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Are you looking for ways to get into the black this quarter? Are your profits growing, but at a rate that’s not quite up to speed? Sure, big changes, like opening an online store, increasing your hours, or hosting in-store events can help you turn a bigger profit, but what about the smaller details?

Believe it or not shopping bags are a proven way to increase your bottom line. How can that be? Check out these reasons.

1. Custom Shopping Bags Can Help You Get Repeat Customers

According to a recent survey, 52% of customers will purchase a second item from a store with quality, festive packaging. Imagine if every other person who walked into your store returned the next week to buy something else. You’d be making more in no time, and your customer base would grow even more if customers stepped out with your branded bag (assuming you’ve worked on brand recognition, which you totally have, right?). Think about including your logo, your store colors, a company motto if you have one, or other information you feel is both succinct and relevant. Think of the shopping bag as your elevator pitch. It’s your walking billboard.

2. Customized Shopping Bags Can Really Bump Up Your Shareability

An e-Commerce Packaging Survey let retailers know that 83% of shoppers will share a picture of a cute shopping bag or retail package on Facebook, and 4 out of 10 shoppers will share a photo of their purchase in the box or bag on some form of social media. With numbers like that, you’re essentially losing money if you don’t invest in the best advertising option in today’s social media-dominated world. And it makes sense, too. If you take the time to create brand-centric, custom shopping bags with logo prints, your clients will feel excited about shopping at your store—and they’re going to want to broadcast that excitement to their followers.

3. Custom Shopping Bags Increase Your Credibility

Nothing says, My company is broke like a flimsy, plain shopping bag. Taking the cheapest way out also conveys, perhaps subliminally, the lethal message that you really couldn’t care less about the products you’re selling. Custom shopping bags give you a more upscale image and vibe, which brings in customers who are willing and able to spend more to prove that they’re a part of the club. Of course, in reality, your merchandise likely covers a wide range of price points, but your packaging should always reflect an exclusive, high-end brand.

4. You Can Find a Way to Use Packaging to Get People
Back in Your Store

Custom packaging can be worth its weight in gold. You may gain new customers as a result of people spotting your bag on the street. And it seems feasible that many customers will reuse your packaging in some way. And it’s great when customers decide to share their experience on social media, giving you that added free marketing. But imagine what could happen if you made your packaging, well, work for you? Have you ever thought about creating an incentive program built around your packaging? One benefit is you’ll get customers back into your store and hopefully, that will translate into them making multiple purchases. For example, you could encourage customers to return their shopping bags to your store—once they’ve returned 5, they earn 15% off their next purchase. It’s a foolproof marketing plan that both saves and makes you money. Plus, your customers will appreciate and likely spread the word about your environmental consciousness.

5. You Can Give Back—and Show It On Your Shopping Bag

Everyone is looking for an excuse to shop, and what better excuse could you possibly give your customers than shopping for a cause? Select a local charity or organization that matches with your brand’s values, and dedicate a small percentage of your sales during a specific time period towards it. Yes, a bag is free advertising, but how you market that bag, and what you put on it, aside from your logo and social media handles, matters. Let people who see your bag know that you’re a store that gives back. You could print something like, “2% of every purchase goes toward our local soup kitchen.” Advertising your philanthropic side on your packaging can help bring in new customers and make repeat ones feel like they’re making an ethical, helpful choice when they shop with you—and all of this increases your bottom line.

RELATED: How Custom Shopping Bags Can Help Your Retail Business Stand Out from the Competition

There are the more obvious ways to grow your profit margin (unfortunately, those are also usually the ones that cost the most money), and there are the simpler, actually fun ways to drive profits skywards. Buying customized shopping bags in bulk, and having them shipped directly to you, can not only save you money, but it can also help to elevate your brand and store.

Not sure how to design a bag that’s right for your store? Having difficulty deciding what to print on your shopping bags when there are so many great things to say about your store? Let one of our customer service representatives narrow down the options for you. Let’s increase your bottom line together.