If you're considering opening a retail store, you'll need to have an ample supply of shopping bags on hand for your customers' purchases. But what may seem like a simple decision can be surprisingly complex when deciding what type of bags to purchase for your store.

There are several different styles of bag, such as the grocery store bag and a handled bag, which is what people often mean when they refer to a shopping bag. Shopping bags are especially useful for mall shops, so shoppers can consolidate their smaller bags into a larger bag and carry it around the mall. This can mean free advertising for you.

It's important to have a clear picture of the prices of shopping bags before you open your store. Consider the following factors for shopping bags pricing and costs.

1. Decide which size of shopping bags to buy. There are several sizes, ranging from "cub" size to the giant "queen" size.

2. Determine what type of bag you would like to have for your store, such as a plastic handled bag or kraft paper bag with handles.

3. Explore the option of custom printing your store logo on the shopping bag.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Purchase shopping bags in bulk to save money

You can find a carton of 200 large size bags for a price range of $50-$63 for plain brown kraft paper to $84 for tinted paper. The smallest size of kraft paper bag is available for a range of $35-$48 per carton.

I recommend: Purchase kraft bags of all sizes from Uline, a shopping bag and packaging supplier. Nu-Era offers wholesale prices on kraft paper bags.

Get the lowest cost shopping bags for your business

Your budget may only have room to purchase lower-priced plastic shopping bags. You can order a gross of 12' x 3' x 18' bags in any color you wish for a range of $29 to $41. Alternatively, you can find frosted plastic shopping bags in 8' x 5' x 10' at $30 per 250.

I recommend: Victory Store sells a variety of shopping bags, including die-cut plastic bags. Store Supply gives buyers plenty of choice in terms of color and sizes for their frosted plastic bags.

Take the environmental costs into account when pricing shopping bags

Consider the environmental footprint your business makes upon the earth. Providing a resusable bag (with your logo on it) can speak volumes about your business and your values. Your costs for reusable cloth shopping bags are a range of $1.00 - $1.50 per piece when you factor in logo set-up and printing.

I recommend: SPS Group offers 8 1/2" x 14" non-woven polyurethane bags that the company can custom silkscreen with your logo. Bags on the Run produces logo shopping bags for both small quantities and large orders.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Don't forget to factor in the costs of getting your company logo on your shopping bag. Most companies charge a set-up fee and add an additional cost per bag.

Shopping bags are a necessity for almost every kind of retail business. A retail shopping bag used to come in two basic kinds, paper or plastic, but reusable solutions are now widely available and are both stronger and more environmentally friendly. Plastic shopping bags are a thing of the past in some areas with new laws designed to limit plastic in landfills. Paper shopping bags have their own environmental impact since they come from trees although recycled paper has made them a better option.

When looking at shopping bag information your business has many options, from bags with your business logo to generic bags or even shopping bags with nothing printed on them. Shopping bags are a large part of business costs for many retailers so it's important to find shopping bags at discount prices. Consider the following when looking for a shopping bags provider:

1. Choose plastic shopping bags, which come in different sizes to fit your business need.

2. Look for paper shopping bags made from recycled materials.

3. Cut costs at the checkout counter with reusable shopping bags.

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Save money with plastic shopping bags that are cheaper per unit and easier to store

No shopping bags directory would be complete without the plastic shopping bag. Although the customer often reuses plastic shopping bags, they are prone to breaking and clog landfills. Plastic bags are easy to have printed with your business name or logo and take up far less space that paper bags.

I recommend: Store Supply Warehouse distributes generic and preprinted plastic bags in a variety of sizes and offers helpful shopping bags information. For a large selection of specialized plastic shopping bags consider Aplasticbag.com.

Supply customers with a paper shopping bag for easier recycling

Paper shopping bags are stronger than plastic and can hold more in many cases. Paper shopping bags come in a variety of sizes and shapes to fit most retail needs. Paper shopping bags require more room to and costlier per unit.

I recommend: DiscountShoppingBags.com offers a full line of plain paper bags that are made of 100% recycled paper. Classic paper grocery shopping bags are available in various sizes and weights at FoodserviceDirect.

Stock reusable shopping bags as an earth friendly option that saves your business money

Reusable shopping bags are an option that eliminates the cost of bags for your business and provides a stronger, earth friendly alternative for customers. Promoting reusable shopping bags in your retail business creates a new source of revenue with a product customers want.

I recommend: Eco-Bags Products creates custom printed reusable bags to keep your brand in the customers mind. For custom or generic reusable shopping bags, look to PrintGlobe for all of your canvas shopping bag needs.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Cutting costs by using shopping bags with low weight capabilities frustrates customers when they tear and cost you money when multiple bags are required. Purchase shopping bags that are strong enough to carry the items you stock.

Shopping bags types and styles vary wildly depending on the nature of the store that you go into. They reflect both the image of the store as well of the budget put into the packaging as the consumer walks away. A grocery store, for example, may either have their logo or a "Thank you for shopping with us" on an inexpensive t-shirt style plastic bag, while a high end retailer may invest in $4/each frosted plastic bag with their logo emblazoned on the side.

You choice of shopping bag will coincide with your budget and your marketing directive. It will go hand in hand with your goals at brand awareness, and it will depend on how eco-friendly you are trying to be.

To find out more about shopping bags types and styles:

1. Check out paper shopping bag options.

2. Consider plastic shopping bags.

3. Look into reusable shopping bag choices for your customers.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Purchase paper shopping bags

Go for paper bags as an ecologically friendly choice for your business. Paper bags will biodegrade in landfills, and they can be very versatile for many business needs.

I recommend: Purchase paper grocery bags and many other styles from Uline. Their grocery styles are great for packing sandwiches, food orders or other retail purchases. They offer styles that have comfortable reinforced handles, and all of their paper grocery styles fold flat for storage. Check out the Kraft white and brown shopping bags offered through discountshoppingbags.com.

Consider plastic shopping bags

Plastic shopping bags can be a cost effective solution for many businesses. The only word of caution is to consider printing a recycle notice on your bags as they are not biodegradable and are not considered eco-friendly.

I recommend: Consider the plastic shopping bag options from plasticshoppingbags.com. They have a wide variety of options that can be customized with your logo. Take a look at the wide variety of plastic bag options you have from APLASTICBAG.COM. From designer bags to drawstring bags, to t-shirt bags and more, their bags come in all shapes and sizes in every color of the rainbow.

Look at your reusable shopping bags options

Give away or sell reusable bags as promotional items and to promotion a 'green' company image. Look at companies like Walmart and Target who sell their reusable bags for around a dollar a piece as an alternative to using the plastic bags that they give away for free.

I recommend: Find many reusable fabric handle bag styles from PAPER MART. They offer bi-colored, honeycomb embossed as well as reusable bags with a pocket. PAPER MART also offers a wide variety of other shopping bags types and styles to offer your customers, so be sure and browse their large selection. Take a look at the Environmental or "Eco" Bags category from Modern Arts Packaging. Take a look at the high-quality, stylish, eco-friendly options from ReusableBags. They offer a wide variety of materials ranging from recycled plastic to recycled cotton to organic cotton to hemp.

For merchants, choosing the most appropriate shopping bags for customers is one of many necessary business decisions. There are shopping bag designs and types to meet the needs of any business and satisfy customer demands for sturdy and environmentally friendly shopping bags. Customize shopping bags for retail business and grocery stores with business logos or slogans. Knowing the key terms for the many kinds of shopping bags that are available will help take the stress out of finding the best options for your business.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Paper

Paper bags come in varieties from brown paper grocery store bags to those made with plastic coated paper used at retail and department stores. These bags come in many sizes from flat handle grocery bags that can carry bags up to 52 lbs. to high-end department store bags with printed designs and logos.

I recommend: Learn about the various designs and sizes of paper shopping bags at Uline.

Plastic

Plastic bags come in a variety of designs from t-shirt bags to loop handle and drawstring bags. Until recent years when environmental issues caused many consumers and business owners to look to alternative materials for shopping bags, plastic bags were the most popular type of shopping bag.

I recommend: Find out about the various types of plastic shopping bags at PlasticShoppingBags.com.

Fabric

Fabric bags offer consumers the ability to consider the environment while shopping for produce or other items. Fabric bags come in a number of designs and styles and can feature prints or other patterns. For instance, a grocery store could have images of fruits or vegetables put on fabric shopping bags to give them a distinctive and stylish look.

I recommend: View the selection of fabric shopping bags at Paper Mart.

Insulated

Insulated bags are ideal for carrying produce or frozen items and keeping them fresh on the ride home. Businesses that offer this type of bag can add additional revenue from their sale while keeping customers happy. Insulated shopping bags are made of fabric so they can have company names and images printed on them.

I recommend: Review the selection of insulated shopping bags at Ink Head.

String bags

String bags are ideal for produce shopping since items are not bruised or crushed in this type of bag. These bags come in many colors and materials including cotton to hemp. String bags fold easily for storage in handbags or briefcases for customers who are on the go.

I recommend: Browse the selection of string shopping bags at Ecobags.

Shopping bag foldable trolley

Shopping bag foldable trolleys are shopping bags with two collapsible wheels on them. This type of shopping bag is ideal for senior or disabled customers since they are light weight and sturdy. Shopping bag foldable trolleys come in a variety of colors and fold into zippered pouches when not in use.

I recommend: Gather information about shopping bag foldable trolleys at Reusablebags.com.