Originally Posted by
HillRider
I don't think CRC ditched the boxes. This type of "packaging" (plastic bags) used to be common in the grey market days when mail order dealers (Nashbar was one) bought surplus parts from the big bike makers like Trek, Cannondale, etc. and sold them at a discount.
For example, Trek would order say 5,000 of a certain model Shimano crank and these were delivered by Shimano in bulk in large cardboard crates wrapped individually in plastic but not boxed. If Trek used say 4800 of them in that year's production they would sell the surplus to someone like Nashbar who would then sell them at a major discount.
+1. Pricepoint was another major e-tailer that sold tons of surplus Shimano parts (often complete groups) at major discounts. The individual items were usually bagged, not boxed. QBP will still occasionally offer a reduced price Shimano item with a notation that the item doesn't come in retail packaging, it will be bagged.