Monday, June 21, 2010

It's Not Rocket Science, People



I always have at least two kinds of cereal on hand, so I'm a bit of an authority on the dynamics of cereal box packaging.
Most of us know the flimsy little closure tab on top of the box is worthless, especially when the box bulges when you have to roll the top of the inner bag to keep things fresh.
My burning question is this: why can't the cereal companies use a Ziplock to close the inner bag? How much more could it possibly cost the cereal companies, when it's obvious the cereal would keep much longer and make consumers happier?
Besides, we all know they'd pass on the extra cost to the consumer, so what's the problem?
Sheesh!

8 comments:

Yellehs said...

Every time I buy cereal (or cookies like ginger snaps that also come in a bag-in-a-box), I think the exact same thing. I don't buy/eat cereal often, and this is a huge part of the reason why. It can't be that hard.

Fran said...

Ok your label reminded me of a halloween costume. A kid was walking in to school wearing a Grim Reaper costume, with a giant homemade Cheerios box on his torso.
Ok Keenan-- what is your costume???
Cereal killer!

Rather than wait for General Mills to get their act together I bought a 6 pack of smaller clippy things, they have magnets on them, so you can grab one & make a bag stay closed, then stick it on the fridge when not in use.

squatlo said...

KZ, you answered your own question! If your cereal goes stale, you buy more cereal, right?
I worked for a tire company and at one point came up with a suggestion that might have added years to the life of a tire... and was promptly shut down in a meeting with the words, "Do you want to put us out of business?"
Planned obsolescence is good marketing.
I eat Honey Nut Cheerios, and as soon as we open a new box we put it in a tight seal Tupperware container. Issue solved.

bigsis said...

They don't make Ziplock items in Sri Lhanka, where Cheerios are probably being manufactured now.

Seriously, there are some perfect cereal containers out there (Container Store), sort of like pitchers but with a wide round opening to pour out your cereal. We both love cinnamon Special K so we buy 2 boxes, dump them both in the container and the cereal stays fresh, thereby foiling General Mills' diabolical plan to expedite staleness.

Distributorcap said...

hence i only eat eggs

nonnie9999 said...

why is there any need for a box at all? if they just put it in a ziploc bag, it would be cheaper and reclosable.

Yellehs said...

But then it wouldn't look all nice and pretty and box-y on the shelves, Nonnie.

Karen Zipdrive said...

Shelley, you nailed it. I don't like my cereal in plastic containers because it looks too generic. I like to line up the boxes on my special cereal shelf, like Jerry Seinfeld.