The Ultimate Packaging Zine - LeKAC Sourcing (Spring 2021)

THE PACKAGING ZINE SPRING 2021

Editor in Chief Gabby Ho Art Direction Muskan Kaur Samneet Mann Taylor Tran Editor Muskan Kaur Taylor Tran Graphic Designer Samneet Mann Writer Muskan Kaur Cover Photo Samneet Mann Contributers & Interviewees LeKAC Sourcing Ltd. Pâtisserie Liên Phát Tapi Go! The Social Blend Unicorn Toys

SPRING 2021 EDITION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Message from the Team

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Packaging for the Takeout Industry

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Client Spotlights

10

The Art of Packaging Wine

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Featured Product: Wine Dispenser

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Packaging Q&A

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MESSAGE FROM THE TEAM First of all, we just wanted to thank

pay this forward and support small

each and everyone of you for

businesses and hope you do the same!

subscribing to our packaging zine!

At this time, if you’re considering

We’re really excited to share updates

custom packaging, we’re open by

and packaging news with you!

appointment only! Our in-office

For those who may not know, we

procedures include maintaining a

offer custom packaging and sourcing

distance of 6 feet at all times and

solutions across North America!

regular sanitization of high traffic

Unfortunately, in the past couple

areas. In addition, masks must be worn

of months, the uncertainty brought

at all times.

forward by the pandemic has

However, if you’re uncomfortable

completely changed our lives.

with coming in, you can opt for a

As a small business ourselves, we

video or phone call with a Business

understand that this has been a

Development representative!

stressful and difficult period for

For more information, don’t hesitate to

businesses everywhere.

contact us!

With that being said, we’re really

Sincerely,

thankful for our clients and their

Everyone from LeKAC Sourcing Ltd.

continuous support! We hope to

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Introducing Lenny the Leaf!

Lenny’s role at LeKAC is to help the marketing team showcase the world of eco-f riendly custom packaging!

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View our catalogues on our website!

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PACKAGING FOR THE TAKEOUT INDUSTRY Given that COVID-19 has restricted

into the food which causes harm to

in-restaurant dining, takeout orders

one’s health.

have increased dramatically since

We also need to acknowledge that

the start of the pandemic. As a result,

plastic doesn’t readily decompose

businesses have begun focusing a lot

(Plastic bottles, for instance, are

more on their takeout packaging!

estimated to require approximately

However, despite this, many

450 years to decompose in a landfill)!

establishments continue to use

Moreover, businesses must consider

stryofoam or plastic packaging!

that buying plastic packaging isn’t

While these materials may be more

really a sound investment. As of

readily available and affordable, they

March 2020, the Canadian

aren’t necessarily attractive and have

government announced it’s on its

adverse effects on physical health

way to ban single-use plastics by the

and the environment.

end of 2021!

In particular, when styrofoam is

With all these factors in mind, we’re

heated, it releases toxic chemicals

proud to say that over the past few 7

months, we’ve successfully curated

those seeking more premium

an eco-friendly takeout catalogue!

packaging, you must check out our latest sushi catalogue!

A majority of our takeout packaging is made with Kraft paper which is not

Our sushi catalogue features premium,

only biodegradable, compostable,

high-end packaging that can be

but also recyclable! Plus they check

readily made -to-order for a variety

all the boxes of food protection,

of cuisines. It’s that simple!

preservation and presentation!

FUN FACT

We also offer reusable bags made

Did you know we offer water-based

from Non-Woven polypropylene,

coating for takeout containers?

cotton, hemp and canvas!

It’s a great alternative to traditional wax coatings because it’ll still maintain the

All of our products are customized

quality and freshness of the food without

to meet the needs and brand

compromising on compostability!

aesthetic of our clients. In fact, for 8

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CLIENT SPOTLIGHTS Read what some of our clients are saying about us!

To access the full interviews and product descriptions, be sure to check out our blog on www.lekac.com!

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PÂTISSERIE LIÊN PHÁT Located in Montréal, Pâtisserie Liên Phát is a family-run bakery which specializes in Asian sweets, breads and desserts! It’s well-known for its light tasting birthday and wedding cakes (pandan is a popular flavour!) and has been in business for more than 20 years!

FUN FACT Liên Phát has been a client of LeKAC for 11+ years!

“My favourite part about working with LeKAC would be the personalized service! LeKAC assigns individual project managers, so it’s easier for us to explain what we need and the rest of the work is completed by them!

We really appreciated our project manager because she would come over in person to speak about designs. We were offered very good pricing too!”

Karissa Huynh, Owner of Liên Phát

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THE SOCIAL BLEND Located in the heart of Toronto, the

In fact, if there ever was an idea the

Social Blend is an up-and-coming

owner wanted to explore, our team

coffee shop which provides high quality

would always step forward and

Korean-style macarons and dacquoises,

help find him what he needed.

along with premium roasted coffee!

“I personally really liked LeKAC’s ‘yes’

Out of all our clients, The Social Blend

mentality! A business which tries to

is one of the few which have shown

help their customer is better than

immense growth by designing all of their

one who says, ’No, I don’t have it.”

packaging with their customers in mind!

Tom Wen, Owner of the Social Blend

Their favourite part about working with us has been our ‘yes’ mentality!

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UNICORN TOYS Unicorn Toys is a Canadian importer

“The whole experience from

and wholesaler of fun, unique, and

brainstorming to product selection

high-quality educational toys and

and production was smooth.”

DIY kits! They predominantly ship

Andy Chou, General Manager

their products to their customers.

of Unicorn Toys

Given the fact that they originally

Moreover, they’re very content with

didn’t know much about custom

how the custom mailers turned out

packaging, working with us made the

as they’ve heard numerous positive

whole process a lot easier! Within

reviews from customers! Overall, it

the first conversation, we’d already

made investing in custom packaging

eliminated all of the unnecessary options and actually saved them time!

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worth the money and time.

TAPI GO! Tapi Go! is a newly opened takeout

Moreover, they preferred packaging which

restaurant in Toronto which offers

would be sustainable and functional.

Brazilian street food. They specialize in tapioca crepes and offer sweet and savoury options in addition to coffee, cheese buns and more!

Generally speaking, many start-ups tend to choose generic packaging as a way to reduce their operating costs. However, in the case of Tapi Go!, the owner has a clear vision and wants to open more franchises in the future. With this in mind,

With a special context towards opening a business during COVID, they feel, “Custom packaging offers a nice look.

It’s very professional and makes people more inclined to take pictures.”

They were very happy knowing that LeKAC Sourcing could do exactly what they wanted and offered competitive pricing without compromising quality!

they wanted to select packaging which

“The crepe sleeve is very nice and sleek

would help them effectively market their

and the quality of the bag is amazing.”

products and build a strong brand identity.

Clarissa Aguiar, the owner of Tapi Go! 14

OTHER NOTABLE CLIENTS’ WE LOVE WORKING WITH!

Would you like to be featured by our team on social media? Get in touch!

@lekacsourcing We love featuring our clients packaging!

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THE ART OF PACKAGING WINE View our full catalogue on our website!

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In addition to takeout, we’re so

impressed by the innovative packaging

excited to tell you that we’ve

that comes with wine brands, and our

launched a wine catalogue as well!

aim is to increase that innovation to something unseen by the market!

For those familiar with this industry, creating the perfect packaging for wine

We’re dedicated to raising the amount

can be difficult… but it doesn’t have to be!

of eco-friendly and sustainable packaging options that are available.

Generally, wine has accounted for roughly $30 billion revenue per year, and that’s

In fact, 2021 wine packaging trends

not even accounting for the spike in

indicate that eco-consumerism, coupled

alcohol purchases due to COVID-19!

with busier lifestyles have a prevalent affect on the industry! This is because

At the same time, the industry has

millennials and and younger generations

also boomed with creative packaging

largely contribute to the market.

decisions! At LeKAC, we have always been

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Keeping this in mind, we offer multiple

In particular, our bag in box packaging,

options for luxurious, creative,

also known as boxed wines are the

and high-end wine companies

featured products of the season!!

alike. Our products include: •

various paper bags

•

folding cartons

•

carriers

•

rigid boxes

•

wooden boxes

...and more!

For those not aware, boxed wine packaging has become increasingly popular over the years! Why you might ask?

Well for one, it’s a form of flexible and lightweight packaging which can help businesses cut down on transportation costs!

Since the wine is bagged and placed in sturdy corrugated boxes, it’s fully protected from light and oxygen.

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As a result, your clients can still consume

footprint and both the outer box

the wine upto 6 weeks after it’s

and the bag are 100% recyclable!

been opened! With its compact size,

Most importantly, with this type of

and light weight, boxed wines can

packaging, you can use the whole surface

effortlessly fit into fridges too!

of the box to display your brand and

Thirdly, it’s a versatile, cheaper and

its values. This can make your business

highly sustainable form of packaging!

more engaging, creative and allow

Boxed wines are customizable to cater

you to differentiate and expose your

different types of customers from 1,5L

brands in a more efficient manner!

to 5L for consumption at home, and up to 20L for catering purposes.

Compared to glass bottles, boxed wine packaging has a lower carbon 19

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FEATURED PRODUCT

CORRUGATED WINE DISPENSER

We offer a lot of different types of corrugated packaging with the same level of quality and customization!

Get in touch with our team to learn more about what we offer.

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• High Quality • Customizable • Easy to Carry

PACKAGING Q & A Q: Why does the colour of my packaging look different in person than on my computer?

A: Honestly, it all comes down to the difference between CMYK and RGB colours! RGB is the primary colour mode used for all digital platforms so they’re a lot brighter.

On the other hand, CMYK is the industry standard when it comes to printed materials. CMYK is limited to 4 colours: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key, which is they they look duller than RBG. But don’t worry! CMYK colours look much brighter in person!

Q: What file type should I send my logo and designs in?

A: Ideally, you should send your digital files in PNG or AI formats. If you send JPEGs, the logo or design will be compressed so the quality won’t be as sharp as PNG or AI files would be.

HAVE MORE QUESTIONS? LEARN MORE ON OUR WEBSITE: WWW.LEKAC.COM

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Q: Can you create other marketing materials to work with my packaging?

A: Absolutely! We can source products that match your packaging such as stickers, business cards, etc. Our designers will make sure the designs match your brand!

Q: What if I don’t have a logo or a clear idea of what I want yet?

A: Don’t worry, our in-house graphic designers are at your service to help bring your packaging ideas and brand to life! (We can also design your logo for you!)

Q: What if I can’t decide on products and measurements?

A: Simply book a call with one of our Business Development representatives (it’s free!) and based on a couple of questions regarding your establishment, we can suggest products and sizes! We can also calculate measurements for specific product packaging to ensure that’ll fit!

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1 (866) 996-6818 207-590 Alden Road Markham, ON L3R 8N2

@lekacsourcing