Cleanup on Aisle Tote
Grocery shopping. Love it, hate it, regardless, we all do it. A boring and hilariously obvious observation maybe, except for one recent twist: the rise of the reusable grocery tote. Since the early aught's, reusable bags have turned the routine and mechanical chore of food shopping into something with a seriously compelling layer of marketing opportunity. From the stores themselves to the countless businesses that want a piece of the shopping public's attention, there is major potential for business here that was completely nonexistent 15 years ago. And while it is a reasonably new market, it's not especially complex. All it takes to build a foundation for success is a little product knowledge, an eye for detail and the creativity to use the bags in an interesting way.
Not Your Average Tote
To start with, you should know that a decent reusable grocery bag is more than your ordinary tote. Bigger, stronger and thicker, grocery totes are specifically designed to carry heavy loads and survive more serious wear-and-tear. Christopher Duffy, senior vice president of marketing for Bag Makers, Union, Ill., provided a detailed description.
"In general, the grocery stores sell a tote sized at 12x8x13"," he said. "Our industry sells this size, however, it has also adopted one size slightly larger at 13x10x15"." As for bag thickness, he explained that the 12x8x13" size typically comes in 80 GSM (though some suppliers such as Bag Makers will offer a beefier 100 GSM stock) and the larger sizes are usually offered at 100 GSM. "The GSM (grams per square meter) is a measure of the material's 'density' and directly relates to its strength, durability and carrying capacity," stated Duffy. He noted as well that nearly all grocery bags will include some kind of bottom board, such as a solid black polyethylene sheet or a sewn-in-and-covered piece of cardboard.






