Want to see a magic? Get up and go check your closet / kitchen /store to see how many Shopping bags you / your spouse / your mum /even your kids have saved. I can bet there are more than ten there - of various sizes, substrate and brands. Right?
We saved them when they were free. We save them more when we have to pay for them now.
We saved them when they were of polythene. We save them more now that they are of recycled paper, jute or cloth. And we will continue to do that.
Earlier they were saved more due to their utility, now the Shopping bag you carry also speaks of your lifestyle. Case in point, attached picture. A colleague who prefers to bring in a heavily taped Ralph Loren shopping bag against a non-taped bag of any other lesser brand.
In fact I did a dipstick in our office and of the 13 bags, six were international brands (Da Millano, Zara, Harrods, Benetton, Vero Moda, SunGlass Hut) and rest strong Indian brands with distinct personality (Cotton World, Le 15 Patisserie, Forest Essential, Fab India) Of course the reasons were varied “such good material” “the size is perfect for my stuff” “I like the colour” but we all know the “real” reason – the brand name on the Shopping bag adds to your self-worth and perception. After all, today you ARE, what (where) you SHOP!
Then look at what they do for the Brand itself.
- They are the brand ambassadors post purchase. We all remember, at least the ladies do, the shopping bags carried by Carrie Bradshaw and friends in S&C.
- They travel all over the city, sometimes to places where the brand can never reach.
- They are in the consumer homes long after the main packaging is gone, offering constant reminder
The shopping bag should tell you what is really important for the brand. The West is totally tuned in to the importance of that. Some iconic luxury brands - like the Brown Bag, which have represented Bloomingdale’s for almost four decades as eternally relevant to the times , Desigual shopping bags which reflect the intense prints and flamboyant colours of the brand or Bergdorf Goodman’s iconic lavender shopping bags which mirror the uber luxury quotient of the store and so many others- have further established themselves through their shopping bags. 
Shopping bags have magical powers: for the consumer - it flaunts an aspect of consumer’s personality to the world. And for the brand – showcases a facet of their essence that is visible even when the product is not being used. Respect the magic!!
V.P Marketing
Thanks for the information. I really like the way you express complex topics in lucid way. It really helps me understand it much better way shopping bags for women
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