Should you offer a bag for life? blog post

17th June 2019

Should you offer a ‘bag for life’?

With Aldi this year being one of the last supermarkets to move to only offering 10p ‘bags for life’ rather than the standard 5p carrier, do customers now expect more durable, reusable carrier bags on offer from their favourite stores?

Since 2017 when Tesco scrapped their 5p carriers, the trend of large stores only offering 10p ‘bags for life’ has continued. Stores are encouraging customers to remember to bring their bags along with them or purchase flexi-loop or reinforced carriers that will last for significantly longer than standard, often single use vest handle plastic bags.

So has this trend changed the customers view towards paying for these bags in other stores? Or is paying 10p too much for many consumers?

Supermarkets expect the number of bags sold each month to significantly decrease with the removal of the 5p carrier, with Aldi expecting to reduce plastic waste by 900 tonnes. So it’s a good move for the environment but it also provides an increased opportunity for branding your business.

Your customers are now far more likely to keep a good quality bag and re-use it rather than pay the increased charge, making it a great time to replace standard plain carriers with an advertisement for your shop, possibly now seen every time your customer does their weekly shop. Why not put your logo, imagery and values on a bag that will provide better protection for your products, a more comfortable handle for your customer and grabs the attention of others with a design that stands out from the crowd.

With the minimum charge for plastic bags expected to increase to 10p in January 2020 now is a great time to create a really beautiful carrier bag. An attractive flexi-loop carrier is better for the environment, 100% recyclable and of more value to your customer, so why not give our team a call today and let them help you select the perfect ‘bag for life’ for your store.