Invest in good packaging, Zimtrade tells exporters
NATIONAL Trade Development and Promotion body, ZimTrade has implored local companies to invest in good packaging to enhance their competitive advantage in export markets.
Zimbabwe offers a substantial number of products to the regional, international export market and poor packaging is one of the barriers hindering an effective export economy.
The country remains challenged with primal packaging standards which comprise the attractiveness of local produce in regional and international markets, given the fast-paced trends in the branding and packaging segment.
According to ZimTrade looking at packaging standards from other countries like South Africa, China and some developed countries, Zimbabwe lags behind in terms of information asymmetry between the producing and packaging companies.
“We have realised the importance of packaging when entering the export market, packaging is a fundamental element of value addition on a product that takes it from being ordinary to making it top of the choice-list of the consumer.
“Food product designers must create packaging that is appealing, and while it might seem di‑cult, many have created packaging that is original and engages the consumer,” said ZimTrade.
ZimTrade has been on a drive to develop packaging standards domestically so as to improve local products competitiveness and visibility on the international market.
To improve the local companies packaging standards ZimTrade says it has entered into partnership with the European Union (UN), COMESA, and federation of master printers.
Thus, regardless of cost or market, Zimbabwean companies have been urged to consider improving on their brands so that they create an indelible image in the minds of global consumers to achieve a more sustainable export revenue stream.
Despite lagging behind in the area of branding and packaging some major manufacturers have come up with creative ways to print and produce packages inexpensively.
This comes on the back of a European Union initiative which was convened in 2016 which identified packaging as one of the important areas that needed to be addressed to make Zimbabwean exports competitive.
Packaging is important in marketing a product as it makes the product to stand out from the shelf and two thirds of people say that the packaging has an effect on their buying decisions
A good packaging is fit-for-purpose, protects its content, saves resources and minimizes its carbon footprint by using energy efficient mode of production and sustainably sourced raw materials.-ebusinessweeklyco.zw
