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Tyson's fixed on a fixed-weight future

Tyson’s attractive, but otherwise unassuming, shrink-wrapped trays introduced in early 2003 are packed with far more than chicken.

Tyson's scannable, bar-coded fixed weight packs--which replace random weight
Tyson's scannable, bar-coded fixed weight packs--which replace random weight

For Tyson Foods, Springdale, AR, net-weight or fixed-weight packs represent enhanced category management—and the future of case-ready meat. Group vice president of consumer products, John Lea, who oversees Tyson’s sales to retail and club stores, believes fixed-weight packaging offers revolutionary benefits for Tyson, for retailers, and for consumers.

“There are very few initiatives that come along that have so many advantages for the manufacturer, the retailer, and consumers,” says Lea. “I expect to see a fast progression of this concept across the retailer community, not just for poultry, but for many protein products.”

What’s special about this way of packaging is that the precise net weight of a pack’s contents is determined by the packer. Rather than filling pieces into a tray and pricing them according to the random weight, Tyson puts a predetermined weight in every pack.

This is a distinct departure from the traditional approach of random-weight packages where each is weighed and priced according to its weight. Fractional differences in weights equate to price differences of pennies at retail, which creates a confusing variety of packs.

The fixed-weight approach brings a variety of benefits, says Lea. For consumers, he points out, it means package-to-package and store-to-store-consistency. “Consumers receive a known portion cost on the product just as they would on frozen food or any product sold in net weight form. That way, every time they come to the store that package or price is not different solely based on its random weight.”

For Tyson and its retailers like Wal-Mart, the bar coded and scannable packs represent numerous benefits and enormous potential, says Lea. For example, shipments and product assortments can be tailored to the specific demographics of a particular location.

The secret: scannability

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