The EEASY Lid continues to expand its shelf presence. We are excited to share the news that CCT’s patented EEASY Lid hit store shelves last week across 250+ New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania grocery stores atop jars of Guglielmo’s Sauce. Fans of this tasty sauce will find its jars much easier to open – up to 50% easier – thanks to the EEASY Lid.  

 

New York-based Guglielmo’s sauce is produced by Craft Cannery, a co-packer that has converted its production line to exclusively use the 63 mm aluminum lug EEASY Lid. Craft Cannery also uses the EEASY Lid for Boyer’s Food Markets’ in-house pasta sauce brand, available in all 19 of this grocer’s Pennsylvania stores. 

 

Consumers in the area can find jars of the EEASY Lid equipped Guglielmo’s Sauce at Wegmans, Stop & Shop, Tops Friendly Markets and Price Chopper. 

 

Commenting in a press release announcing this news, Paul Guglielmo, owner of Guglielmo’s and CEO of Craft Cannery, said: “At Guglielmo’s, our focus goes beyond just the quality of our sauce – customer service is a top priority, and that includes accessible packaging for our customers,” said Guglielmo. “With the EEASY Lid, our sauce becomes inclusive to all customers. There’s nothing else like it on the market.” 

 

In development for eight years, the software designed EEASY Lid is a game changer when it comes to making the packaging of jarred foods more accessible. With the EEASY Lid, the elderly and those with disabilities or physical limitations can easily open jars by simply pressing the button on the lid to release the vacuum seal. The EEASY Lid is an appealing packaging innovation for anyone (and that is pretty much everyone) who has ever struggled to open a stubborn jar lid.  

 

Made of aluminum, the EEASY Lid is also sustainable packaging designed for a circular economy.  

 

Improving the consumer experience with the accessible, sustainable EEASY Lid translates into increased sales and brand loyalty for manufacturers and stores. When Boyer’s Food Markets became the first supermarket chain to offer the EEASY Lid on its new Boyer’s brand pasta sauce line in October, sales of these sauces more than doubled compared to a private label brand occupying the same shelf space during the same time period the previous year.  

 

We’re looking forward to the EEASY Lid topping more jarred products and lining store shelves across the globe. Stay tuned! 

 

For consumers: Don’t see the EEASY Lid topping your favorite jarred products? Ask manufacturers to adopt the EEASY Lid and ask stores to stock shelves with EEASY Lid jarred products.  

 

For manufacturers and stores: Want to drive more sales and increase market share? Contact us today to get the EEASY Lid on your jarred products. 

National and international media coverage continues to shine a spotlight on CCT and the EEASY Lid. One of the most exciting pieces of recent coverage appeared in Forbes last month. Forbes is a global media outlet which focuses on news and information about business, investing, technology, entrepreneurship, and leadership.

 

In the article headlined “Why CCT Is Working To ‘Say Goodbye To Hard-To-Open Lids’ With Accessible EEASY Lid Tech,” Forbes contributor Steven Aquino interviewed CCT president Brandon Bach to get the answer.  

Brandon explained that the EEASY Lid has been in research and development for the last eight years and discussed the large addressable market for this packaging. This market includes the over 100 million Americans identifying as having some sort of disability, the elderly and people suffering from illness or injury – all people who would truly appreciate an innovative product like the EEASY Lid. 

 

Aquino writes “the majority of people likely would look at CCT’s gadget and deem it convenient; while this is true, it’s a mistake to conflate sheer convenience with accessibility. The EEASY Lid may be more convenient to open, sure, but it may also be a lifeline for those who can’t open things easily, if at all.” 

 

The article highlighted that much of the EEASY Lid’s success to date “has come from good old-fashioned word-of-mouth advertising, where buyers are excitedly sharing the news about the product with family and/or friends who may find it useful themselves.”  

 

CCT’s future plans – including continuing to push toward further commercialization of the EEASY Lid while investigating other avenues for expansion – were outlined in the piece. Brandon noted that CCT is hoping to raise the product’s awareness globally, with grocers being interested in carrying the EEASY Lid in their stores. He also noted that CCT plans to experiment with different size lids to accommodate different containers.  

 

Aquino concluded that “all told, Bach is heartened and encouraged by the reception his company’s work has garnered thus far. It portends a bright future for an organization that looks at assistive technologies in a unique way.” 

 

This Forbes coverage included a photo of the EEASY Lid and a link to CCT’s explainer video.  

 

Read the full article here. 

 

CCT entered the national spotlight again when Forbes contributor Aquino mentioned the company in an article highlighting new Reyhee scooter technology. Wrapping up the article, Aquino advanced the concept that while scooters may not be as exciting or technically interesting as, say, an iPhone or a MacBook, they are nonetheless important. Relating this concept to the EEASY Lid and referencing his article on CCT, Aquino wrote “this concept was recently explored in this space. I published an interview last month with Brandon Bach, president of Consumer Convenience Technologies, or CCT, about the company’s innovative EEASY Lid for jars. Like scooters and wheelchairs, accessible packaging may be unsexy but essential; notably, they’re key accommodations that help society foster empathy and inclusivity.”  

 

CCT’s media coverage momentum continued with an article appearing on the Associated New York State Food Processors (ANYSFP) website. Entitled “ANYSFP Members Team Up to Provide Accessible Options for Consumers,” the article described the EEASY Lid as a packaging innovation “designed to help brands provide an unprecedented level of accessibility to their jarred food products.”  

 

The article also noted that the EEASY Lid provides “the high-performance packaging protection food manufacturers need to ensure the highest quality, safety and integrity of their jarred products.” Underscoring this point, the article referenced “rigorous testing by the Cornell University Department of Food Science which confirms that the EEASY Lid ensures the safety and stability of food products hot-filled into glass containers, providing a stable hermetic seal.” 

 

Detailing the success of the EEASY Lid on Pennsylvania-based Boyer’s Food Markets new Boyer’s brand pasta sauce line, the article reported that during the first three months on shelves, Boyer’s products with the EEASY Lid more than doubled the sales (104% increase) of a comparable private label brand occupying the same shelf space during the same period last year.  

 

Read the full article here. 

 

On the international front, Packaging Europe mentioned the EEASY Lid – “reportedly reducing the torque needed to twist it open by 40% compared to standard continuous thread lids, resulting in a more accessible design.” 

  

Rounding out recent CCT media coverage, an article in Beauty Packaging examined the shift toward accessibility and sustainability in cosmetic packaging and highlighted CCT’s work “on a lid that eliminates the tough twist caused by the vacuum seal, with a push-down button to release the seal.” 

 

The EEASY Lid will soon be available in an additional 250 stores across New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. As the spotlight continues to shine on CCT and the EEASY Lid, watch this space for updates on the latest news and developments. 

Private label brands are increasingly becoming staples in consumer pantries. According to a report from IRI, 99.7% of U.S. households purchase store brands. Food and beverage products are categories where store brands are capturing a growing share of wallet.

Shoppers contending with inflationary pressures are fueling the growth of private label brands. Today, an increasing number of cost-conscious consumers are seeking out more competitively priced store brands to stretch their grocery dollar.

From pasta sauce to salsa to peanut butter and bread, store brands are providing consumers with high quality products at substantial savings. Research conducted by Consumer Reports found that store brands typically cost 5 to 72% less per serving than the name brands. The cost savings and quality are two major factors increasing store brand popularity.

Data provided exclusively to PLMA by IRI shows a record-breaking year for store brands. According to this data, store brand sales in 2022 reached $228.6 billion, an increase of $23 billion over the prior year. Overall dollar sales grew by 11.3%, nearly doubling national brands’ 6% increase for the 52-week period ending January 1, 2023.

As the popularity of private label products continues on an upward trajectory, retailers are looking to continue to drive sales of store branded products by enhancing the consumer experience. One of the ways they are doing this is by making product packaging more accessible and sustainable.

Last year, Boyer’s Food Markets selected the EEASY Lid to enhance consumer experience with their new in-house line of pasta sauces. Available in all 19 Boyer’s Food Markets stores across Pennsylvania, these new sauces are topped by the EEASY Lid to provide a frustration-free jar opening experience for consumers.

This year, a growing number of brands are selecting the EEASY Lid to offer a better consumer experience through more accessible, sustainable packaging. In fact, consumers in the New York area will soon see the EEASY Lid hitting store shelves in four grocery store chains across the region. Announcement coming soon – stay tuned!

Lightweight packaging solutions are becoming the packaging of choice for brands looking to reduce costs, increase sustainability and enhance customer loyalty as consumers seek sustainable products. Packaging innovations hitting the market today like the EEASY Lid are designed to do all of that, raising the bar on sustainability, durability, and performance. 

 

Adopting lightweight packaging made of sustainable materials designed to safely protect products can position brands to capture an increasing share of wallet from consumers who are intentionally searching for environmentally friendly products on grocery store shelves. In fact, a 2021 survey found that globally, 85% of people indicate that they have shifted their purchase behavior towards being more sustainable in the past five years.  

 

It’s not only consumers who are demanding lightweight packaging. There is increasing demand for this type of packaging from fast moving consumer goods companies (FMCGs) looking to increase shipping efficiency and reduce transportation costs. These FMCG companies are also turning to lightweight packaging to align with sustainability commitments. Lighter weight packaging helps contribute to a company’s sustainability story, actively reducing environmental impact by lowering transport emissions. 

 

As consumer and commercial demand for lightweight packaging continues to increase, innovative packaging solutions are hitting the market to meet this demand. The software designed EEASY Lid is one stand out packaging innovation gaining traction in the market for being lightweight, sustainable and accessible. 

 

Made of recyclable aluminum, the EEASY Lid is much lighter in weight than traditional steel jar lids. How much lighter? Let’s do the math: 

 

Traditional Steel Lids: 9.62 grams/lid x 1,300/lids per box = 27.6 pounds

EEASY Lids: 6.15 grams/lid x 1,300/lids per box = 17.6 pounds 
 

Using these weights for steel lids and EEASY Lids, we can calculate that one pallet of 40 boxes of EEASY Lids weights 400 pounds less than the same pallet of traditional steel jar lids. Extending this calculation to ten pallets with 40 boxes in each pallet, the EEASY Lid comes in at 10,000 pounds lighter than steel jar lids. 

 

Put more simply, the EEASY Lid is 57% lighter than traditional steel jar lids.  

 

It doesn’t take a math whiz to see that the EEASY Lid equals lightweight packaging that consumers want, and brands need. 

 

Contact us today to find out how the EEASY Lid can help your brand reap all the benefits of the lighter side of packaging.

World Cancer Day, observed each year on February 4, is a global initiative led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to raise worldwide awareness of cancer detection, prevention and treatment and catalyze personal, collective and government action aimed at reducing the global impact of cancer.

This year marks the second phase of the “Close the Gap” World Cancer Day campaign theme, which kicked off in 2022. The focus of this phase is to recognize the power of working together and “is all about celebrating progress in its many forms that enable more people to seek and receive the care they need and deserve.”

 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) between 30-50% of all cancer cases are preventable. World Cancer Day serves as a reminder to all of us to take steps every day to reduce our risk of cancer. Eating a nutritious diet, exercising regularly, using sunscreen and following through on doctor recommended cancer screenings are just some of the important things we can do to help prevent cancer.

As we commemorate World Cancer Day, we can also commit to supporting this initiative by talking to family and friends about the importance of cancer prevention, detection and treatment and becoming more educated about the causes and risk factors of different types of cancer.

For the packaging industry, this day highlights the significant need for accessible packaging. People fighting illnesses such as cancer often don’t have the strength to tear open a package or unscrew a jar lid. While products should be easy to open for people of all abilities, this is especially critical for helping people suffering from illnesses like cancer.

As we have mentioned in previous blog posts, the impetus for creating the EEASY Lid was a question raised by someone undergoing cancer treatments about why jar lids were so hard to open. That question launched CCT on an eight-year journey to develop the EEASY Lid and make jars easier to open.

While World Cancer Day is one important day on the calendar, people are fighting cancer every day. Packaging can and should be accessible to make the routine task of opening products easier for them and everyone. Brands need to step up to the plate to make this happen.

On World Cancer Day, and every day, it is important to recognize that we all have an important role to play in progressing toward a cancer-free world. For information and ideas on how you can help raise awareness and create change, visit https://www.worldcancerday.org/take-action. 

Companies are increasingly working to make their products and packaging easier to use for the estimated one billion people – 15% of the world’s population – who have some type of disability. According to data from analyst firm Forrester, 60% of companies now have an executive-mandated commitment to creating accessible products.

Recent developments show that brands are making strides toward delivering on these accessibility commitments. Some of the companies most recently making news in this area include:

Comcast
Calling it an industry first, Comcast introduced a remote which combines Xfinity’s Voice Remote technology with accessibility features that create a better experience for people with vision, mobility, and dexterity impairments. Some of the features designed to enhance the accessibility of the remote include large backlit buttons and increased font size on all the remote’s buttons to increase visibility and readability, a removable wrist strap for more precise handling and control, and an elevated, flat-back design to increase stability when the remote is used on a flat surface like a wheelchair tray.

Kellogg
Following a successful pilot in Europe, Kellogg announced last month that the company would be incorporating NaviLens technology onto the packaging of four of its cereal brands in the United States. The accessibility feature, designed to help empower blind and low vision consumers, will be incorporated on the front and side of these cereal boxes. According to the company, the NaviLens optical smart code comprised of high-contrast colorful squares on a black background can be detected and read by the NaviLens and NaviLens GO apps. The company also noted that “with the apps, consumers can locate the boxes from several feet away, navigate to them, and hear their names, package sizes, and nutritional information. The apps can communicate this information in up to 36 languages.” Consumers will find the technology on Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, Special K Original, Rice Krispies, and Crispix.

Microsoft/Haleon
Global consumer health company Haleon and Microsoft Corp. announced a collaboration “to make everyday health more accessible for people who are blind, have low vision or have difficulty reading product labels due to low literacy.” According to a press release on the partnership, the Microsoft Seeing AI app will provide consumers with more detailed labelling information for over 1,500 Haleon products across the U.S. and U.K. Through the Seeing AI app, scanning the barcode on these Haleon products, will allow consumers to hear packaging information such as product name, ingredients and usage instructions.

As brands like these work to deliver on accessibility commitments, it is not only the products themselves that are being reimagined for accessibility but the packaging as well. Packaging design is a major factor contributing to a product’s accessibility. There is no doubt that a more accessible product is one that creates a wholistic, accessible experience from package opening to product usage. That’s the accessibility experience brands should be offering but is sadly lacking especially when it comes to jarred products. The reality is that jarred items remain hard to open for people of all ages and abilities. As consumers struggle daily to open stubborn jar lids, they continue to resort to dangerous hacks to access products.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

The EEASY Lid is a software designed packaging innovation that helps brands create a truly accessible experience for everyone. With a simple push of a button, the EEASY Lid releases the vacuum seal on jars, making them up to 50% easier to open. Just push, twist and open.

Easy to open and simple to use, the EEASY Lid creates the accessible experience consumers want and need. Brands that offer this experience deliver on important commitments to accessibility while building loyalty and expanding market share. That’s a win/win for companies and consumers.

Contact us today to learn more.

Eco-conscious consumers are holding companies more accountable than ever for sustainability in products and packaging. Brands are seeing sustainability elevated to a competitive differentiator as consumers increasingly make purchase decisions aligned with their values. In effort to capture share of wallet, companies across the globe are touting the eco-friendly attributes of their products.

As companies continue to barrage consumers with sustainability claims, consumers are examining these claims for signs of greenwashing (defined as when a company makes claims to persuade people that they are doing more to protect the environment than they really are). To stand up to that scrutiny and avoid greenwashing, brands must ensure they are communicating transparently and truthfully about the sustainable attributes of their products and packaging.

Today, consumers want just the facts when it comes to the sustainability story behind products and packaging so they can align their considerable purchasing power behind truly sustainable brands. A survey by Capterra found that a majority of consumers (88%) check the sustainability of a product before at least some purchases. Sustainability factors such as product material and packaging were rated as the most common aspects consumers check for while shopping. The survey also found that “consumers primarily value sustainability in products that are easy to consume and discard. Across all categories surveyed, the highest number of consumers said that sustainability is a top consideration in food and drinks (60%).”

Shoppers are also willing to pay more for sustainably branded products. A 2022 study by IBM’s Institute for Business Value revealed that 49% of consumers indicated they’ve paid a premium – an average of 59% more – for products branded as sustainable or socially responsible in the last 12 months.

As eco-friendly claims by companies become more ubiquitous, educating consumers about the sustainability attributes of products and packaging is critical for maintaining consumer trust. More needs to be done to increase transparency and help consumers understand the facts behind sustainability claims. Packaging Europe recently reported on a survey from sustainability marketing technology company Provenance that revealed only 30% of consumers find it easy to understand the reasoning behind brands’ waste and recycling claims. The publication noted that “on-pack instruction, such as a sentence or two about how and where to recycle, is generally well-received by consumers.”

As more companies tout their eco-friendly products to align with consumer preferences for sustainability, brands will need to avoid greenwashing by clearly and factually articulating their green credentials.

Made of aluminum, CCT’s EEASY Lid can help brands reduce their environmental impact and contribute to a company’s sustainability story.

• Aluminum is easily and infinitely recyclable without a significant reduction in the integrity of the material
• Consumers are very familiar with recycling aluminum which has been called America’s most successful recycling story
• Aluminum recycling programs are available across the globe, which eliminates the requirement of shipping the material out for recycling
• Weighing less by volume than other metals, packaging made of aluminum reduces fuel consumption and produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions in transport than heavier and larger packaging

Contact us today to find out how the EEASY Lid can help build on the environmentally friendly attributes of your product portfolio.

CCT closed out 2022 with some exciting news. After the first 12 weeks on store shelves in Boyer’s Food Markets, the EEASY Lid increased sales of Boyer’s private label pasta sauce brand by 104% (in comparison to a similar private label brand in the same shelf space during the same period last year)!

Riding this high and looking to further expand EEASY Lid availability to consumers, CCT kicked off the new year on the road, traveling to the 2023 Winter Fancy Food Show in Las Vegas.

Held January 15-17 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the show is the largest B2B specialty food event in the western U.S., featuring thousands of specialty food and beverage products from around the world.

Open to qualified members of the trade, the Winter Fancy Food show attracted over 1,100 exhibitors and thousands of buyers, retailers, brokers, and distributors. At the show, CCT demonstrated how the EEASY Lid helps brands provide an unprecedented level of accessibility to their jarred food products, allowing consumers to vent a jar with a simple press of a button, reducing the amount of torque needed to twist off the lid by up to 50%. The first jar lid innovation in over 75 years and the world’s first aluminum lug lid, the EEASY Lid drew lots of interest from buyers looking for the latest innovations in accessible, sustainable packaging.

Our EEASY Lid was on display in the New Products Showcase, giving show attendees a look at one the hottest innovations in packaging. Key buyers, members of the trade press and representatives of top U.S. and international brands had an opportunity to see the EEASY Lid in action and learn how embedding accessibility and sustainability into packaging increases sales.

With heightened demand for innovative packaging that can increase accessibility and communicate sustainability, the CCT booth was a hub of activity throughout the three-day show, attracting interest from leading U.S. and international brands and retailers.

The opportunity to connect with these buyers and develop new business relationships at the Winter Fancy Food Show was a great way to kick off 2023. This year promises to be a busy one as more and more major grocers, brands and manufacturers make the accessible, sustainable EEASY Lid the jar lid of choice for packaging their products.

Stay tuned!

National Spaghetti Day, celebrated every year on January 4, pays homage to one of the most popular dishes in the U.S. and other parts of the world. Americans consume over 19 pounds of pasta per person per year, and according to a survey by the National Pasta Association, 86% of respondents said they eat pasta at least once a week. Topping all of that pasta is a whole lot of pasta sauce. This appetite for pasta across the globe is fueling the growth of the pasta sauce market.

A recent market research report projected that the pasta sauce market, which was valued at $14.8 billion in 2021, will reach $21.5 billion by 2030, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.7% from 2022 to 2030. The report noted that innovations in product packaging such as the EEASY Lid “could also provide opportunities to the players operating in this market as packaging influences the buying behavior of the consumers.” The report highlighted Boyer’s Food Markets’ February 2020 successful test run of the EEASY Lid on Darci’s pasta sauce, which allowed consumers to easily open these jars with just a push of a button.

There is no doubt U.S. consumers love pasta sauce, with data showing that 269.62 million Americans used spaghetti/pasta sauce in 2020 – a figure that is projected to increase to 276.84 million in 2024. When it comes to pasta sauce, most everyone has a favorite or several favorites. The editors at Delish recommended 11 store brand favorites, curating the following list last year of their favorite pasta sauces in different categories:

• Best-Ever Marinara: Rao’s Homemade
• Best Budget Jar: Whole Foods 365
• Best Flavored Marinara: La San Marzano
• Best Low-Sodium Option: Trader Joe’s Organic
• Best To Build Flavor: Newman’s Own
• Best For Authenticity: The Meatball Shop
• Best Vodka Sauce: Il Mulino
• Best For Meatballs: Buitoni
• Best For Pizza: Bertolli
• Best For Parmesan Chicken: Mezzetta
• Best For Dipping: Victoria

At CCT, our favorite pasta sauces (and we admit to being biased) are Boyer’s Food Markets’ new line of in-house pasta sauces topped with the EEASY Lid. The new line of pasta sauces are available in all 19 Boyer’s Food Markets stores across Pennsylvania. Boyer’s selected the EEASY Lid to package its signature line of pasta sauces to enhance the consumer product experience by putting an end to the frustration of opening stubborn jar lids.

Brands that want to do the same should contact us today to find out how the EEASY Lid not only enhances the consumer experience but increases market share. Consumers who want pasta sauce jars that are easy to open should contact brands to request the EEASY Lid on their favorite pasta sauces.

We’re looking forward to spending 2023 working to expand the availability of accessible packaging across the nation – watch this space for developments!

It’s almost time to say goodbye to 2022 and hello to 2023. As we near the end of another year, let’s take a look at some of the important events and accomplishments that made 2022 a landmark year for CCT.  

 In January, CCT expanded capabilities to include packaging line assessments. Two packaging industry veterans with a combined 70+ years of experience in the industry began providing diagnostic production line tests aimed at assessing production lines and identifying the right equipment and processes to help suppliers adopt the EEASY Lid.  

 CCT hit the road in May to introduce the aluminum lug version of the EEASY Lid – the world’s first aluminum lug jar lid – to the European market at the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) World of Private Label international trade show. Held in Amsterdam, the EEASY Lid was on display at the trade show’s New Product Expo where 15,000 retail and wholesale decision makers and buyers from around the world had the opportunity to get an up-close look at the innovative jar lid technology that is boosting private label brand sales for grocers like Pennsylvania-based Boyer’s Food Markets.  

CCT was on the road again in June at the Summer Fancy Food Show held at the Javits Center in New York City. This event allowed CCT to showcase the EEASY Lid to an audience of national and international buyers in the specialty food and beverage market. Show attendees got a first-hand look at how this innovative consumer packaging product improves the jar opening experience for consumers and gives brands the opportunity to enhance sustainability practices.   

 October was another exciting month as the EEASY Lid made its official debut on Boyer’s Food Markets’ new in-house pasta sauce line available in all 19 of its stores across Pennsylvania. On October 12, Boyer’s customers became the first in the nation to experience the breakthrough jar lid technology that makes jars up to 50% easier to open. Boyer’s selected the EEASY Lid to package its signature line of pasta sauces to enhance the consumer product experience by putting an end to the frustration of opening stubborn jar lids. 

In November, the CCT team traveled to Chicago to showcase the EEASY Lid at the PLMA trade show and new product expo – the largest store brands event in North America.  The EEASY Lid was one of the standout innovations at the show, capturing attention for its innovative, sustainable and accessible design.  

 Throughout the year, the EEASY Lid was highlighted in packaging industry trade publications, mainstream media and over the airwaves. The media outlets covering the EEASY Lid included Today’s Grocer, Progressive Grocer, Packaging Insights, Packaging Europe, Packaging Journal, Sustainable Packaging News, Packaging Technology Today, Trend Hunter, Daily Local News, WOFL-TV, and WMFZ-TV to name a few.  

 As we say goodbye to 2022 and hello to 2023, we are looking forward to building on our progress in the key areas of helping brands deliver on sustainability, making packaging more inclusive and accessible, and increasing our market to make hard to open jars a thing of the past.  

We wish everyone a healthy and happy holiday season filled with joy and we look forward to connecting with you in the New Year.