Maglio & Co announces the completion of a successful new product pilot programme evaluating their patented, retail watermelon bags.
Over the last three months, Maglio partnered with a well-known national retailer to test the bags in 300 stores throughout a substantial cross section of the US market.
Melon sales with this offering were brisk even in the late fall and early winter season, confirming the strength of the value proposition to the consumer, and the test was so successful it earned full endorsement by the National Watermelon Association.
Maglio’s cut watermelon programme includes two gusset bag designs custom sized for quarter-cut and half-cut sliced watermelon. The bags have a large window area to allow consumers easy view of the fruit quality before purchasing.
The patent-pending design utilises special properties of bag film to keep the fruit fresh for an extended period of time – up to 11 days from the date of cutting and packaging – as compared to three days with conventional plastic overwrap methods.
Aside from the extended shelf-life, the benefits for consumers include a convenient carry handle, a compact, resealable storage bag to use at home, and the ability to purchase only the amount of watermelon they need.
“We are so pleased that consumers are responding so favourably to this product line,” said Sam Maglio, president of Maglio & Company. “We knew that there was tremendous opportunity to introduce innovation into the watermelon category and began exploring this packaging design over a year ago. After many iterations and tests, we were certain that we landed on a solution that consumers would find incredibly valuable. After seeing how well the pilot test has done, we are even more excited to introduce this product line to all of our retail partners.”
With today’s announcement of this successful product test, Maglio & Co is making plans to roll out the current program to multiple retail formats utilising its strategically located fresh-cut facilities. Additionally, the company is working on a proprietary extension to the product line in the next several months.
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