For the family-owned retailer Schnuck Markets, Inc., providing a great customer experience is everything. "There’s a good reason why our customers are loyal," explains Mike Tipton, Vice President of Produce ​&​​ ​Floral at Schnuck Markets, Inc. "We ​put our customers first.​​​ ​Our ​commitment ​includes ​offer​ing​ affordable, high-quality ​and ​nutritious food in an even more sustainable way."

This ambitious goal brought Schnucks, now one of the largest privately-owned grocers in the US, to IFCO and led to a partnership that was focused on freeing up the teammates in the stores so they would be able to continue to prioritize providing the best service for customers across the American Midwest, where the retailer operates more than 100 stores in the states of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.

At the same time, IFCO supported the fresh produce and floral team to build sustainable solutions into their operations.

"As the pioneer in sustainable packaging solutions for fresh products, IFCO brought the expertise to the table that we needed to transform our operations in fresh produce with a focus on sustainability," notes Tipton. "And they did this in the most cost-efficient way without disrupting our day-to-day operations. By partnering with IFCO, we now have a cost-effective packaging solution that eliminates waste and ​supports our teammates​. ​T​he IFCO innovative circular model secures sustainability wins, while helping us provide the freshest produce possible to our customers."

How reusable packaging addresses multiple issues

"Never underestimate the role of packaging in creating a sustainable fresh grocery supply chain," says Jonathan Brooks, Vice President Retail Sales North America at IFCO. "With a circular model for packaging, you can boost sustainability and address multiple common supply chain inefficiencies at the same time. In fact, when done right, increased sustainability for retailers is cost-effective. Our partnership with Schnucks confirms there’s a better, more sustainable and cost-efficient way."

Even if retailers decide not to take advantage of the the cost-efficiency benefits of using RPCs are still compelling. The "one-touch" system means that producers pack the fresh products into the RPCs on the farm and then, at the retailers, the RPC is placed directly on display. It’s a time-saving feature. As there’s no handling or stacking of products at the point of sale (POS), the "one-touch" system also reduces the possibility of product damage. However, as is the case with Schnucks, stores see significant ​benefits to workflows​ by switching to IFCO RPCs without adopting the "one-touch" system

How do reusable packaging containers improve customer service?

The sturdier, robust and more protective structure and design of IFCO reusable packaging containers (RPCs) not only bring environmental benefits. As they support the teammates at Schnucks to prioritize customers. As the teammates now spend less time handling single-use packaging waste, they have a lot more time to spend with customers.

As IFCO RPCs are specifically designed to simplify and speed up workflows along the supply chain, customers can enjoy a more personalized service. Brooks has more details. "As single-use packaging comes in different sizes and strengths, teams often struggle with unstable pallets. The ripple effect is costly and time-consuming," highlights Brooks. "Employees end up having to restack collapsed pallets, for instance, while also dealing with single-use packaging waste and food waste."

So, how did the IFCO and Schnucks team work together to achieve such impressive results?

What does a pilot trial with IFCO RPCs involve?

This collaboration took the form of a pilot trial using the IFCO Black Lift Lock to transport some of the most delicate fresh products on the shelves at Schnucks stores, namely fresh leafy greens and broccoli.

In the case of broccoli, it’s no secret in the industry that transporting this fresh vegetable is tricky. Typically, broccoli is harvested, top-iced and refrigerated to preserve quality and shelf life. When single-use packaging is used for broccoli, however, the humid conditions can result in weakened boxes, which leads to damaged products, waste and a heavier workload at distribution centers and grocery stores. The IFCO Black Lift Lock is specifically designed to avoid these issues.

Pilot confirms quality, efficiency and sustainability wins

As well as being the more sustainable option, the IFCO Black Lift Lock offers the best possible protection for fresh vegetables and fruit during transportation. And it’s also the most time-saving packaging option for all steps of the fresh grocery supply chain.

The circular model for packaging for fresh produce is the future

By taking a holistic view of Schnuck’s fresh grocery supply chain and carrying out pilot trials with IFCO RPCs, the IFCO team provided important insights into the daily operations that impact sustainability goals and supply chain efficiency.

The pilot trials successfully identified specific and timely measures that bring the necessary sustainability gains without disrupting the integrity of the supply chain or upsetting the customer experience. As a result, Schnucks is aiming to extend the use of IFCO RPCs in other fresh product categories, in addition to leafy greens and broccoli.

​​"​Our partnership with IFCO benefits our customers in multiple ways. By switching to IFCO RPCs our teammates have more time to focus on providing the excellent service our customers have come to expect from us. And the IFCO RPCs protects product quality," confirms Tipton. "What’s more, we’re impressed by the smooth transition to reusable packaging containers and the sustainability gains that IFCO’s circular model secures for our fresh produce categories."