As we all are dealing with the Thanksgiving leftovers I am reminded of two recent product launches by Ziplock and Reynolds focused on freezing leftovers. At first when I saw these ads I thought they were focused on saving money, given the questionable economy but now realize that it was really focused on Thanksgiving perhaps the most leftover meal of the year.

The new products suck the air out of the plastic storage bag (ziplock has become the product name similar to Bandaid). However, many of us remember a similar product that has been around for years that does the same thing from Food Saver. But why has food saver never broken into the mass market and who will win between these two new products and why? The short answer is retail price. The longer answer involves, technology, product features and price sensitivity.

Of course there is a way to do it without any products…

How To Vacuum Seal A Ziplock Bag - The best bloopers are a click away

While the option to go it alone without any help exists as demonstrated by the above video, below you will find one of the benchmark products of Food Saver. The below model is sold for $180 and can vacuum seal many different size bags. The price includes a variety of bag sizes that can be used, but the price is just too high for most consumers.

The proclaimed replacement for the Food Saver, the Reynolds Handi-Vac is being well reviewed by consumers across the internet. Although the price point is lower than the Food Saver by less than 10%, I do believe that the $10+ price tag will put off consumers, especially next to the Ziploc version which is considerably less.  The reason for the increased price: electric vacuum pump.

The Ziploc version features a non-battery powered pump and at $10.75 from Amazon also features a number of compatible bags (actual pump costs less than $2). Although the Amazon reviews are not flattering, I do believe that with its price point it will in. It will win in price because of the easy technology, the lack of battery requirements and the existing brand equity in plastic storage bags.

Although I am unsure of who will win in effectiveness, I am confident that the lower retail price point will attract more customers to the Ziploc version.  Of course there is always the DIY option.