Printed shopping bags are a great way to advertise your retail shop. Not only will these bags give customers a durable and stylish way to carry their purchases back home. It also provides a unique way to promote your brand beyond the typical advertisements and social media.

Shopping Bags for Retail

When it comes to choosing the shopping bags for your retail shop, focus on quality, quantity, and the intended use. The better the quality, the more shoppers will want to utilize these bag upon purchase. No one wants a bag where the stitching begins to unravel after the first run through the washing machine! It is important to base the quantity of your order based on your typical customer volume. This will keep your bag inventory well-stocked to meet the anticipated demand. 

Reflect your brand when designing your shopping bags. Perhaps you already have a design in mind that you would like to display on your bag or are planning to print your business’s logo on the tote bags. Or maybe you would like both sides of the bag to feature a printed graphic? You should also consider whether the shopping bags will be a neutral color such as tan or white, or if they will feature a colored material. The possibilities of ways you can design the bags to match your business are endless!

Next, let’s talk about the intended use. What do you anticipate the tote bag will be used for? For example, you may be selling these bags as a fashion piece. Similarly, the bags displayed in your retail shop may be used for holding smaller items such as cosmetics or writing utensils. Those are two potentially different uses, so it’s important to think about what size bag will be most appropriate for your consumers. 

In a more general sense, you could be looking to offer a plastic bag alternative to your customers at checkout. Will the bags be most commonly used for carrying groceries? Clothing? Books? Keeping in mind the typical size and quantity of the items sold will be helpful.

Where to Print Shopping Bags

There are a variety of outlets from which shopping bags can be printed. The most popular ones being:

• Direct from the Manufacturer
  • Domestic (USA) Manufacturer
  • Foreign Manufacturer
• From a Distributor
• Local Screen Printer
• Amazon

Printing on shopping bags is a skill that many companies have perfected due to tote bags being such a popular marketing item. The design of your artwork will lead you to the company who can achieve the look you’re going for. It really boils down to a decision of a spot print or a seam to seam print/all over print.

A spot print can be done on an imported bag or on a bag that is purchased blank. The way they are placed on a print machine only allows space for the recommended imprint area. The recommended imprint area also takes the side seams and any hems or handles into consideration. Since you cannot print over these in many cases, a seam to seam print or a very wide or tall print needs to be printed on a canvas panel, where the bag is not stitched already. This type of print will probably give you the option of a USA made tote bag manufacturer. However if you’re ordering extremely large quantities, you will be able to have this done overseas.

Looking for more detailed information on each of the above ways to print shopping bags for your retail shop? You can read more on our previous blog post: Where Can I Buy Custom Promotional Bags?.

How Enviro-Tote® Can Assist

Enviro-Tote® specializes in stitching and printing promotional shopping bags for retail shops. As a family owned business, each of our bags are cut, hand-stitched, and printed in Londonderry, New Hampshire. We are proud to offer environmentally friendly shopping bags that are Made in the USA! With over 40 styles of grocery and everyday tote bags available, we are confident that you will find a bag that is perfect for your shop. Enviro-Tote® tote bags start at quantities of 50, so no matter the occasion we have got you covered! 

Need assistance putting together a custom order of tote bags for your retail shop? Reach out to our knowledgeable Sales Representatives. Our team would be happy to answer any questions you have and assist in placing your order!

Featured image above is courtesy of Cabo Cado. View available products on their website or find them on Instagram.