For many companies, the chief purpose of retail or promotional packaging is to advertise the business. If this is the primary concern, it makes sense to look to Die Cut Handle Bags, lightweight modern bags that allow for clearly visible custom printing. For this reason, the bags are often used as promotional gift bags, in trade shows, for example.

Usually made from low-density plastic, die cut handle bags are often one of the least expensive bags in a retail packaging company’s product line. The term “die cut” refers to the method of cutting the handle, in which a moving blade punches the plastic against a fixed blade (the “die”). This results in comfortable but not particularly sturdy handles. Generally, the top of the bag is folded over before the oval or curved-corner rectangle hole is cut into the doubled portion. Even then, there is no additional reinforcement around the handles.

Like the similar patch handle bag (which has stronger handles), die cut handle bags have a contemporary look and thus offer unobstructed views of the advertising message the retailer or promoter may print on the bag. They are well suited for lightweight items and is excellent for clothing, jewelry, cosmetics, and small gift items. They are also great trade show bags. Die cut handle bags are among the most popular retail packaging bags, and the inexpensive plastic bags are ideal for promotional giveaways.

Dimensions of die cut shopping bags are generally given in two dimensions, so a standard 12×15 foldover diecut bag is twelve inches wide by fifteen inches long. A third dimension, as in a 15x18x4 bag, indicates a side gusset for easy expansion (in this case, four inches).

In the S. Walter Packaging catalog, foldover diecut bags come in clear, white, and ivory, all of which make for clearly visible hot-stamp printing. They are also available with a pre-printed “Thank you” design, with the appreciative phrase repeated on the bags. This is a great economical option for retailers.

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If you liked this Packaging guide to Plastic Die Cut Handle Bags, you’ll love:
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

It’s probably what springs to mind first for most people when they hear “plastic bags,” the T-shirt bag is a ubiquitous plastic shopping bag, found at almost any type of retailer or other business. More functional than stylish, T-shirt bags are an inexpensive choice for retail packaging.

Most usually constructed of high-density polyethylene plastic, T-shirt bags can also be made of low-density poly material. High-density poly is surprisingly durable and strong for its low weight and thinness, so T-shirt bags are commonly found in stores whose products are bulky and/or heavy. They are also popular in food and retail operations that need quick-at-hand, low-cost packaging.

The name T-shirt bag comes from their distinctive look, like a clothing vest with two strong loop handles (they also make good T-shirt carriers!). This style of bag lends itself well to grocery stores, shoe stores, sporting goods stores, and all types of clothing and gift shops. Grocery stores use the as the “plastic” choice when customers are asked “paper or plastic?” (The paper choice is usually an SOS grocery bag.)

Although they flatten out very thin for storage and shipping (their low weight also keeps shipping costs low), T-shirt bags have a large fold along their sides (called “gussets”), so they expand to hold large items. The very wide gussets make this bag especially good for take-out restaurants. Some foam or plastic food containers do not fit into SOS bags or paper shoppers, but they will fit easily into a similar-sized T-shirt bag.

Although they are inexpensive functional packaging, T-shirt bags do not have to be plain or unattractive. In the S. Walter Packaging catalog, for example, these retail plastic bags are available in such colors as dark blue, dark green, magenta, red, teal, white, and yellow. All of these colors can be custom printed with company or store name or logo, so that they provide a vehicle for advertising.

To save money and still get a custom packaging look, retailers can choose one of the standard T-shirt bag designs. Common designs include the iconic smiley face, a fish scene, and a “thank you” bag design. The thank you T-shirt bag says to customers what every store should be saying: “thank you for your business.” Literally. And isn’t that what retail packaging is all about?

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If you liked this Packaging guide to plastic T-shirt Bags, you’ll love:
Packaging Guide vol. 1: Merchandise Bags
Packaging Guide vol. 2: Grocery Bags (SOS Bags)
Packaging Guide vol. 3: Paper Shopping Bags

Paper shopping bags are a mainstay of many retailers, used to advertise a store and develop brand image. They are also used for individual gift packaging, promotional pieces, or events. This installment in our series of packaging guides considers paper shopping bags and their many uses and forms.

Shopping bags come in many varieties. They are most often made from paper, but may be constructed from low-density polyethylene or other plastic (plastic shopping bags will be considered in a subsequent packaging guide). Even for paper shopping bags there is much choice of materials and finishes, from simple natural kraft paper to high gloss laminated colors. The choices range in price, but choosing the right look for your store can be about style as much as economics.

Paper shopping bags are available in a range of sizes. Their sizes are measured in three dimensions: width x side x height, so a standard 16x6x12 bag (known as Vogue-size), is 16 inches wide by 6 inches at the bottom and 13 inches high. A smaller size, perhaps 8x4x10 shopping bag, is known as Cub-size. Larger, squarer bags (such as 18x7x19 shoppers) are known as Queen-size bags. Most stores will do well to order their chosen style(s) in several sizes to package varied items.

The standard paper shopping bag has a flat bottom (often with a cardboard reinforcement), side gussets (a fold of paper which allows the bag to store flat and expand for use), and comes with two handles attached to the edges of the bag. Some paper shoppers, known as trapezoid shopping bags, taper from the top to bottom, so the top width is greater than the bottom width. Measurements for these bags are given as top width – bottom width x side x height, as in a 20-16x6x12 trapezoid shopper, where the top is 20 inches and the bottom width is 16 inches. (A less-used variety, known as the inverted trapezoid, has a longer bottom than top.)

As a standard, paper shopping bags come with twisted paper handles in white, natural tan, or matching the color of the shopper. Other handles are also available, the most popular alternative being macrame or braided handles. Usually found in combination with laminated paper folded over at the top, a cardboard reinforced bottom, and metal grommets (rings which strengthen the paper at the handle), rope handles are the defining characteristic of Euro-style paper shopping bags. Also known as eurototes, Euro-shoppers signify a more refined packaging look and are common in high-end retailers or for use as gift bags.

More expensive than grocery sacks or T-shirt bags, paper shopping bags were traditionally limited to stores marketing expensive merchandise who wanted to promote their store and brand. Today, clothing and giftware retailers use paper shopping bags as functional packaging and a sure-fire way to establish an upscale image. Fine jewelry and cosmetic retailers use small sizes of paper shoppers as part of their packaging program. Even supermarkets, especially ones in areas that have a large walking trade, choose paper shopping bags over traditional, less expensive SOS grocery bags.

This bag style also offers a wide variety of end uses that far exceed the traditional retailer’s need to package purchased goods. Paper shopping bags, especially in smaller sizes, can be used as stand-alone gift bags, replacing a gift box. When constructed of colorful paper, or printed with unique designs, the bag is a quick and creative way to wrap a gift. Retail paper shopping bags can also popular with non-retail businesses to use as a promotional piece, or as a give-away when introducing new products, or when exhibiting at trade shows or industry conventions.

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If you enjoyed this guide to paper shopping bags, you’ll love:
Packaging Guide to Merchandise Bags
Packaging Guide to Grocery Bags (SOS Bags)

We will be adding more packaging guides to different varieties of retail packaging available in at SWalter.com. Bookmark this blog or subscribe to our feed to catch the latest articles.

There are a wide variety of paper and plastic bags available for retail use, with an option to fit any business, from high-end clothing store to neighborhood hardware shop. This was not always the case. When Simon Walter founded his packaging supply company in Philadelphia in 1904 – the company that would become S. Walter Packaging Corp. – choices for retailers were severely limited. Remarkably, the sturdy grocery bag, or SOS bag, is a packaging option from that time that remains as durable in its popularity as in its carrying strength. In this, the second installment of our guide to packaging choices, we examine the uses and options that grocery bags provide.

S.Walter’s original business centered around supplying retailers with kraft paper products. Generally, purchases would be wrapped in this paper and tied up with string (The word kraft is derived from the German for “strong,” kraft paper’s defining characteristic was and remains it’s strength.) To allow customers to carry home more items, and therefore  make larger purchases, inventive retailers developed sturdy SOS bags.

Today SOS bags are still most often constructed of white or natural kraft paper, but may also be made of high density plastic. (SOS is alternatively said to abbreviate “self opening style,” “self opening sacks,” and even “self opening square-bottomed.”) When folded, grocery bags are flat. Folded out, they remain flat on the bottom, with side gussets (a “gusset” is a fold of paper that allows for side expansion), and will remain open and in an upright position without assistance. This provides the end user with an easy-to-load bag capable of holding heavy and/or bulky products.

The bag size will usually determine the possible end-uses of this extremely versatile bag style. In larger sizes, these sturdy SOS bags are used by grocery and hardware stores, discount stores, lumber yards, craft stores, shoe, toy, and sporting goods stores, and potentially any retailer selling bulky or heavy products. In small sizes, the SOS bag may be a carry-out food bag, a lunch bag, and even a gift bag.

The dimensions of SOS and grocery bags are given using width x side gusset x height, so a 7×4½x14 SOS bag has a bottom 7 inches by 4½ inches and is 14-inches tall. This can also be given as 7×4½x14x4½ (the two 4½ measurements referring to the side and the bottom gusset dimensions, usually the same).

More image conscious retailers generally stay away from SOS bags or grocery sacks, choosing stylish options like eurototes or high-gloss shoppers. Grocery bags are considered to be primarily functional packaging, and are rarely used by upscale retailers selling high-end merchandise. That said, small add-ons can make SOS bags an attractive packaging option for a variety of retailers. Using custom labels with store logo or information to close the SOS bag, especially a white kraft paper bag, can transform it into an elegant gift bag. Likewise, printing company logos or info onto the bag adds an element of class to the bag and utilizes an easy advertising opportunity.

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If you enjoyed this packaging guide to grocery bags, check out our packaging guide to merchandise bags. Bookmark this blog or subscribe to our feed as we provide more packaging guides to popular retail products in the weeks to come.

Whether they are made from paper or plastic, merchandise bags are a great packaging option for retailers small or large.

A mainstay at card shops, news stands, and book stores, merchandise bags are suitable for any retailer selling small items — beauty products, souvenirs, or jewelry, for example. They also make a great add-on for a larger packaging program, with customized plastic merchandise bags and matching larger plastic shoppers. Customized plastic merchandise bags are also popularly used as promotional giveaways, stocked with knick-knacks, postcards, and other small promotions.

The classic paper merchandise bag is constructed of tan-colored natural kraft paper. Usually made at least in part of recycled post-consumer fibers, natural kraft paper merchandise bags provide an earth-friendly and inexpensive way to package light retail purchases. For a classier look, go with the simple elegance of white merchandise bags, suitable for more upscale stores and more suited to custom printing or labels. Boutiques and art stores may consider using random print merchandise bags, which come in delightful and colorful printed designs on recycled paper. Each case of random print merchandise bags will contain slightly different paper prints, perfect and affordable idiosyncratic packaging for a unique independent retailer.

Choosing plastic merchandise bags yields many advantages too. Kraft paper bags may look the most earth-friendly choice, but recently manufacturers have been praising the environmental benefits of their plastic counterparts. They are reused more often (also a plus if the bags feature a business logo or name), weigh less so use less energy to transport and take up less landfill space; they are also often made of post-consumer recycled material, using little water and generating little pollution in their manufacture. More than that, plastic merchandise bags come in an array of bright, attractive colors, look great with custom printing, and are surprisingly close in price to paper.  They provide an inexpensive way to boost your brand and attract attention to your store. For added pizazz, look to super gloss merchandise bags, made of shiny and eye-catching low-density plastic.

One benefit of using merchandise bags as part of your retail packaging program is the range of sizes in which they come. Small merchandise bags may measure just 5×7^1/2“, ideal for postcards or mini-books, whereas large merchandise bags could easily hold vinyl records or large art supplies.

Merchandise bag dimensions are measured width by height, so a 12×15 merchandise bag is twelve inches wide (measured along bottom), fifteen inches long (measured along side from bottom to opening). On paper merchandise bags, the top of the bag, where the front and the back come together, often has zig-zagged, or “serrated” edges. These merchandise bags are sometimes called S.E. bags (serrated-edge bags). To ease opening, the front and back are often slightly different lengths. In this case, the height is measured along the shorter front side.

Usually flat, a merchandise bag may have an extra fold of paper or plastic on the side for easy expansion. This fold is known as a gusset. Bags sold as merchandise bags will not have a gusset on the bottom; a bag with gussets on the sides and bottom is commonly known as a “grocery bag,” “shopping bag,” or “SOS bag” (self-opening style bag). Dimensions for merchandise bags with side gussets are given as width x gusset x height, as in a14x3x21 random print merchandise bag. The gusset dimension is the maximum expansion size, so a 12x3x15 bag is holds roughly the same as a 15×18 bag.

S.Walter offers a large selection of plastic and paper merchandise bags, in multiple sizes and colors, all at competitive wholesale prices. Plus, our easy-to-use Bag Builder makes it simple to customize your bags, making an affordable and convenient packaging option even better.