In business, “branding” has become the new buzz word. Now, many may read that and, correctly, point out that this “new” buzz is anything but. The concept of branding is only a day younger than the concept of marketing, after all. But thanks to new tools and technology—social media, in particular—many companies are rushing out, trying their hardest to create the newest trends and tweets and blogs to get their marketing message across while forgetting about the fundamentals of branding and what it really means.

Branding, as one expert suggests, isn’t restricted to a company’s logo or its appearance online. Instead, a brand encompasses everything about that company: the aesthetics of the logo, the emotions its product inspires, the appeal those products have to the world at large. Everything a company does affects its brand.

Though it may not seem like it, something as simple as a bag can speak volumes about a company and the philosophy that company represents. Retail packaging plays a major role in this–that’s why you won’t find jewelry store customers carrying their purchases home in t-shirt bags.

The tricky thing about using retail packaging is that it’s such a practical need, that many people don’t consider how it reflects upon the retailer. This can serve a company to its advantage, if done right. Here are a few tips to remember when trying to find the best retail packaging support your brand:

- Know Yourself: Who are you, and how are your products/serviced perceived? Are you known for classing things up? Maybe you’re known for staying green? Your retail packaging is going to be one of the main outlets for reinforcing that perception.

- Know the Customer: Do they look for value? Do they look for luxury? The right bags and boxes can go a long way in helping them tell others what they, as consumers, believe in.

- Know the Experience: The most important thing to remember with branding is that you’re not selling just the products or services; you’re selling a sleek, customized experience that patrons take home with them (and hopefully re-use to carry your brand even further). They take this experience home in the packaging you provide—make sure the packaging is as memorable as the experience!

What do you think? Any lessons you’ve learned about branding that you’d be willing to share?

We were recently involved in an interesting online discussion with some packaging professionals about the essential things people should know about packaging. Most of the contributors were designers or salespeople for wholesale packaging, the type you’d see on a store’s shelf, rather than the retail packaging with which you’d carry those items out the store. Nonetheless, some of the wisdom imparted by these packaging experts is useful for consumers of retail packaging and anyone who wants to know more about choosing packaging.

Here are some nuggets:

• Consider the entire life of the package. Make it a suitable strength. Choosing cheap packaging that proves non-durable will not satisfy you or your customers.
• Packaging and marketing are closely linked.
• Choosing the right packaging involves a mix of marketing goals, cost, sustainability, and packaging objectives.
• Innovation and color are key. Choosing eye-catching packaging will attract customers. However, eye-catching packaging can be simple. A fancy, expensive, out-of-the-world solution is not always best.
• The right packaging varies from business to business. If you don’t understand the needs and uses of the products you’re putting in the in the packaging, you won’t choose the optimal packaging.
• The end user of your packaging wants something that provides a positive experience with the final product.
• Packaging adds value, not waste, to consumers’ lives.
• The packaging will be influenced by many factors: manufacturing process, geographical location, supply chain, marketing/brand strategy, customer & consumer need/insights, and environmental sustainability. So when a consumer holds a simple but attractive bag she will directly or indirectly appreciate all the above elements.
• Rather than thinking of packaging as a necessity, think of its possibility as a media. Packaging can be a very persuasive and cost effective media. We share our life with packaging and it is an important part of a business, yet we don’t seem to pay much attention to it.
• There are three things businesses look for in packaging: 1. Quality, 2. Speedy design and delivery, 3. Low cost. Generally you can have two, but not all three.  Good quality and fast = Not cheap. Really fast and cheap = Less quality.
• Remember the natural resources and cycle behind your packaging.
• Consider packaging’s “value:  value to your business, value to the consumer, value to the environment, value to society.
• In this cost conscious economy, custom packaging is still valuable. Choose packaging that sets your business out from its competitors.  Save where you can, but remember packaging’s worth.
• Knowing packaging is knowing the products that will be packaged, packaging materials, equipment used to make that packaging, shipping and storage conditions, cost, and end-use. Packaging is based on fundamentals of process engineering.
• It’s impossible to know everything about packaging

Contact S. Walter customer service today at 1-800-429.5673 or shop@swalter.com to speak to someone who knows packaging and can help you choose the right bags, boxes, and other retail packaging essentials for your business.

We recently provided a handy guide to gift box sizes, to help you figure out which gift boxes are right for your store or event. The size chart did not cover the very smallest types of gift boxes: jewelry boxes. In part, this is because we all know the primary uses of jewelry boxes. Heck, the use is right there in the name: jewelry. But of course, there are different kinds of jewelry boxes for different kinds of jewelry. Not only that, retail jewelry boxes* come in many shapes, sizes, and styles, and have myriad uses beyond just being attractive jewelry containers.

“Jewelry boxes showcase my work,” says Eleanor Kennell, designer and metalsmith for EleanorJane Jewelry, a maker of quality hand-crafted jewelry in the Philadelphia area. “These are pieces I’ve put a lot of effort and thought into,” she continues. “And I want my customers to know they mean as much to me as I hope they will mean to them. Jewelry boxes protect and personalize each piece.”

The style of retail jewelry boxes can say a lot about the jewelry you sell and the way you want your store or business to be viewed. Earth-conscious jewelers may choose natural-brown kraft jewelry boxes; sellers who want to communicate a carefree, fun-loving vibe might consider assorted colors of jewelry boxes; elegant white boxes are a good stand-by for jewelers of all types. Specially designed View-It jewelry boxes have a clear plastic top, so the jewelry pieces shine through the box and make great display packaging.

S. Walter Packaging offers retail jewelry boxes in all these styles, in sizes suitable for a variety of jewelry, from small earrings to large necklaces. All our boxes are made in part from recycled paperboard and are available at wholesale prices on orders as low as 50 boxes. Boxes can also be custom printed with store or business info or logos.

*When we talk about gift or retail jewelry boxes we mean the packaging, those miniature gift boxes that hold earrings, necklaces, broaches, and other adornments. Retail jewelry boxes are usually made of cardboard, perhaps with a see-through plastic face. The term “jewelry box” can also refer to those large wooden cases with lots of drawers and hidden compartments, but these are less than ideal for individual jewelry piece packaging and transportation. “Jewelry box” is also used to describe ring boxes, padded jewelry holders.

Did you enjoy this packaging guide. You’ll love these other guides:
Packaging Guide vol. 1.3: Paper Shopping Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 1.7: Drawstring Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 1.8: Soft Loop Shoppers
Packaging Guide vol. 2.1: Gift Boxes
Or visit our main packaging guide page for more.

Gift boxes can be purchased in sizes ranging from small (3x3x2) to large (24x16x2.5). In a previous packaging guide we took a look at the types and uses of giftware boxes. Gift boxes are measured in three dimensions: length, width, and depth, in that order and in inches, so a 12x6x2 box is twelve inches long, six inches wide, and two inches deep (good for a bread tray or book). Here we provide a handy guide to choosing the right size gift box for your stores uses. Check out a full selection of gift boxes online at SWalter.com, or click on the size for an example of this box in our online catalog.

Do you have a product perfect for a box size? Let us know in the comment section!

Did you enjoy this packaging guide. You’ll love these other guides:
Packaging Guide vol. 1.1: Merchandise Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 1.3: Paper Shopping Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 1.8: Soft Loop Shoppers
Packaging Guide vol. 2.1: Gift Bags
Or visit our main packaging guide page for more.

Apparel boxes. They are an essential part of any shopping experience for clothes, as familiar as the changing room and the well-fitted mannequins. You choose a dress, a shirt, or cute new sweater you’ve had your eye on — it looks so good on the window model. You go to the changing room to see if it fits your curves as well as it fits those of the mannequin, and you’re delighted to see it looks just perfect. “I’ll take it,” you think, changing back into your now-tawdry-looking old outfit. You pull out your credit card and head to the cash register with your new purchase. The salesperson looks at it approvingly, and places it into an apparel box lined with colored tissue paper. Perhaps you reuse the box afterward, utilizing it as storage for your clothing, or perhaps a box for old letters or documents. If instead of purchasing the clothing for yourself, you intended it as a gift, the apparel box makes ideal gift packaging, especially if the store has gone to the trouble of dressing it up with a bow or ribbon.

As this little anecdote indicates, apparel boxes are an essential part of the packaging program for any retailer of clothing. Apparel Boxes protect merchandise and convey positive image for your company. At swalter.com, you’ll find a selection of these attractive gift boxes available in a range of colors, sizes, and styles. Made from up to 100% recycled paperboard, the two-piece folding construction of these apparel boxes allows for ease of storage and economy in shipping.

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Apparel boxes size recommendation chart
Sizes for apparel boxes are given in three dimensions, usually in inches: length x width x depth. Choose a variety of boxes for your store to accommodate different clothes sizes. Use this handy box recommendation chart to choose the right sizes:
10x7x1.25: small lingerie, linens, blouse
11.5×5.5×1.5: gloves, hosiery, socks, ties
11.5×8.5×1.6125: large lingerie, blouses, children’s wear, towels
15×9.5×2: dresses, shirts, blouses, negligee, skirts, sweaters
17x11x2.5: blankets, bulky sweaters, robe, raincoat
19x12x3: bedspreads, blankets, robes, sportswear sets, dresses
24x14x4: blankets, gowns, coats, suits
25x15x5: heavy coats, furs
15x11x4.5: handbags, other bags

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Did you enjoy this packaging guide? You’ll love these other guides:
Packaging Guide vol. 1.3: Paper Shopping Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 1.9: Garment Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 2.1: Gift Boxes
Or visit our main packaging guide page for more.

Gift boxes, and other types of retail packaging boxes, have several purposes for stores and other businesses. In addition to protecting merchandise, thus providing a valuable customer service, gift boxes convey an image. As part of our ongoing Packaging Guide series, we take a look at the uses of gift boxes, the various types of gift boxes, and how best to choose them.

There are several types of boxes sold under the label “gift boxes.” These include miniature containers known as jewelry boxes, often used, as their name suggests, to hold and present jewelry; hat boxes , sturdy square boxes traditionally used to carry hats and other items; other specialty boxes; and apparel boxes, stout rectangular boxes usually constructed of thin paperboard and suitable for clothing retailers. Jewelry Boxes, Hat Boxes, and Apparel Boxes will all be the subject of individual packaging guides, but these, and other gift boxes which don’t fit into those categories, share several characteristics.

Unlike shopping bags, which can be made of paper, plastic, or other material, gift boxes are almost solely constructed of paperboard, although the quality and thickness can vary considerably. In addition to the construction material, different gift boxes are distinguished by their coloring or finish. Simple white gift boxes may be suitable for many retailers. Eco-conscious stores could look to kraft paperboard gift boxes for a natural look. For a more upscale image, consider colored boxes with gloss or matte finish, or quality white gift boxes. The appearance of all these gift boxes is greatly improved by the simple addition of colored or printed tissue paper. For the best and classic look, wrap the box in ribbon and adorn with a bow.

With the exception of some thick-board set-up boxes, gift boxes are generally shipped and stored flat for ease of storage and economy in shipping. They should be quick to assemble into finished boxes. The two standard varieties of gift boxes are one-piece and two-piece. One-piece gift boxes, as their name suggests, come in one piece of top and lid; two-piece gift boxes are assembled from two parts, a base and a lid. The top of a two-piece gift box can be small, about one or two inches deep, or it can be the same depth as the base piece. Two-piece boxes are generally more upscale. Set-up boxes (boxes which sold ready made, or set-up), or two-piece folding boxes designed to look like set-up boxes, are seen as most luxurious.

Gift boxes are measured in three dimensions: length, width, and depth, in that order. So a 10″x5″x4″ one-piece box measures 10 inches long by 5 inches wide and is 4 inches deep when assembled. Of course, gift boxes are often square, as in a 10″x10″x6″ gift box (10 by 10 inch square box, 6 inches deep).

Within a store, gift boxes can have several uses. Primarily, they are obviously containers used to hold apparel, gift ware, or jewelry. They can also be resold at gift wrapping holders for customers, used as lightweight shipping containers, or as part of an in-store display.

As part of a complete packaging program, gift boxes heighten a store’s appeal to its customers. They can be color-coordinated with bags, gift wrap, and/or tissue paper to create a stylish brand identity for a business. As with shopping bags, gift boxes can also be emblazoned with a company logo, promotional message, or store name. Doing so will help engender brand loyalty and create added advertising benefits as boxes are reused.

S. Walter Packaging carries the finest in wholesale gift boxes for your store, business, or event. We have a selection of quality one- and two-piece gift boxes, jewelry boxes, apparel boxes, and other specialty boxes in a range of sizes, shapes, and colors. Visit swalter.com/boxes now to see our complete catalog.

Did you enjoy this packaging guide. You’ll love these other guides:
Packaging Guide vol. 1.1: Merchandise Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 1.3: Paper Shopping Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 1.8: Soft Loop Shoppers
Or visit  our main packaging guide page for more.

“Garment Bag” is a general term used to describe the product which covers clothing on a hanger. This bag may be plastic and come on a roll, it may be plastic but sold as individual cut bags, or it may be vinyl, nylon, or a variety of other materials and have a zipper somewhere on the front or side.

Roll Garment Bags:
Garment Bag rolls may be constructed from thin gauge polyethylene (usually 1 mil thick or less) and be put on a roll containing approximately 1,500 feet of material and usually in uneven numbers between 250 to 400. There rolls are available in a variety of lengths to accommodate children’s clothing, men’s suits, ladies’ street-length dresses, floor-length dresses (such as bridal dresses), and others. The bags are perforated at the length specified and one bag can easily be torn off the roll to be placed over the hanging garment. These are the garment bags used most widely by retail clothing stores and dry cleaning businesses.

Individual Garment Bags:
Individual garment bags are not on a roll, but are individually packaged in a case and may be removed one at a time. They are most often made of 1 mil polyethylene plastic, or sometimes heavier gauge. Although more expensive per bag than garment bags on a roll, individually cut garment bags are more appealing to clothing retails who are selling expensive items and want a more upscale look. Individual garment bags are also easier to print with a company logo or name.

Zipper Garment Bags (PPNW and Vinyl):
Usually made from vinyl or PPNW, a zipper garment bag is one which, as it’s name suggests, has a zipper on the side or (most usually) the front. The zipper usually runs down the center of the front, but diagonal zippers are also seen sometimes. PPNW garment bags are often available in a range of stylish colors.

Ideal for printing with a company logo for great advertising, these bags are used by upscale clothing retailers, especially menwear stores selling suits and jackets, to package their merchandise. Because a zipper bag is re-usable, it is most often kept by the consumer and becomes a hanging travel bag or a clothing storage bag, adding a lifetime of promotion for the original retailer. A retailer may choose to use this more expensive bag for higher quality or priced merchandise (men’s suits or sports coats, for example), and individually cut or poly roll garment bags for less expensive items (cheaper sports coats, slacks, and loose shirts, for example).

Bridal and formal ware stores use a special 72-inch long bridal zipper bag that is specially constructed to accommodate a bridal gown. These may have a flair at the bottom (an A-line or flair zipper bag), or a wide gusset at the bottom (a bell bottom zipper bag).

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S. Walter Packaging offers vinyl and PPNW garment bags and individually cut and rolls of poly garment bags as part of a selection of high quality retail packaging. Visit swalter.com/bags/plastic-bags/garment-covers to see our full selection of garment bags.

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This packaging guide to garment covers is part of our ongoing series of informational guides to retail packaging. Visit our main packaging guide page or check out one of the previous guides:
Packaging Guide vol. 1: Merchandise Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 2: Grocery Bags (SOS Bags)
Packaging Guide vol. 3: Paper Shopping Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 4: T-shirt Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 5: Die Cut Handle Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 6: Patch Handle Plastic Shopping Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 7: Drawstring Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 8: Soft Loop Shoppers

Plastic bags usually feature one of two sorts of handles. Handles can be either attached to the upper edge of the bag or cut into the bag. Those heat sealed to the top of the bag are generally stronger and more upscale than other handle styles.

Attached handles can be a rigid, molded handle or made of the same material (or a similar heavy piece of polyethylene) as the main bag. The most popular style of attached handles for plastic shopping bags are soft loop handles. These soft loops allow the bag to be slipped over the end-user’s wrist, making for comfortable shopping.

Like the best paper shopping bags, when custom printed soft loop shoppers present an upscale image to customers. Also like the paper shopping bag, soft loop plastic shoppers are popular for promotional or trade show purposes.

Unlike some other shopping bags, soft loop shoppers generally only have expansions (gussets) on the bottom, and not on the side. This means they are usually not freestanding and are less suitable for larger items. Although bulky and/or heavy gift items usually do not fit in the bags or may stretch the plastic, soft loop shoppers are ideal for apparel and other soft goods and so suitable for many kinds of retailers.

Like for other bags, measurements for soft loop shoppers are given as width x height. The size of the bottom gusset is indicated by the third dimension (as in a 16x15x6 Ameritote soft loop plastic shopper) or by the middle dimension (as in a 16x6x12 color soft loop shopper).

Because they are mainly designed for upscale use, soft loop shoppers generally come in many attractive colors, finishes, and sizes. S. Walter Packaging offers a line of frosted colorlucent plastic shoppers with soft loop handles and frosted clear soft loop shoppers. We also have soft loop handle shoppers in white and black dot patterns and an attractive ivory scroll. Particularly popular are our Ameritote brand soft loop shoppers, made from 25% post-consumer material and sold in half a dozen bright colors. Check out the full selection at swalter.com.

Did you enjoy this guide to soft loop shoppers? You’ll love our other entries:
Packaging Guide vol. 1: Merchandise Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 2: Grocery Bags (SOS Bags)
Packaging Guide vol. 3: Paper Shopping Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 4: T-shirt Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 5: Die Cut Handle Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 6: Patch Handle Plastic Shopping Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 7: Drawstring bags
Or see the main Packaging Guide page.

As part of our commitment to providing packaging solutions for retailers around the world, S. Walter Packaging is offering an informational look at various types of retail packaging — bags, boxes, and other retail essentials. We continue our look at different types of shopping bags with a guide to drawstring bags.

A drawstring bags is identified by a length of string, cord, or (usually polyethylene) plastic that is visible at the top of the bag. The cord runs the circumference of the bag’s opening and can be pulled to create two handles when the bag is drawn shut.

Drawstring bags are in the middle price range of plastic bags (plastic string drawstring bags are usually cheaper) and are preferred by such retailers as shoe stores, sporting good stores, and clothing retailers who sell active-wear or children’s garments. Because a drawstring bag gathers up at the top when closed, the contents of the bag are often forced into a clump at the bottom of the bag. For this reason, it is not usually preferred by upper-end clothing stores, but is excellent for boxed shoes, jeans, T-shirts, and swimwear.

Drawstring bags are associated with an active lifestyle. PPNW reusable drawstring bags are often used as gym bags and plastic drawstring bags are ideal for hotels, spas, and fitness centers for use as a clothing bag, swim bag, laundry bag, or for the hotel or gym store. Both the drawstring and the plastic draw are also excellent for use in tourist or resort areas, where they can be carried and re-used.

Because the bag folds when it is closed, printing on the bag may be distorted. However, because this handle style is so convenient for anyone to carry, it is often kept and reused, thereby increasing the benefits of logo or name printing on the bag. To maximize the advertising benefit, it is recommended that most of the print copy, or the main logo, be confined to the lower half of the bag.

Drawstring bags are flat in storage, and usually have a bottom expansion (gusset). The third dimension indicates the gusset size: so a 16x18x3 cotton drawcord bag has a three-inch bottom gusset.

S. Walter Packaging offers white cotton drawcord bags in several sizes. Made from 2-mil plastic, these sturdy bags are ideal for being printed and great for reuse.

Did you enjoy this guide? You’ll love our other entries:
Packaging Guide vol. 1: Merchandise Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 2: Grocery Bags (SOS Bags)
Packaging Guide vol. 3: Paper Shopping Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 4: T-shirt Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 5: Die Cut Handle Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 6: Patch Handle Plastic Shopping Bags
Or see the main Packaging Guide page.

Plastic bags come in many different varieties, from utilitarian T-shirt bags to glamorous frosted plastic shoppers. For a high-quality appearance with a strong handle, choose Patch Handle bags.

Available at relatively low costs, these plastic shopping bags are similar to die cut handle bags. An oval or rectangular hole is cut into the upper portion of the bag, with a reinforcing “patch” of clear plastic that has been glued or heat-seated to the inside of the bag. The handles are designed to resist tearing and make carrying more comfortable. A “waffle” effect is usually visible around the handle hole on the outside of the bag.

The patch handle bag is available in low-density plastic and sometimes high-density plastic. The bag is relatively inexpensive when compared to other plastic handled bags, allows the graphics on the bag to be clearly visible and has a contemporary look. The handle, however, will not fit over the wrist and this bag style is usually not preferred for very heavy items, but it is very popular for jewelry, clothing, and small gift items.

The look of Patch Handle Shopping Bags is clearly modern, and they are most commonly seen in whites or simple colors. They generally do not have side gussets, but their bold rectangular sides make them well suited for printing with a company name or logo. For this this reason, they are popular as give away bags at promotional events or trade shows. As trade show bags, they work well carrying knick knacks or informational handouts and provide a great moving advertisement.

Dimensions of patch handle plastic shopping bags are usually given in two dimensions, so a standard 12×15 patch handle bag is twelve inches wide by fifteen inches long. A third dimension, as in a 12×3×18 bag, indicates a side gusset for easy expansion (in this case, three inches).

S. Walter Packaging offers patch handle bags in white and ivory and in a range of sizes, so they can be used as part of a full retail packaging program. Browse our online catalog of patch handle bags today.

This entry is part of an ongoing series of blog posts considering and providing information and tips on retail packaging. If you like this Packaging Guide to Plastic Patch Handle Bags, check out:
Packaging Guide vol. 1: Merchandise Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 2: Grocery Bags (SOS Bags)
Packaging Guide vol. 3: Paper Shopping Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 4: T-shirt Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 5: Die Cut Handle Bags