First impressions: specialty containers are literally changing the face of the candy business. Suppliers reveal what's selling best, and why.(Packaging Report)

SPECIALTY packaging suppliers are providing all-in-one co-packing solutions and adding ways to ensure your products are noticed quickly on-shelf, including embossing and specialty printing.

J. Anthony Petrelli, vice-president of marketing and business development for packaging supplier Caraustar, says: "What we're finding is that there's more being done than just normal, high-quality printing. There's more use of UV inks and coatings, foil stampings, hologram laminations and foil paperboards to really make the product pop off the shelf."

He says that whereas these technologies are not necessarily new, they have typically been expensive and not popular with confectioners--but that is changing.

"We're seeing a lot of requests for things that, in the past, manufacturers said were too expensive," he says. "But now they're doing it because they really want that instant recognition on the shelf and to stimulate that impulse buy."

Tray-Pak Corp. President and CEO Scott Bestwick says: "To some degree, there's an interest in play value of the packaging, and 'wow value' of the packaging, which is where we're seeing more interest in colors--bright colors. Anything they can do to get noticed on the shelf."

Reid Chase, co-owner of Cody-Kramer Imports, says: "A box is really a box, whether it's one shape or another--it's really the graphics on it." He adds Cody-Kramer has two "phenomenally talented" in-house artists to help manufacturers design specialty packaging.

He cites small tins the company sources for many large retailers, including CVS, Rite Aid, Target, Eckerd and Walgreens, adding: "A lot of people might have the same type of tin, but we can change the artwork, do embossing or dome a tin, for example. Even though two retailers have a similar tin, they will look completely different."

It's not just tins, either, Chase says. "We develop exclusive brands for specific retailers," he says. "If it's a drug chain, for example, people aren't going to give a gift box of chocolates that has the drug chain name on it. But they will give a box of chocolate if …