Squround

Squround[1] is a portmanteau for "square round" (cartons), referring to a compromise between a square and a round carton. It is also sometimes known as the scround.

The term applies almost exclusively to ice cream packaging design, where the switch to a squround from paperboard bricks, cylindrical half-gallons and other containers is motivated by consumer preference. These packages are more rectangular than square, but the side edges are rounded. The top and bottom surfaces are completely flat.

Pierre’s French Ice Cream, when announcing their switch in May 2003, cited several reasons:

Smith Dairy, which made the switch that same year for its Ruggles line of ice cream, cited other reasons. They note that the packaging makes tampering more evident, and offers better protection from freezer burn.

Although squrounds are available in traditional half-gallon sizes, changes in U.S. federal regulations covering ice cream have led since 2000 to increased use of a smaller 56-ounce volume. The downsizing in carton size has not seemed to affect unit sales. Mayfield Dairy, which announced the switch to squround cartons in January 2003, told Food Engineering in April that they expect to sell the same number of 56 oz. units in 2003 as it sold 64 oz. cartons in 2002. Breyers, which in 2000 was an early adopter of the smaller package for its "Ice Cream Parlor" brands, as of 2005 uses the smaller package across all its ice cream flavors. In 2008, they changed to an even smaller 48 oz container.

External links and references

  1. ↑ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3301/is_103_102/ai_73541469/