic crates with a more efficient solution.

The plastic crates presented limitations for a growing company like theirs because they had to be returned to their production facility and washed after every shipment, leading to increased transportation costs and a limited area of distribution.

Solution

Georgia-Pacific collaborated with the company to identify a solution that would expand their distribution reach to a level not possible with their current process, without increasing costs and reducing subsequent retail margins.

Utilization of GP’s Packaging System Optimization (PSO®) process resulted in implementation of a corrugated bliss container. Once assembled, the package could be used in their current line or adapted to fit growing lines, as the company expanded. The new solution allowed the company to move to a recyclable one-way shipper, removing the restrictions and costs associated with the plastic crates.

Result

Since incorporating Georgia-Pacific’s corrugated bliss containers, the company has achieved:

• The ability to simultaneously service an expanded territory while reducing costs and providing consumer value by lowering retail pricing.
• An increase in market share through expansion of their distribution market into thousands of retail stores, providing product directly to retail warehouses instead of through route deliveries to individual stores.​