Aldi Australia and CHEP have launched a new generation reusable plastic crate Gen 3 for the fresh produce supply chain at Aldi’s Salisbury store in Brisbane.
Aldi Queensland managing director Viktor Jakupec said CHEPS’S Gen 3 crate is expected deliver efficiencies along the supply chain from farm through to the retail store.
“The new crate allows products to be packed directly on farm before being delivered to our warehouses and subsequently to stores, which reduces the amount of repacking and speeds up the process,” he said.
“The crate design allows it to fit directly into our new fresh produce display on the shop floor, which means less product handling and therefore a higher level of product quality.
“Instead of store staff having to pack products on tables within the produce area, the majority of products will remain displayed within the crates which will assist with better product rotation and minimise damage to the products through less handling.”
The Gen 3 crate's reduced fold-down height helps improve space utilisation and reverse logistics by up to 29 per cent. It also allows for improved cooling/ripening efficiencies through crate venting.