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Packaging

I've Always Wondered ...

Why do paper bags have a zig-zag cut at the top?

by Janet Nguyen
Aug 2, 2024
Safety, efficiency and looks play a role in the design.
The paper bag's simple zig-zag design can save consumers a lot of pain.
Canonzoom/Getty Images Plus
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Here’s why you can’t find 5-pound sugar bags anymore

by Janet Nguyen
Apr 24, 2023
The classic pantry staple can tell us a lot about competition in the grocery space and U.S. sugar policy.
Shed a tear for the 5-pound bag of sugar and make room for its lighter sibling.
Janet Nguyen/Marketplace
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I've Always Wondered ...

Is it actually illegal to sell an item labeled, “Not for retail sale”?

by Janet Nguyen
Jan 27, 2023
Aiming to keep consumers safe, the Food and Drug Administration has rules for the information placed on packaging.
If the wrapper your granola bar came in says you can't sell it, there are FDA rules behind that warning.
4kodiak/Getty Images
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I've Always Wondered ...

Why are beer growlers more expensive than six-packs?

by Janet Nguyen
Sep 9, 2022
Breweries tend to charge more per ounce if you’re getting large amounts of alcohol, contrary to conventional wisdom.
Buying in bulk: A growler of beer is filled at a Miami brewery.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
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How some companies manage to profit from supply chain kinks

by Nancy Marshall-Genzer
Dec 14, 2021
While businesses are not immune to the global logistics nightmare, those that primarily source domestically have an advantage.
The factory floor at the Thompson Creek Window Co. CEO Rick Wuest said being domestically sourced means reliability. “We seized the window of opportunity," he said.
Nancy Marshall-Genzer
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I've Always Wondered ...

Why do tissues in cubed boxes cost more than tissues in horizontal boxes?

by Janet Nguyen
Jul 15, 2021
You get fewer tissues in a cubed box than a horizontal one, despite similar prices.
Kana Design Image/Getty Images Plus
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How COVID-19 might change packaging for good

by Kai Ryssdal and Maria Hollenhorst
May 10, 2021
“I think you've had a lot of pent-up innovation,” says Matt Reynolds, editor of Packaging World.
Cardboard overflowing recycling bins. With home delivery a big part of the lockdown experience, Matt Reynolds says consumers are "asking brands to be more aware" of container sustainability.
Maria Hollenhorst/Marketplace
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The marketing tactics behind those odd weights and sizes you see at the supermarket

by Marielle Segarra
Oct 30, 2019
Eleven and a half ounces of coffee in a package, 19.4 ounces of dish soap in a bottle. Could it be the "difficult comparison effect" at play?
When competing brands come in different-sized bottles, it's hard to compare prices. And maybe that's the point.
Marielle Segarra/Marketplace
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For online retailers, packaging is all about economics

by Kristin Schwab
Mar 6, 2018
Online retailers are trying to cut down on package waste. But designing a new box for everything a company ships takes a lot of time.
Anton Cotaj at ANAMA Package and Container Testing tests boxes on a machine that simulates road conditions.
Kristin Schwab/ for Marketplace
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I've Always Wondered ...

Why do snack companies always change their packaging?

by Jana Kasperkevic
Jun 5, 2017
Hint: they want you to buy more snacks.
Would this package design catch your eye? Cheez-Its on sale at a local Chicago supermarket.
Jana Kasperkevic/Marketplace
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