Chiquita Bananas Using Landec's Packaging Technology to Be Sold by Core-Mark International Throughout North America
Goal to Reach More Than 5,000 Outlets by Year-End.
22/02/06 MENLO PARK, Calif. -- After successfully concluding tests at more than 200 C-stores, Chiquita and Core-Mark have a goal to expand the reach of premium Chiquita bananas to more than 5,000 retail locations in dozens of states by calendar year-end.
"This arrangement is a good example of how we are executing our strategy to better meet consumer needs for convenient, healthy and great-tasting food," said Fernando Aguirre, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Chiquita. "Premium single-serve Chiquita bananas meet the consumer's desire for quality and freshness in the convenience store channel. Retailers benefit by being able to offer ready-to-eat healthy snacks with better margins and a longer shelf life. Chiquita benefits because C-store sales provide incremental profitable growth."
"We are very excited about the opportunity to partner with Chiquita and provide a premium banana offering to our customers utilizing the new packaging technology," said Mike Walsh, Chief Executive Officer of Core-Mark. "This is another example of how Core-Mark is able to bring unique product and marketing solutions to the convenience retailing channel. We are confident this offer will resonate with convenience store consumers and will help our customers grow their sales profitably."
A joint technology development and supply agreement reached in September 2004 between Chiquita and Landec was a key enabler to this distribution arrangement with Core-Mark. Chiquita is using Landec's patented packaging technology to keep single bananas at the ready-to-eat stage required in immediate-consumption outlets. By extending the shelf life of bananas, new retail locations, such as C-stores, can now offer consistently high-quality Chiquita bananas.
"This collaboration between Chiquita and Core-Mark using our banana packaging technology demonstrates that our BreatheWay(TM) packaging technology extends the shelf-life of bananas and allows bananas to be sold nationally through non-traditional banana outlets such as convenience stores. With Chiquita's brand recognition, Core-Mark's distribution capabilities and Landec's proprietary packaging technology, we look forward to further expanding and accelerating our banana packaging program," stated Gary Steele, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Landec Corporation.
