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The Scenario

Your storefront looks amazing, you know your merchandise is killer, and your customers are buying what you’re selling.

You’ve recently been featured in a local magazine or on a social media platform as the next big boutique in town.

Your business is growing, and you’re making a profit.

It’s clear: Customers love your store. But why do they always look a little bit let down when they leave with your shopping bags, even though they found exactly what they needed?

Let’s Get Real

Is your retail packaging bursting your customers’ bubbles when you pass that bag over the counter? Here are 7 signs your retail packaging sucks…(then keep reading for what to do about it…).

1. Do people initially request your gift wrap option, but then see your shopping bags and suddenly change their minds?
2. Have you noticed that you rarely see the same face in your store twice, but you continue to ship products to their home address when they order online?
3. Have a lot of people been asking if they can “just wear this out,” handing your bag to you as they retreat back to the dressing room with their new clothes in hand?
4. Have people been refusing bags, instead just taking their items wrapped in tissue paper or nothing at all and shoving them in their purse or man-bag?
5. Have you recently watched a customer put your shopping bag inside another store’s – even though the other bag was a lot smaller than yours?
6. When customers leave your store, are they stuffing your bag in the trunk right away when they get to their cars, only to then continue on down the street hitting the next shops?
7. Has someone ever seen your shopping bags on the street and asked whoever was carrying them, “Oh, is that a vintage store or something?”

If any of these situations sound familiar, we have some hard truths for you.

We’re not going to beat around the bush: Your customers hate your shopping bags.

They’re embarrassed by them. They look outdated, cheap, and probably aren’t doing your brand any favors. You know it, we know it, and your customers? Well, they definitely know it. It’s time to stop ignoring the very obvious signs that you’ve been desperately trying to convince yourself aren’t real. They’re real. You need new custom retail shopping bags – and you need them now.

What You Can Do to Change All This

Nobody likes to feel ugly, even shopping bags. And customers definitely don’t enjoy feeling like they spent the time and money in your store only to be “rewarded” with a mediocre shopping bag that’s probably going to break before they make it back to their cars. And you sure would like to increase customer satisfaction and take more pride in the way you present your merchandise. So what do you do?

One way to fix this sticky situation? Ask your customers for their input!

Are your bags too flimsy for the products you’re selling?

Do customers think your retail packaging is just plain ugly?

Are they tired of getting yet another reusable bag they feel guilty throwing out but really just can’t bear to keep or reuse?

Not only is customer feedback invaluable, but it also makes customers feel like they’re part of the collaborative process, making them more likely to come back and shop at your store. Not to mention they’ll want to tell their friends to come check out “their” bag design when you implement their suggestion. Use their feedback to work with your packaging company and make your new custom packaging a reality.

If your customers are long on complaints but short on ideas, don’t be afraid to do your own research. Thanks to the internet and sites like Pinterest, it’s never been easier to find out about recent trends in both the packaging industry and for your specific market.

Ask your packaging company for help! They can even answer the most basic questions you’re too embarrassed to ask anyone else, like “Just what is retail packaging?” Together, you can come up with some creative ideas for bags that your customers won’t just carry, but ones they’ll actively show off. You might even consider throwing a special in-store or promotional event when the new bags arrive! Why not make the debut of your new designs a special occasion?

The Conclusion

We’ve all had to deal with the uncomfortable situation of not being liked. Fortunately, if it’s your customized shopping bags customers have an issue with, there are plenty of easy fixes. And since 68% of consumers believe that branding and signage directly reflects the quality of a product, there’s no time like the present to revamp your custom shopping bags. Now, your customers will be strutting in and out of your store, acting like the paparazzi are waiting for them as they head to their cars, your elegant and striking bag front and center, draped over their forearms. Of course, their car may be a ten-year-old minivan filled with screaming kids, but hey…at least you contributed to a part of the fantasy.