Retail business owners are constantly seeking new ways to grow their businesses. Promotional items offer varying degrees of effectiveness for this tall task, but one promotional item stands out above others for growing small retail businesses through better branding, name recognition, goodwill, and because it allows your customers to become walking advertisements on your behalf – reusable bags.
These are just a few ways you can grow your retail business with eco-friendly reusable bags.
Give Your Business a Green “Vibe”
More and more shoppers are embracing the idea of doing businesses with organizations that share their commitment to the planet. They understand that resources are limited and plastic bag manufacturing is harmful to the planet. That means they are perfectly willing to take their business to retailers that offer things like eco-friendly reusable bags to their customers.
When you customize items like an extra-large reusable grocery bag with information about your business, your business logo, or artwork that reflects your business, you’re allowing them to advertise on your behalf whenever they use your bags.
Make the Reusable Bags Attractive to Entice People to Carry Them Around
Some businesses worry that shoppers will treat these bags like disposable bags. Especially if the bags are unattractive to shoppers. However, that hasn’t proven to be the case with some businesses reporting doubling their sales after utilizing eco-friendly bags for events in their communities.
The key is to make the bags so attractive that people are happy to carry them around and others might ask, “Where did you get that bag?” That creates BUZZ about your business which can be instrumental in driving sales.
SEE ALSO: 10+ Reusable Bags with Logo
There are certain elements to consider for designing the perfect branded reusable bag to promote your retail business and help it grow. But the process can be a lot of fun for your business. If you have fun with the design, it’s likely your customers will have fun using your bags over and over again. See our 10 best custom retail merchandise bags & totes.
Let Your Customers See You Use Your Custom Eco-Friendly Reusable Bags
Build your own buzz by using your own bags for countless things you do around town. Think about all the things you do around town:
- Grocery shopping
- Retail shopping trips
- Volunteering
- Kids sporting events
- Events at your kids’ schools
- Coming to and from your retail business
All of these things offer opportunities for you to use your eco-friendly reusable bags as an example of your commitment to the planet and to show others the many useful things they can do with reusable bags.
Use These Bags as Tools to Educate Your Shoppers
Don’t just give bags to your retailer customers. Give them a message about the planet along with the bags. There are many reasons to encourage others to use reusable grocery and shopping bags.
Setting the example, as mentioned above, is excellent. However, you can do so much more by giving them the tool with your eco-friendly reusable bag, and sharing many reasons why reusable shopping bags are important.
Match the Quality of the Bags to the Quality of Your Business
Don’t give customers bags that look like they are cheaply made or likely to fall apart with a heavy load of books or canned food items. Instead, offer high-quality bags that are reflections of your business.
There are plenty of attractive reusable cotton and canvas bags to consider as well as beautiful jute bags. You can even find specialty bags, like reusable wine bags and totes or planet-friendly reusable restaurant bags to reflect your business and your values at the same time.
Turn Your Customers into Walking Talking Business Billboards
Think of all the places you go in one day where people can see you using your custom eco-friendly reusable bags. Now multiply that by the number of customers you have who are likely to use your bags over and over again. The more bags you put out on the street, the better it is for the visibility of your business.
Couple that with the fact that reusable bags are infinitely customizable and affordable for your business to create and give away and try to imagine what that will mean for the growth of your business. Whether your retail business is a small or mid-sized business, you can enjoy exceptional growth by making the move to custom reusable bags for your business.
Even better? Consider seasonal bags to offer as promotional items throughout the year – each one customized for the season at hand.
Keep Your Custom Reusable Bags Useful by Making Them Usable
Some businesses like the idea of custom reusable bags as art. That is great, as long as it is art people will actually use. That means they need to be sized appropriately to be useful and not objectionable in nature. They also need to be useful for your target audience.
For instance, if you’re offering high-end cosmetic products, nylon drawstring bags might not be the best choice for you. However, if you sell kids sporting equipment, camping equipment, or other types of products in your retail store, those same reusable drawstring bags might be the perfect match.
The bottom line is that if they are not useful to your target audience (or to people who will show them to your target audience by using them), then they are not the best investment to help you grow your business.
The Bottom Line
It’s not easy to grow retail businesses in a world that is becoming numb to advertisements. However, your custom eco-friendly reusable bags can make a big splash in circles that are otherwise immune to advertising through radio, the internet, and traditional media. Try them for your business today and see what a huge impact these customizable bags can make for your customers when it comes to loyalty, word of mouth advertising, and building better brand recognition.