Retail and Eco-friendly Shopping Bags: How to Boost Sales and Build Brand Image with Eco-friendly Shopping Bags? - Chiterion

Environmental protection has become a hotly debated topic in recent years, which has led to more and more consumers and started to pay attention to the impact of their shopping behavior on the environment. Because disposable plastic bags are a major contributor to environmental pollution, countries are beginning to implement plastic restrictions. Retailers, as a large group of people using disposable plastic bags, have had to examine the environmental impact of the bags they provide. Eco-friendly shopping bags have become an alternative to reduce the use of plastic bags and are gradually becoming an important part of the retail industry.

Why switch to reusable eco-friendly shopping bags?

1. Market demand:

The retail industry is always looking for new business growth and offering eco-friendly shopping bags as a shopping option can increase sales opportunities.

Environmental protection has become a key factor in sustainable development as society progresses and develops. China started to implement the "Plastic Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan" in 2020, which plans to phase out single-use plastic products, including plastic bags and single-use plastic tableware, etc.; the European Union adopted the Single-Use Plastics Prohibition Directive in 2019, which bans the use of single-use plastics; and India announced its plan to completely ban single-use plastics in 2019 and 2022, which is the first time in the world. 2022 to completely ban the use of single-use plastic products; Kenya enacted a ban on single-use plastic bags in 2017... Of course plastic bans don't just exist in the countries just cited; while many countries have not fully implemented plastic bans, many states, cities, and European Union member states have taken a number of steps to limit or reduce the use of plastic products. With the implementation of these laws, many retailers have chosen to sell environmentally friendly shopping bags has gradually become a trend.

2. Brand image enhancement:

Utilizing an environmentally friendly image to build brand image is a low-cost way for retailers to enhance their brand image. A good brand image builds trust between retailers and consumers. By customizing eco-friendly shopping bags as a promotional tool, retailers incorporate eco-friendly concepts into their brand image, like putting a green label on their brand. This label will attract consumers who are looking for eco-friendly products and show them that the company has an eco-friendly attitude. This is not just a reusable shopping bag, but also a corporate attitude and commitment to environmental protection.

How can reusable eco-friendly shopping bags increase retail profits?

1. Using reusable shopping bags helps reduce operating costs

As the name suggests, consumers use reusable shopping bags many times when they receive them. Not only do they use them for shopping, but they also use them frequently in their daily lives. Consumers will recognize the business information printed on the bag, which will significantly reduce the company's marketing expenses, as the bag will become a "walking advertisement".

In August 2019, UK government statistics announced that since 2015, when the UK began charging 5 pence (about 6.5 US cents, or about 40 cents) per single-use plastic bag in supermarkets to tackle plastic pollution, the number of single-use plastic bags used in England has fallen by 90%. This policy was implemented to avoid the use of disposable plastic bags.

Reusable shopping bags can be used multiple times compared to single-use plastic bags. Providing or selling reusable shopping bags encourages people to bring their bags, reduces the frequency of companies purchasing plastic bags, and saves on material costs and purchasing costs.

2. Reduce the environmental impact of using plastic bags

Plastic bags are usually made from petroleum-based raw materials, which consume large amounts of energy and chemicals during the production process and release large amounts of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide.

When disposing of plastic waste, incineration and landfills are commonly used. Polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) take hundreds of years to degrade, and the gases produced after incineration also release large amounts of greenhouse gases. The emissions from incineration harm climate change and the quality of the environment.

Eco-friendly shopping bags, on the other hand, can be made from recycled and reusable materials, such as cotton, linen, and bamboo fibers, or they can be made from biodegradable materials, and the production process usually consumes less energy. The use of environmentally friendly shopping bags can reduce the frequency of disposable plastic bags and resource consumption, thereby reducing plastic pollution of the environment.

3. Make eco-friendly shopping bags part of promotional activities

As a retailer, the planning department can make these bags a tool to attract customers when you run campaigns. For example, in different periods of promotional activities or sales activities, consumption of a certain amount of money can be free of charge to get a green shopping bag; and environmental organizations can cooperate with the launch of limited edition shopping bags, and part of the business income will be donated to environmental organizations; in the purchase of a combination of goods can be given as part of the promotion of a green shopping bag....

Engaging customers in branding activities such as these is the best way to conduct promotions. Promotional campaigns attract more customers to shop, and customers will buy more because they want a discounted or free shopping bag. Retailers can convey the concept of environmental protection to their customers while conducting a series of promotional activities, attracting more environmentally conscious consumers and increasing their loyalty and purchase frequency.

4. Marketing Flexibility of Reusable Shopping Bags

Plastic bags have a lot of limitations in terms of printing and craftsmanship while choosing eco-friendly shopping bags will give you a wider range of choices. Reusable shopping bags support all types of printing, and companies can customize them according to their brand logo or corporate philosophy, highlighting their brand image and characteristics in terms of colors, materials, patterns, logos, company information, and more.

When you are customizing reusable shopping bags, you can combine the design with the aesthetic preferences of consumer groups. For example, inner pockets of shopping bags, zipper shopping bags, foldable portable shopping bags, etc.. Such designs can increase the frequency of use by customers in their daily lives after they have finished shopping. Let the customer be the face of your brand.

Attractive shopping bags will make consumers use them repeatedly in their daily lives as well. Other people who see it become curious about the source of the shopping bag, which will drive traffic to your brand and increase brand exposure.

5. Shoppers favor brands that care for the environment and people

Retailers can show that they care about the environment and people by using eco-friendly shopping bags. When your business uses reusable shopping bags, it attracts more environmentally conscious shoppers and creates a positive image of your business in consumer centers.

If you are still on the fence about investing in reusable shopping bags, you can start by finding a reliable reusable shopping bag manufacturer. Chiterion, as a trusted reusable and eco-friendly shopping bag factory, produces a wide range of reusable shopping bags and tote bags made from materials including, but not limited to, recycled cotton, recycled fleece, recycled pet, recycled nylon, recycled leather, and cotton. etc. Chiterion offers different designs and specifications of eco-friendly shopping bags, and we support our customers to customize various accessories of eco-friendly shopping bags at will to meet your application requirements. Please click here to view more products on reusable eco shopping bags or contact us for further inquiries.