It?s Easier Than Ever To Borrow A Cup of Sugar?

Or Sprinkle Sugar?

Or Store Sugar

SUGAR LAND, TX (October 15, 2004) ? Slow down at the sugar aisle this fall. Shoppers suddenly have a selection of new items in a category not known for innovation. For the first time, consumers can purchase pre-measured one-cup containers of brown sugar or shaker bottles of either powdered sugar or a superfine cinnamon/sugar mix. The new packaging is from Imperial Sugar Company and it?s designed to make cooking or baking easier for today?s busy families.

?Convenience is what life is all about these days, even when it comes to sugar,? said Art Saxby, vice president of marketing, Imperial Sugar Company. ?While not many people talk about their frustrations in using sugar at a dinner party, show them a way to creatively ?dust? their desserts with a bit of powdered sugar and they sing sugar praises. Our consumer research taught us that it?s all in the presentation.?

Keying into consumer desires led to the new packaging. Imperial Sugar Company fielded several focus groups in which consumers requested solutions for dried out brown sugar and the mess of powdered sugar. Combining those consumer insights with the knowledge that most people purchase brown and powdered sugar in small quantities got Imperial Sugar Company?s marketing and packaging teams thinking out of the box. Or, to be a bit more precise, out of the bag.

?When we first tested the pre-measured cups of brown sugar, consumers loved them,? explained Saxby. ?They instantly recognized the benefit of one-cup re-sealable containers. It?s the amount called for in many recipes and for those times when they don?t use a full cup, the re-sealable lid keeps the brown sugar safe from spilling, insects and humidity.?

Packaged in three individually wrapped and sealed cups, the brown sugar is available in light and dark under the Imperial Sugar, Dixie Crystals and Pioneer Sugar brand names. The new brown sugar cups are in stores across the Southeast, Texas and the Michigan/Ohio Valley area.

Equally popular with consumers are the new powdered sugar and cinnamon/sugar shaker bottles. The most frequent uses of these two sugars are to enhance flavor or presentation. Imperial Sugar Company recognized that they are also the sugars most often used by children.

?Kids love to sprinkle powdered sugar on waffles or cinnamon sugar on toast or oatmeal,? said Saxby. ?Until now, sprinkling was done with a spoon. In the hands of a six-year-old, a spoon full of sugar almost always resulted in a terrific mess. Our new shaker bottles were designed with kids in mind. Their size and contoured shape means they are easy to grip, even for little hands. Parents also recognize that sugar is natural and only has 15 calories per teaspoon.?

The shaker bottles feature a two-sided lid with one side for shaking and the other for spooning larger quantities.

Making a good thing better, Imperial Sugar Company created a superfine cinnamon sugar mix that dissolves faster while releasing more cinnamon flavor. ?Our superfine cinnamon sugar mix packs a powerful flavor boost,? said Saxby. ?Consumers can taste the difference. Priced under a dollar, it?s the perfect impulse purchase.?

Product samples, photography or recipes are available.

Please contact Jackie Peacha at jpeacha@mac.com or 612.508.4649.

About Imperial Sugar Company

The Imperial Sugar Company is one of the largest processors and marketers of refined sugar in the United States to food manufacturers, retail grocers and foodservice distributors. With packaging and refining facilities across the U.S., the company markets products nationally under the Imperial®, Dixie Crystals®, Pioneer®, Spreckels® and Holly® brands. For more information about Imperial Sugar, visit www.imperialsugar.com.

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