Vitamin bottle gets super-sized

The launch of a new vitamin “value pack” by British pharmacy chain Boots highlights the capabilities of RPC Containers Market Rasen (www.rpc-marketrasen.co.uk) to manufacture large vitamin bottles.

The Boots vitamin range had included value packs for several years, but typically these retailed in a number of different pack sizes. In order to improve logistical efficiencies, on-shelf branding, and ease of shopping, Boots decided to relaunch its vitamin value packs in a standard container to ensure a uniform pack size.

Feedback from consumer research suggested an optimum requirement for a six months’ supply-–a total of 180 tablets or capsules per pack. Due to the differing vitamin tablet and capsule sizes, this meant that a 500-mL bottle was needed to accommodate a six-month supply.

Realizing that its regular supplier would need to invest in new tooling to develop the desired container, Boots asked RPC if a suitable bottle could be created using existing molds. RPC Market Rasen used its expertise in extrusion blow molding to produce the high-density polyethylene bottle, color-matched in silver to existing containers in the Boots vitamin range.

Boots has also been able to take advantage of RPC’s ”one-stop” resource for packaging requirements, as the bottle’s twist-and-turn Child-Resistant Closure is supplied by RPC Halstead. “RPC has helped us to ensure that consumers who prefer a bigger pack size of vitamins can now benefit from a single, highly visible and convenient pack format whatever their purchase,” comments Kristin Holland, Vitamin Brand manager at Boots.

-Pat Reynolds