The High-End Experience
When customers are purchasing high-end or expensive products, they’re not just looking for an item, they’re looking for an experience. High-end retailers make a conscious and active decision to introduce and utilise experiential elements into the purchase process to elevate the perceived value of their products and brand. This is often consistent of enticing aromas, thoughtful greetings, smart employee uniforms, spacious & modern retail spaces, free gifts with purchases, and luxury branded gift bags with thoughtful packaging additions.
These experiential elements are important as they not only enhance the purchase experience, but they continue to contribute to the value of the purchase even after the customer exits the store. The experience continuation is most heavily contributed to by the luxury bag, bridging the gap in the experience between purchase and post-purchase. It’s not only experientially crucial; with a luxury and quality carrier bag, high end retailers are showing the value and excellence of their brands to hundreds and thousands of potential customers on the high street. Luxury bags are a key marketing tool, and it’s important to get the balance perfect to leverage all the qualities of a luxury gift bag.
A Style Icon
Luxury gift bags are as glamourous as a bag can get. These bags take the ‘carrier bag’ to a whole new level, and in essence, redefine the meaning of what a carrier bag is. No longer does a carrier bag need to be single use, no longer does a carrier bag need to be plain and simple and no longer does a carrier bag need to be a cheap afterthought. With a luxury bag, a carrier bag becomes a brand asset, mirroring the quality of a high-end product and/or service in the robustness and class of the bag’s materials, print and packaging features.
For high-end brands, style and fashion is already baked into the make-up of the brand through both its intrinsic and perceived value. A luxury bag is simply a reflection of, and vessel for that style; a canvas showcasing beautiful brands, elevating classy products, and projecting quality through outstanding look and feel. Style should be effortless, and with a luxury bag, the class is present and obvious before printing, select the handles, adding extra features or choosing the size. With thick, quality paper and the option for matt or glossy lamination, die cut or external handles and a plethora of additional customisation options, Luxury Bags are a true reflection of their name.
Building THE bag
When it comes to high end products, the carrier bag can have no compromises. If the bag is not a reflection of the product, branding or the messaging of a marketing campaign, then not only will this lessen the impact of the message, but it will also create inconsistency in the purchase experience. It can also have an impact on the perceived value of the brand – everything must be perfect.
With a Luxury printed gift bag, brands don’t just get the ability to customise the bag, they get full control over the outcome of the bag. With a luxury bag, the level of control over each decision and detail is unparalleled. Firstly, the finish: luxury bags can come with a matt lamination for a smooth, muted and classy finish, glossy lamination for a striking & shiny look, or an unlaminated kraft finish for a natural, organic and rustic look and feel. When it comes to the print, we can match any brand colour pantones, print any design, and we can even print on the inside of the bag. When paired with the right finish, a beautiful design comes to life on a luxury bag.
Our luxury bags are also the only bag we offer that, no matter how many are ordered, full control is given over the size of the bag. We have a luxury bag size guide to help brands ascertain what sizes are generally required for what purpose, but if a bag is needed for a specific product in a particular size, we can make it to any exact specification.
Brands can also select their handle from a range of choices. Either opt for a die cut handle (where the handle is punched out from the bag), a polypropylene or cotton rope handle, or for something more elegant, a cotton, satin or grosgrain ribbon handle. We can also provide different coloured ribbon & rope handles, ensuring brands achieve parity between the handle and the bag’s design allowing both elements to complement each other.
For that extra level of customisation, enabling uniqueness through contrast and tactility, there are also several special personalisation features available on luxury bags. As previously mentioned, a luxury gift bag can be printed on the inside for complete continuity of design, or for special messages. These bags can also be ribbon-closed, mimicking a true ‘gift’ and making each bag feel extra special and private. Eyelets can also be added to the holes around the handle, giving an additional touch of luxury and quality. There are also several specific printing features available for luxury bags. Gloss UV can be applied to create a shiny ‘varnish’-style coating to emblems, logos or lettering on the bag. Hot foil can also be applied as a shiny, high-contrast and stand-out addition to the bag’s design, helping the most important part of your design sparkle. Embossing & debossing also enables brands to add three-dimensional, tactile elements to their bag. This feature allows you to raise or recess the material for specific emblems or lettering to help them stand out on the bag.
A Bag for Everything
The quality of a luxury bag doesn’t just provide perceived value through style, it also increases the reusability of the bag. Luxury bags use Americal Bristol Grade, or C1S papers, which are robust, card-like kraft paper. Laminated or unlaminated, these paper types can stand the test of time and can easily support large quantities of items and weighty items too. Additionally, laminated kraft bags are weatherproof, reducing their compromise as a carrier bag in comparison to plastic.
The handles on a luxury bag also give a soft, comfortable and uniquely luxurious feel, something that just cannot be achieved by other carrier bags. Rope & ribbon handles are particularly strong and long-lasting and can be repurposed by the customer if desired.
Luxury bags also make ideal reusable gift bags, as well as home storage bags due to their quality & style. Not only do their reusability credentials elevate their eco-friendliness, but they also significantly improve their marketing reach, helping to elevate a brand’s exposure.
Elevating the Brand
A luxury bag occupies the space where a carrier bag goes from being an afterthought, to becoming a piece of merchandise. Where something perceived as simply functional becomes something perceived as valuable and desirable. It’s not just about the experiential improvements that a printed luxury bag offers to a product, it’s also about the brand associations and brand exposure that such a bag can deliver.
A luxury bag for high-end products not only offers the most appropriate and stylish option for the product, but it also showcases the brand on a small, portable billboard. Whether the goal is to create specific associations, deliver a key message, or improve the salience of a brand, a luxury bag and the perfect design can be an important marketing tool. Their reusability only further catalyses their effectiveness, with customers regularly showcasing the brand and delivering key messages both explicitly and subliminally. It’s widely reported that consumers can see up to 10,000 ads per day, with brands willing to pay large sums for consumers’ attention. A luxury bag achieves brand exposure as just a perk of its functionality, style and reusability.
Rounding Off the Experience
For high-end purchases, the focus is always on the product. What a great luxury bag does is cast focus on the product by complementing it – being the ideal size, having features that elevate the whole experience, and showcase the brand in the best possible way. The bag is all about taking the experience home, keeping the brand front-and centre, and increasing the perceived value of the product. With a luxury gift bag, brands gain full control over ensuring consistency between every stage of the product experience and creating a marketing tool that can be extremely powerful at improving their brand’s exposure.
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