Here’s why Ocean Spray cranberry sauce can labels are upside down

This technique has been used since the early 2000s.

Many consumers have long been baffled by why the labels on Ocean Spray cranberry sauce cans are upside down. According to Ocean Spray, the upside-down labels are intentional.

The cans are “filled and labeled upside down with the rounded edge on top and the sharp can-like edge on the bottom to keep the jelly whole,” an Ocean Spray spokesperson told CNN Business. This process creates an air bubble on top so customers can “swipe the edge of the can with a knife to break the vacuum and the log will easily slide out.”

Per the report, this technique has been used since the early 2000s.

A spokesperson explained to AdWeek that “there’s an air bubble vacuum on the rounded side, which makes it easier to get the sauce out in one whole log.”

“Ocean Spray does not see this as a problem that needs solving—by filling sauce this way, it creates space in the bottom of the can to minimize the vacuum effect caused due to the mass of the product,” the spokesperson said. “Without it, there’d be a lot more frustrated customers trying to shake or having to spoon it out.”

The “head space” at the top of the can is vital after the sauce gels.

The popular holiday meal staple might be hard to come by in some markets across the nation amid the current supply chain crisis.

“The sauce has 79% availability across national retailers, which is down from 89% in that same period, according to IRI, a market research firm that tracks US retail sales,” CNN Business reported.

According to Adweek, about 67 million cans of cranberry sauce are sold between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

A new CNBC/Momentive survey shows that 52% of Americans won’t go shopping on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, or Cyber Monday amid soaring prices and supply chain concerns.

“The pandemic might firmly establish a new dynamic that we have been moving towards for the past few years: Cyber Monday is the new Black Friday, with more people searching for deals online rather than waiting in line outside a big box retailer,” said Laura Wronski, senior manager of research science at Momentive.

According to multiple reports, online spending is expected to top $200 billion this holiday season.

“Brick and mortar may be more attractive for consumers later in the season,” said Rod Sides, a vice chairman at Deloitte. “Shoppers can leave with goods in hand, versus waiting on promised dates from shippers.”

Shoppers will also turn to curbside pickup “more than ever to give them peace of mind about their holiday purchases,” said Andrew Lipsman, retail analyst at market research firm Insider Intelligence.

“Gen Z might be the reason enthusiasm for in-person shopping has recovered post-pandemic,” Wronski noted.

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