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.

Like most other promotional totes, reusable grocery bags are most often made from nonwoven polypropylene, but other materials are sometimes used. Duffy explained that recycled P.E.T. (short for polyethylene terephthalate, a material typically made from recycled plastic soda bottles) and a laminated form of polypropylene are sometimes used, but cautioned that these materials can greatly increase cost.

Might Makes Right
To make sure your bags are able to bear the load of a heavy trip to the store, there are several construction details that should be checked. Duffy emphasized looking at the bag's GSM, as the higher the number is, the greater its fabric density and therefore weight capacity. He also suggested examining the stitching on the bags.

"The stitch count per inch on the sewing on the seams and handles is important," he said. "Polypropylene is essentially a larger sheet of plastic, so too many stitches can actually be a bad thing. Too many stitches puts too many needle holes in the material, and can sheer it," he explained.

James Dunn, national sales manager for Bulldog Packaging, Addison, Ill., mentioned a few other ways grocery bags can have their durability improved. "We use cross stitch reinforcement on our straps," he said. "We run a strap across the handles where they are cross stitched, and we also use grommets to add strength and durability."

What's in the Bag?
Sadly, even a benign-seeming item like a grocery tote is subject to numerous product safety laws. "While not necessarily considered a 'children's product' for inclusion in the CPSIA legislation (Bag Makers still tests to these standards), these bags are subject to other laws such as California Proposition 65 and TiPPA (Toxics in Packaging Prevention Act)," stated Duffy. "As such, we test for multiple chemicals including lead, chromium, mercury and phthalates," he said. He noted as well that since the food the bags carry is generally pre-packaged with no direct contact to food, they are not subject to FDA regulations.