Reducing the number of bags we use in the shop

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Reducing the number of bags we use in the shop

Downsizer Forum Index -> Small Business Questions, Ideas and Advice

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Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Fri Jun 22, 07 7:28 pm Post subject: Reducing the number of bags we use in the shop

From tomorrow, we're going to try and get customers to use suitable bags they're already carrying rather than having another bag from us.

What we're hoping to do is to reuduce the number of bags we have to buy, and therefore buy nicer ones, that people will want to keep and re-use.

I'm just trying to think of the best way to put it on a poster to show in the shop. I don't want customers to feel uncomfortable.

Any ideas?

MarkS

Joined: 01 Aug 2006
Posts: 2626

Posted: Fri Jun 22, 07 9:05 pm Post subject:
A horrified face on a tshirt with the words 'and she doesnt recycle her bags' issue to all staff hth

SallyAB

Joined: 07 Feb 2007
Posts: 139
Location: Oxfordshire

Posted: Fri Jun 22, 07 9:32 pm Post subject:
'Would you like a bag for your purchases, or are you happy to use one you already have?' Only applicable if they are already carrying one!! I was thrilled to be asked today if I required a bag, rather than just having my purchases just put into one.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Sat Jun 23, 07 1:32 pm Post subject:
'Doing our little bit to help reduce landfill, we don't offer bags as standard, however, if you require one, we're delighted to give you one.'

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sat Jun 23, 07 1:55 pm Post subject:

Sounds good - also ask your staff to say, 'do you need a bag?', rather than just giving one out, if your policy will still be to offer, rather than not to supply unless asked! I really think the whole carrier bag issue hasn't occured to a lot of non-downsizers, although when pressed, many people will admit to having drifts of the things sround the place - one lady commented that she was sure they bred, in reponse to my 'I don't need a bag, Thank You' standard response in shops!

Marionb

Joined: 27 Aug 2006
Posts: 5267
Location: Mid-Wales

Posted: Sat Jun 23, 07 2:34 pm Post subject:
Whilst I sometimes find it a little bit annoying to be asked "would you like a bag" in several shops where I do my shopping, it does make me think twice about whether I actually DO need one or not....

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18416

Posted: Sat Jun 23, 07 5:21 pm Post subject:
Are the T-shirts already in some kind of wrapping ? I wouldn't necessarily want to put a brand new clean T-shirt in some of my bags.

Barefoot Andrew
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 21 Mar 2007
Posts: 22780
Location: In the 17th century

Posted: Sat Jun 23, 07 5:39 pm Post subject:
Not sure what kind of bags you currently offer, but is there any scope for using recycled brown paper type bags - like a mushroom bag? A.

AnneandMike

Joined: 21 Jun 2006
Posts: 890
Location: Over the hill and soon to be far away

Posted: Sat Jun 23, 07 5:52 pm Post subject:
Whatever you manage, well done. One small step and all that stuff. In the end I don't think plastic bags are more than a tiny part of the problem, but in terms of awarenes raising they are important. What about a company ethical policy that includes minimising waste such as bags?

Chell

Joined: 14 Mar 2007
Posts: 21

Posted: Sun Jun 24, 07 8:11 pm Post subject:

gil wrote:

Are the T-shirts already in some kind of wrapping ?
I wouldn't necessarily want to put a brand new clean T-shirt in some of my bags.

I've got used to taking my own bags to the supermarket, I am now trying to train myself to use my own bags in clothes shops etc. Its a hard habit to break when you have been given a carrier bag in every shop for years.

Often people already have bags from other shops which could be used. Yesterday I had to tell the lady on Dorothy Perkins several times that I didn't need another bag. DP bought a suit in Debenhams, the women put that in one bag then went to open a fresh bag for the shirt - ggggggggggggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Sorry, I have no advice but well done for trying to change peoples ways. Have yout thought of buying in some cloth bags and offering those instead? My friend sells them very cheaply here:

https://www.knotjustjigs.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=237

wildfoodie

Joined: 05 Apr 2005
Posts: 2169

Posted: Thu Jun 28, 07 8:09 pm Post subject:

well done you - its great that small traders are setting a good example on conscious bag use. The garish orange plastic bags that our local sainsbury's are currently offering really stand out - its scary how many you can see swinging around at knee level through the streets.
In our shop ( retail deli and artisanal cheeses ) we've been charging 20p for all bags for around 2 years now. The money goes directly into a Wildlife Trust charity box and we've raised well over �3500 from bags and also �1 per jar from sales of local honey.
We switched from plastic to white paper ones about 18 months ago. they're much more expensive, and I'm not sure they're reused much. But most of our regulars now bring their own bags and we've had hardly any complaints about the charge. so we're not getting though as many as we did when we were giving plastic ones away.
Interestingly when we first started charging we had more raised eyebrows from customers - we quickly worked out that it had a lot to do with how we were communicating.
we say 'do you have a bag?' and if a customer looks as if they're going to need one we say 'we make a small charge for bags which goes to our charity, would you like one?' Saying well done for supplying your own bag and thank you for contributing to the charity is also nice - customers often beam when we do that!

AnneandMike

Joined: 21 Jun 2006
Posts: 890
Location: Over the hill and soon to be far away

Posted: Fri Jun 29, 07 7:05 pm Post subject:

wildfoodie wrote:

we've been charging 20p for all bags for around 2 years now. The money goes directly into a Wildlife Trust charity box and we've raised well over �3500 from bags

we say 'do you have a bag?' and if a customer looks as if they're going to need one we say 'we make a small charge for bags which goes to our charity, would you like one?' Saying well done for supplying your own bag and thank you for contributing to the charity is also nice - customers often beam when we do that!

What a bl**dy good idea. I'm really impressed.

kaz

Joined: 09 Sep 2006
Posts: 189

Posted: Sun Jul 01, 07 8:33 pm Post subject:
That's a great idea wildfoodie If customers are already carrying a bag we ask if they need another one or if their purchase can go in the one they have got. A lot of people refuse bags now. One woman came back to ask for a bag so I told her to help herself and she took one each for herself and the 3 kids

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