Last Updated on July 24, 2023 by Packoi Team
What does this mean for your retail business?
If you want to increase product sales and improve consumer satisfaction, pay attention to the material of your shopping bags.
In this article, you’ll learn more about retail bags – specifically, the one quality that consumers are looking for, which is reusability. You’ll get insights into why your retail bag should transform into a reusable bag – and how it’ll benefit your business.
Customers Prefer Reusable Bags Over Single-Use Plastic
In today’s eco-conscious world, most consumers are looking for ways to live a more sustainable life.
If you don’t think that one bag can make a difference, you might be surprised. Between plastic bags and eco-friendly paper bags, more than 7 out of 10 Gallup.com survey respondents believe that paper is less harmful to the environment.
Not only that, TheRoundUp.org revealed that 55% of consumers admit that they’re willing to pay more for eco-friendly shopping bags.
What does this mean for you?
It means reusable shopping bags will make people favor your company more than those who use plastic bags.
So if you’re designing your shopping bags, choose a sustainable solution. Make your bags reusable. It’ll be aligned with the ethical values that your market wants to embody.
Examples of Reusable Retail Bags You Can Use
There are many types of reusable bags that you can use for your business. Each of these shopping bags has its strengths and weaknesses.
Tote bags
Tote bags are usually made of recycled fabric or canvas material. These make them durable enough for reuse. Customers just have to wash them so they’re ready to be used multiple times.
Paper bags
Paper bags are also reusable as long as they use the right materials. There are thick paper materials you can use for your shopping bags so they won’t break immediately after 1 use. You can also use eco-friendly lamination on the paper bag to make it more durable.
Foldable bags
Foldable bags are also a version that consumers love to bring along in their bags. These are bags that provide enough space for when customers do their groceries. But these can be conveniently folded into small packets so they don’t take up a lot of space when not in use.
8 Reasons Why Reusable Shopping Bags Reign Supreme
The road to a completely sustainable world won’t happen overnight. But it takes a lot of effort from everyone to make it happen.
This is the realization that people have come to terms with. A lot of people want to help, but they’re not sure how to.
This is where the reusable shopping bags of retail brands come into play. Customers are itching to give sustainability a try, and giving them reusable bags will allow them to do just that.
Instead of throwing their shopping bags after one use, they get to use them several times – until it breaks or gets too damaged to be of any use.
So by making your retail bags reusable, you’re not just doing your part in saving the environment. You’re also meeting consumer expectations and inspiring them to practice sustainability.
Here are 8 other reasons why you should invest in transforming your shopping bags into reusable ones.
Growing Environmental Consciousness
The more people know about environmental issues, the more they’re pressured to practice sustainability in their daily lives.
But the reality is a lot of them struggle to put it into practice. Nevertheless, they still try to seek alternatives to using eco-friendly materials.
You can help by introducing eco-friendly shopping bags. While reusable paper bags are the ideal solution, there are times when plastic bags are required. You can transform plastic into something sustainable as long as you know what your options are. Do your research about bio-based plastic. Get to know the innovative packaging solutions available in the market.
Customers would appreciate your efforts to provide variety in your shopping bag options. They’ll like how you’re giving them a chance to practice sustainability instead of adding to the growing packaging waste.
For Practicality and Durability
Using reusable bags make for a practical option. The customer can reuse the shopping bags every time they have to buy something. If you can make a foldable grocery shopping bag, the customer can put it in their bag so it’s available to use anytime and anywhere.
But to make it reusable, it has to use durable materials. This is why another reason to choose reusability for your shopping bags is it’s durable. It’s not flimsy. It won’t break with just one use.
This is why you want to invest in this so your customers can use it.
Highly Functional and Versatile
When you create custom bags for reusability, you’d want to choose what size, shape, and design it’ll take. After all, you want it to be a reflection of your brand. Fortunately for you, most of the reusable materials for shopping bags are versatile enough to allow complete customization.
If you use paper bags, you get a wide range of design choices. The same is true if you use fabric or canvas.
That’s not all. Your shopping bags are meant to be durable. That means you need strong materials – which are also highly functional.
You can design them to be foldable so they’re easy to carry. You can put compartments on it or pockets with zippers. Make it spacious enough so it can be used for grocery or retail buying.
Improves Brand Perception
One of the best reasons to use eco-friendly shopping bags is it improves brand perception. Not only do you impress customers with the design of your shopping bag, but you’re also giving your brand more exposure. The reusability of the bag will increase the chances that new customers can see it.
Of course, this will only work if you put brand elements on the bag.
Make sure your shopping bag design shows your brand identity. It should help portray the brand image that you want to promote.
Whether it’s to create a luxurious, fun, or trustworthy image for your brand, make sure it’s well-represented in your bag’s design.
Increases Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty
The sustainability of your shopping bags will also promote your company as an advocate for eco-friendly practices. It’ll encourage customers to associate themselves with you and support your business.
This is the first step to igniting customer loyalty and encouraging them to do business with you again.
Your reusable custom bag also creates a sense of affiliation, not just with your brand but also with other customers. People who see others carrying the same bag will find a connection with each other. This is part of the experience that your shopping bag can give.
So make sure your design will make customers feel proud to carry your bag. That’s how you ensure that customer loyalty is solidified and will only get stronger.
Opens Various Marketing Opportunities
If you put enough branding elements on your shopping bags, they become powerful marketing tools. These custom promotional bags are reusable. That means exposure will be higher for your brand.
You can use these shopping bags as a walking advertisement for your business. Use the right colors and place the right brand elements so it’ll stand out every time customers use it outside.
Remember, every time your reusable bag is brought somewhere new that opens another marketing opportunity for your brand. It can get you new customers.
Ensures Cost Efficiency
Making shopping bags reusable will cost you more upfront. But it’s still the most cost-efficient way because you only spend once.
The long-term use of shopping bags will work in your favor. It’ll keep you from having to buy shopping bags in bulk because customers can reuse their old ones. This means you’ll need a lower budget for your packaging solution.
Of course, this will depend on the material that you’ll use. If you use paper bags, they won’t be as durable as canvas tote bags.
Strengthens Social Influence
Finally, reusable shopping bags create a positive social influence on your retail business. The concept of sustainability is going mainstream. By using eco-friendly retail bags, you can brag about it, and people will know the value of your packaging choices.
But that’s not where it ends.
Your shopping bags can be used to create a positive social influence. With the right marketing campaigns, you can create a trend that’ll promote sustainability online and offline.
Would You Like to Know More about Sustainable Retail Bags? Packoi Printing Is an Expert in Sustainable Packaging Design.
Creating reusable shopping bags isn’t as difficult as you think. The demand for sustainability is high, so you can find a lot of opportunities and materials to design the best retail bag for your brand.
With the eco-friendly, versatile, durability, and functionality of reusable bags, your brand will get a positive boost in your image.
This is why you have to get started on using reusable bags.
If you need help, Packoi Printing is here to assist. We have cost-effective options for you to choose from.
Get in touch with us so we can talk about your ideas. We’ll get back to you with a quote in no time.