The Ultimate Packaging Zine - LeKAC Sourcing (Spring 2024)

Editor in Chief

Gabrielle Ho

Art Direction

Shane Aratia

Samneet Mann

Taylor Tran

Editors

Gabrielle Ho

Taylor Tran

Graphic Designers

Shane Aratia

Samneet Mann

Writers

Gabrielle Ho

Taylor Tran

Cover Photo

Samneet Mann

Interviewees

Franco Deleo

tre mari bakery

Toby Zhou

retea

MESSAGE FROM THE TEAM

The latest edition of our seasonal zine has blossomed! If you’re a new reader, welcome! We are a Canadian-based custom packaging company that also offers sourcing and branding services to businesses around the world. Spring signifies nature’s return and with it, we welcome our existing readers and customers to this edition!

Speaking of our existing clients, if you have a question about your order or placing another order, please contact your Business Development Consultant and they’ll be happy to help! Before we sign off, we just want to offer a final reminder that our offices are open by appointment only. This ensures that one of our consultants will be available to assist you in your custom packaging journey.

Can’t make it in to one of our offices? Our consultants are also available via phone or video call to help!

We hope you enjoy springing into this latest edition!

Sincerely,

The LeKAC Pack

WWW.LEKAC.COM

JOIN THE LEKAC PACK MAILING LIST TO KEEP UP TO DATE ON OUR UPCOMING TRADESHOWS!

Learn with Lenny!

Check out pages 20–21 to find Lenny teaching you about packaging terms you’ll find useful the next time you order custom packaging!

About Tre Mari Bakery

Founded in 1960 by Franco’s grandparents, Tre Mari has built a large customer base with its strong history. In addition to baked goods and fresh pastries, the bakery also features a deli, hot food counter and a catering service! The bakery has been a staple in Toronto’s St. Clair West neighbourhood, bringing a taste of Italy to all of their customers!

The Panettone Problem

As longtime followers of Tre Mari (read: drooling over their social media posts), we were ecstatic to meet them at last year’s SIAL Canada trade show! Tre Mari has sold panettone from other brands in store, but this was the first year the Tre Mari panettone

TRE MARI BAKERY

This past Christmas, Tre Mari began offering their own panettone imported directly from a family-owned manufacturer in Italy! We sat down with Franco Deleo, marketing manager (and oldest brother) to talk about their custom panettone packaging journey with LeKAC.

would hit shelves. The focus for this project was to create something convenient and easy to assemble. Franco also sought packaging that would make for a great host gift!

The Result

At SIAL, our custom square tulip cake box caught Franco’s eye. The box style features a handle and requires no adhesives for construction, which spoke to the convenience factor Franco was looking for. After narrowing down the box style, it was time for design! We sent a dieline for the tulip box in the appropriate dimensions, and the bakery’s preferred graphic designer got to work. The result was a contemporary design that still matched with their branding and other custom box!

Like LeKAC, green is Tre Mari’s signature colour. Franco provided our team with the bakery’s brand guide to ensure that we got the perfect match. This was of great importance, since they wanted the new packaging to fit alongside the cannoli box they already had! We considered using Pantone colours in the printing process to ensure complete colour accuracy, but ultimately didn’t need to! Prior to mass production, we received a sample of the panettone box for Tre Mari’s team to compare with their cannoli box (spoiler alert: they were a perfect match!).

When we asked Franco what his favourite part of working with LeKAC was, he said it was our communication and our customer service!

I felt like there was such an honesty and genuine feeling of wanting to make us happy [and] i felt that the whole way through. It felt like “family business”–there was a care there that I felt.

Franco Deleo, Tre Mari Bakery

Ready to get started on your own custom packaging journey? Contact us today to learn how we can help!

What’s Next for Tre Mari Bakery

Now that the holidays are over, whats’s next for Tre Mari? Franco hopes to expand their custom packaging selections for other

bakery items, as well as expanding the house and home section of their storefront. He also hopes to do more fun marketing campaigns to engage the community!

Be sure to follow Tre Mari on Instagram to keep up to date with their latest offerings, or visit them in person to snag a freshlymade treat!

TREMARI.CA

 @TREMARIBAKERY

416-654-8960

1311 St. Clair Ave W, Toronto, ON M6E 1C2

THE BAKERY SHOWCASE CANADA

650 Dixon Rd, Etobicoke, ON M9W 1J1. We’ll be in booth 823! LEKAC 2024

The first event in our trade show calendar, is the Bakery Showcase! We’ll be there showcasing some of our sweet packaging solutions for bakeries.

Come meet us May 5-6 from 11AM-5PM at the Toronto Congress Centre

FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE SHOW VISIT WWW.BAKERYSHOWCASECANADA.CA/LOCATION/TORONTO/

LEKAC 2024 TRADESHOW CIRCUIT STOP #2

SIAL CANADA

Our annual trip to SIAL Canada’s Food Innovation Show is always highly anticipated by our team. If you’re a restaurant or other kind of food business, this show is for you!

Come say hi May 15-17 at Palais des congrès de Montréal

1001 Pl. Jean-Paul-Riopelle, QC H2Z 1H5, Montréal, Canada.

Find us at booth 2354!

FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE SHOW VISIT WWW.SIALCANADA.COM

We also get a handful of free tickets to the show, so please feel free to email us if you’d like to come as a guest of LeKAC and we’ll make sure to let you know how you can claim your free tickets. See you there!

NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION SHOW

CHICAGO, IL

LeKAC’s heading to the USA!

This year, we’re attending the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago for the first time ever! We’re so excited to meet a whole new market of people and bring LeKAC across the border. The show is running from May 18-21 at McCormick Place 2301 S King Dr, Chicago, IL 60616. You can find us in booth 9829!

FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE SHOW VISIT WWW.NATIONALRESTAURANTSHOW.COM

WHY CHOOSE LEKAC?

Avoiding going custom because you think it’s too expensive or just too much effort in general?

At LeKAC, we strive for excellence across all boards. Our consultants work tirelessly to ensure the journey with us is as smooth as possible. We also work to get you the most competitive price on the market.

Customers are more likely to return to your business if they have a reminder of it - and what better way to do that than creating a memorable packaging experience? By using custom packaging, you’re also benefitting from extended publicity and brand awareness!

Best of all? You’re getting packaging that’s exactly what you want!

HOW IT WORKS

CREATING PACKAGING FOR DIGITAL NATIVES

Digital natives are individuals who have grown up surrounded by the internet. Those who fall into this demographic usually include members of Gen-Z and millennials who have had their lives shaped by access to the world wide web.

USE NFCS AND QR CODES

In a previous blog post, we talk about using NFCs to create easy ways for your customers to connect to your business. Using NFCs in your packaging can help extend your customers’ experience even after they’ve left your stores. Holding the attention of a digital native is almost as important as the product itself! If you’re looking for a more cost-effective version of the NFC, try a QR code! This gives you the same connectivity without having to incorporate additional technological components in your packaging.

According to Nimrod Kaplan, the goal of creating connected packaging is “to create a meaningful user experience that extends beyond the product itself.”

Using NFCs and QR codes can add an extra layer of connectivity to your packaging that can help create a more meaningful user experience! These are also great vessels for linking to other experiences like augmented reality.

Packaging is often a static experience. Beyond its function and initial aesthetic impact, most packaging does not allow customers to interact with the product or brand. However, by using augmented reality (AR), companies can add a digital and interactive layer to the world for the customer to explore!

Using AR can also help with creating more precise targeted advertising! This can help your brand create more refined advertising for the future, and give you insights into your customers’ behaviour. Especially with virtual reality (VR) technology advancing to become more present in our day to day lives, the world as we know it increasingly has a digital layer that many businesses have yet to unlock for themselves. Using AR is a great way to dip your toe into the digital landscape and explore how it might benefit your business! Since AR only requires a smart device, it’s more accessible to a wider range of customers than VR is!

CREATE A UNIQUE UNBOXING EXPERIENCE

Digital natives live so much of their lives online. From sharing on social media to shopping, it can all be done at the click of a few buttons. Especially since the pandemic, e-commerce traffic has been on the rise and for a digital native, the online marketplace is their main shopping domain. Creating a memorable unboxing experience for your e-commerce customers is a great way to connect with them even after they’ve left your website.

WHY SHOULD YOU CONSIDER DIGITAL NATIVES IN YOUR PACKAGING DESIGN?

Digital natives currently make up 64% of buyers globally. With technology becoming more deeply intertwined in our lives, future generations are also set to adopt the digital native lifestyle! Creating packaging that engages and connects with digital natives will be essential for attracting them as new customers.

Looking for catering or takeout packaging?

From size to printing, we can help design a box that meets your needs. Get in touch with our team to learn more about what we offer.

RETEA CLIENT SPOTLIGHT

Since 2019, Retea has been on a mission to reduce single-use plastic waste caused by the bubble tea industry one reusable cup at a time. Since then, they’ve expanded their offerings to include other products for the DIY bubble tea enthusiast.

About Retea

Retea started as a personal mission for Toby. As a bubble tea lover, she saw the amount of waste that the industry produces and sought to reduce the amount of waste she was contributing. Her search for sustainable alternatives showed a lack of suitable options for bubble tea, leading to the creation of the Retea!

Eventually, Retea pivoted towards e-commerce to reach a wider audience.

Amidst the pandemic, Toby listened to

customer feedback asking for at-home bubble tea options. This led to the creation of their DIY bubble tea kits! Since then, ReTea has also expanded to catering, offering a live bubble tea bar for events.

The Packaging Process

As Toby began expanding her inventory to include tea and other bubble tea flavours, she saw an increase in customers bundling the options together. She curated two sets that customers could purchase: The Bubble Tea Kit and the Tearista Gift Set. At first, these sets were being placed in corrugated boxes to protect their contents. However, Toby found this option bulky, especially if customers had multiple items in their order besides the sets.

She knew that this meant she needed to make a packaging switch. After an attempt

to work directly with suppliers, Toby turned to LeKAC! She first heard of us through our Marketing Specialist Taylor (hi, that’s me!) and decided to entrust us with the task. To combat the issue of bulk, we knew that our custom folding cartons were the right option for the job! These boxes are lightweight and come in a wide variety of structures and finishes, so the possibilities were endless! In addition to wanting to reduce bulk, Toby was looking for something shelf-ready that she could display at events or markets!

When it came to the design, Toby had a clear vision for the overall aesthetic of her packaging. She sent us a Pinterest board full of inspiration and a detailed document outlining what she wanted to put on each of the box’s sides. As our in-house graphic designer began executing her requests, Toby continued to fine tune the design until it was the perfect blend of professional and cute with an emphasis on sustainability.

What’s Next for Retea?

So what’s next for Retea? Overall, Toby wants to grow the business! This means more flavours, more products and accessories, and maybe even adding members to the team. Currently, ReTea is a one-woman operation; Toby handles everything from

logistics and fulfillment to marketing and customer service. Toby also revealed that she wants to open a physical space to use as a warehouse and office space!

When we asked what her favourite part of the process was, Toby revealed that it was the delivery of her custom packaging. Though the entire process overall was smooth and enjoyable, being able to hold her packaging got her the most excited. Interested in getting started on your custom packaging journey? Contact us today to find out how we can help!

Are you a bubble tea lover? Be sure to check out Retea’s website for eco-friendly bubble tea accessories and all your DIY bubble tea needs!

RETEA INC.

WWW.RETEACUPS.COM

PACKAGING MADE OF BLUEBERRIES

A SUSTAINABLE PLASTIC ALTERNATIVE

Packaging made of blueberries might seem like a far-fetched idea. The berries are small and considered a fun and healthy antioxidant rich snack, but a team at the University of British Columbia (UBC) has turned them into so much more.

WHAT IT IS

UBC’s Food Process Engineering Laboratory’s current research includes creating starch-based packaging film alternatives using “upcycled industrial waste in various fruit pomace“.

POMACE IS THE PULPY MATERIAL THAT IS LEFT OVER AFTER JUICING OR CRUSHING A FRUIT OR VEGETABLE.

They combine the pomace with carbohydrates, starches and proteins to create the edible film! The material also uses cellulose, which helps form structure in plants. This creates a flexible and very strong material that’s comparable to plastic!

So… Why blueberries? The team at UBC is looking to also help reduce the amount of food waste that the juicing industry produces. Additionally, the antioxidants found in blueberry skins is a bonus; these antioxidants can extend the shelf life of foods as well!

WHAT KIND OF IMPACT WILL THIS HAVE?

Extracting juice from fruit produces a large amount of leftover waste. Though this waste is compostable, not every business has the capacity to properly dispose of it.

A single 16-ounce serving of cold-pressed juice generates, on average, 4.5 pounds of pulp waste.

Though blueberries are the focus of the UBC study, they are not the sole fruit/vegetable that can be used this way. The material that UBC researchers have created is truly 100% biodegradable, and doesn’t require any additional processing fo r proper disposal. This makes it a more circular option! This is critical since most waste facilities do not accept or cannot properly dispose of compostable plastics or alternative plastics.

WHAT OPTIONS DO I HAVE IN THE MEANTIME?

Packaging made of blueberries is still in its research and development phase so it’s not currently available for mass market use. Other sustainable packaging solutions like sugarcane use a similar process of incorporating the byproducts of the juicing process.

For all other kinds of packaging, using paper alternatives is also a great option!

If you’re looking for more eco-friendly packaging options, contact us today! Book a free appointment with one of our knowledgeable Business Development consultants to see how we can help!

LEARN WITH LENNY!

PACKAGING DICTIONARY

Here are a few terms we’ve used these last few months when working with you to create your custom packaging!

EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE (EPS)

A rigid plastic material with a smooth surface, commonly used in single-use takeout packaging such as cups, bowls, takeout boxes and clamshell containers.

POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC)

A durable, synthetic plastic material. Commonly used for single-use, molded containers such as clamshells or cake trays. PVC has also been molded to create inserts for products such as socks, chocolate and medicine.

SINGLE-USE PLASTIC (SUP)

Products that are either partially or entirely made of plastic, commonly used in the takeout industry. This includes items such as utensils, boxes with plastic windows, and takeout containers. To learn more about SUP packaging, get in touch with one of our consultants!

SINGLE-USE

COMPOSTABLE MATERIAL

CLASSIC TAKE-OUT BOX

Used to package leftovers and food for takout. This packaging is made of a thick kraft paper material. The structure typically has a lock on top to keep the box closed. Classic take-out boxes retain heat and have the option to add vents to release any steam!

CLAMSHELL CONTAINER

A type of packaging, commonly made using single-use plastic, used in the takeout industry for hot or cold food. This type of container, when made of or containing plastic material, is part of the Canadian single-use plastic ban! However, Clamshell containers can also be made of a paper pulp material.

PACKAGING Q & A

Q: Why are shipping rates increasing so much?

A: There are actually a few reasons rates have been increasing lately. Due to the pandemic, global supply chains have been disrupted and there’s a shortage of freight containers! That, coupled with limited staff available to work and increasing fuel prices, lead to delayed shipments. While we’re optimistic that things will go back to normal in the near future, our team is dedicated to keeping costs down for clients. Unfortunately, there isn’t much we can do since this is a global issue, but if you’re in need of packaging soon, you may want to opt for premium or expedited shipping!

Q: When should I order my packaging?

A: Ideally, ASAP!!! The order process normally takes approximately 4 months, but we recommened ordering it as far in advance as possible.

HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?

LEARN MORE ON OUR WEBSITE:

WWW.LEKAC.COM

Q: I need help designing my packaging. Does it cost extra?

A: We’ve got you covered! Our in-house graphic designer can help you bring your custom packaging vision to life. This includes the design layout and even 3D mockups! The best part? This service is included in our price!

Q: Are there any hidden fees I need to know about?

A: No! Our pricing includes shipping/handling, customs/duties and plate charges. The only fee that can vary is the local delivery fee which your consultant will let you know about ahead of time. If anything changes, rest assured your consultant will let you know as soon as possible!

Q: I don’t need packaging, but I love your work! Is there another way I can work with LeKAC?

A: Definitely! If you like our design work, but aren’t necessarily looking for packaging, try our custom Branding and Graphic Design services instead. Work with our Marketing team to bring your vision to life! CLICK HERE TO SEE WHAT WE OFFER.