Chap Stick blister packs

As a long-time Chap Stick addict, I've blazed through more tubes of the stuff than I can count.

Available in a dazzling array of flavours, there is a Chap Stick to suit my every whim. Regular flavour calms my angry windburnt lips. The mint one imparts a delightful tingling sensation. And cherry flavoured has oft-served as a handy substitute for lipstick. With no fewer than 19 Facebook groups dedicated entirely to this strange addiction, it is clear that many agree: nothing soothes dry, cracked lips like a good swipe of Chap Stick.

Given the multitude of uses Chap Stick has (not to mention the fact that I am perpetually losing the bloody stuff) I usually like to have a few tubes on hand. But what really chaps my ass (har har!!) is that the stuff is usually hawked in single-serving blister packs like the one pictured above.

My assumed rationale behind this packaging: Since a tube of Chap Stick doesn't exactly tower on the shelves (it measures only a few centimentres long and its circumference is smaller than a penny), it's understandable that the manufacturers want to give it more of a presence in the aisles by using a blister pack to effectively triple its size. Perhaps in an attempt to justify this ploy, the manufacturer has printed the product's (fairly self-evident) directions and other information on the back of the blister pack.

Alternative considerations: This is an easy one, because the solution already exists; the directions/product info can be printed directly on the tube, and a little piece of plastic that attaches the cap to its body can be used to ensure that nobody can do unseemly things with your Chap Stick prior to purchase. The tubes can then be loaded vertically into plastic dispensers so that they pop out neatly at the bottom, one at a time. These dispensers are often located at the cash desks of drug stores, so that dry-lipped customers can snap them up as they check out.

Clearly, the makers of Chap Stick can't rely entirely on impulse purchases to drive their sales. But why not install these dispensers directly into the shelves of the regular lip balm aisle?

Don't like the blister pack? Don't grab 'em from the aisle! Just wait until you go check out, and grab a tube from the dispenser that's probably tucked right beside the cash register. And if ya want to let them know how you feel, drop 'em a line:

Wyeth Consumer Health Care

P.O. Box 26609

Richmond, VA

23261-6609

Phone: 800-322-3129