There are a wide variety of paper and plastic bags available for retail use, with an option to fit any business, from high-end clothing store to neighborhood hardware shop. This was not always the case. When Simon Walter founded his packaging supply company in Philadelphia in 1904 – the company that would become S. Walter Packaging Corp. – choices for retailers were severely limited. Remarkably, the sturdy grocery bag, or SOS bag, is a packaging option from that time that remains as durable in its popularity as in its carrying strength. In this, the second installment of our guide to packaging choices, we examine the uses and options that grocery bags provide.

S.Walter’s original business centered around supplying retailers with kraft paper products. Generally, purchases would be wrapped in this paper and tied up with string (The word kraft is derived from the German for “strong,” kraft paper’s defining characteristic was and remains it’s strength.) To allow customers to carry home more items, and therefore  make larger purchases, inventive retailers developed sturdy SOS bags.

Today SOS bags are still most often constructed of white or natural kraft paper, but may also be made of high density plastic. (SOS is alternatively said to abbreviate “self opening style,” “self opening sacks,” and even “self opening square-bottomed.”) When folded, grocery bags are flat. Folded out, they remain flat on the bottom, with side gussets (a “gusset” is a fold of paper that allows for side expansion), and will remain open and in an upright position without assistance. This provides the end user with an easy-to-load bag capable of holding heavy and/or bulky products.

The bag size will usually determine the possible end-uses of this extremely versatile bag style. In larger sizes, these sturdy SOS bags are used by grocery and hardware stores, discount stores, lumber yards, craft stores, shoe, toy, and sporting goods stores, and potentially any retailer selling bulky or heavy products. In small sizes, the SOS bag may be a carry-out food bag, a lunch bag, and even a gift bag.

The dimensions of SOS and grocery bags are given using width x side gusset x height, so a 7×4½x14 SOS bag has a bottom 7 inches by 4½ inches and is 14-inches tall. This can also be given as 7×4½x14×4½ (the two 4½ measurements referring to the side and the bottom gusset dimensions, usually the same).

More image conscious retailers generally stay away from SOS bags or grocery sacks, choosing stylish options like eurototes or high-gloss shoppers. Grocery bags are considered to be primarily functional packaging, and are rarely used by upscale retailers selling high-end merchandise. That said, small add-ons can make SOS bags an attractive packaging option for a variety of retailers. Using custom labels with store logo or information to close the SOS bag, especially a white kraft paper bag, can transform it into an elegant gift bag. Likewise, printing company logos or info onto the bag adds an element of class to the bag and utilizes an easy advertising opportunity.

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If you enjoyed this packaging guide to grocery bags, check out our packaging guide to merchandise bags. Bookmark this blog or subscribe to our feed as we provide more packaging guides to popular retail products in the weeks to come.

The value of a custom packaging is well known. Leading fashion stores use custom bags to create brand identity, gain an outlet for out-of-store advertising, and ultimately increase revenue. Custom bags can publicize a logo and engender customer loyalty. And an attractive, quality shopping bag is more likely to be reused, making for an enduring advertising platform.

It is not only national retail chains who can create a custom packaging program, the new Bag Builder from S. Walter makes it easier than ever to create custom bags for your store.  Imprint your company logo or slogan on bags of a various styles and colors. It’s an easy way to carry your brand further!

S. Walter Packaging proudly introduces our new SWalter.com exclusive. Customize your bag now in just a few easy steps:

1. Choose a bag style (options include all our most popular paper and plastic shopping bags, including frosted colorlucent plastic bags, high-gloss colored paper-twist handled shoppers, and simple natural kraft paper merchandise bags, plus many more).
2. Choose the bag size (anything from small postcard-sized carriers to large Fifth Avenue-style shoppers).
3. Select the bag color (use your company’s special color scheme and find matching boxes, tissue, ribbons, and bows in our collection for a full coordinated packaging program).
4. Pick the ink or hot stamp color (both printing styles available in a variety of attractive colors).
5. Upload your existing logo (easy as putting a photo on Facebook or adding an attachment to an email).
6. Add text (a variety of fonts, including stylish Helvetica, allow you to put a slogan for a special event or sale).
7. Specify front or back printing and quantity (best of all, this great feature is available on short-runs of as little as a few hundred bags).
8. Fill out Customer Information for a quote (our friendly sales team will get back to you promptly with a competitive price).

It’s as easy as 1-2-3 (well, 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8)! Visit the Bag Builder today to explore the possibilities and get started now. Click here to start.

The Bag Builder is the perfect spot to explore, visualize, and create the ideal packaging. If you like this article, you’ll like our blog post on Custom Bags.

Planning a wedding can be headache. Finding the right venue, photographer, and cake is no easy task, with hundreds of options at all price points. To help generate ideas for the special day, brides turn to leading wedding magazines and websites, such as Martha Stewart Weddings.

Begun in 1994 as part of the Martha Stewart Living empire of television host and media magnate Martha Stewart, the magazine has become a leading resource for brides’ event planning. The Fall 2009 issue of the quarterly publication (there are also occasional special issues) was dedicated to planning a wedding reception. The Reception Issue picked up on an important trend in wedding planning: the DIY wedding.

The DIY trend, where couples take it upon themselves to construct key features of a wedding — forgoing a wedding planner, making handmade invitations, even sewing a wedding dress — predates the current economic downtown. It enables brides to customize and take control of the event, reduce carbon footprint, and control costs. As wedding prices continue to rise while couples face decreased financial resources, the latter factor becomes increasingly important.

Martha Stewart Weddings: The Reception Issue explored the DIY opportunities of a punch tool kit. Using card stock or wall paper, a 1/8-inch hole punch, and leaf and flower punches, the magazine transformed such items as stationary, cup cakes, a flower-girl crown, escort cards, and boutonnieres. One ingenious piece suggested printing out a favorite poem or piece of text (wedding vows, perhaps?) and making little flowers and leaves from the words, arranged in a faux bouquet.

Among the DIY items were wedding favor boxes. Wedding favor boxes are small presents left on reception chairs or tables that say to guests “your presence here today is appreciated.” Martha Stewart Weddings used standard white jewelry boxes from S.Walter Packaging to create unique wedding treats.Vintage wall paper, metallic craft paper, and pages from books, punched into leaf and flower shapes transformed our already-elegant jewelry boxes into one-of-a-kind gift holders. The magazine quoted Ralph Waldo Emerson, who said “the greatest gift is a portion of thyself.” Using S. Walter jewelry boxes, Martha Stewart Weddings showed how you can give each guest a piece of your own handiwork.

The magazine picks out small 3×2x1 white jewelry boxes from the S. Walter catalog, but there are a variety of colors, sizes, and styles available with which to craft your own wedding favor boxes. Be a little inventive with how you decorate the box or what you put in it — that is the essence of the DIY wedding. Small colorful shoppers, like high-gloss color eurototes, can also make great wedding favor carriers. And these ideas aren’t just for weddings. Promotional events and jewelry boutiques can also benefit from sprucing up these elegant boxes and bags. Explore SWalter.com now for more great DIY wedding ideas.

The King of Prussia Mall is one of the largest shopping centers in the world, the largest mall on the East Coast, and arguably the largest mall in the United States. Begun in the 1960s and dramatically expanded and improved in subsequent decades, the mall is now home to over 400 stores, many of them upscale retailers. The mall is situated in the Philadelphia suburbs (about 25 miles from the headquarters of S.Walter Packaging), but it attracts visitors from all over the region and beyond (up to 25% of mall visitors are out-of-town tourists). To communicate with its customers and potential visitors, King of Prussia Mall sends regular direct mail pieces. The latest piece featured a cover photo of an arrangement of branded apparel, gift, and specialty boxes, many of which were created and supplied by S.Walter Packaging.

King of Prussia Mall is home to many leading retail stores. With two large structures joined by a pedestrian walkway, it features several anchoring department stores, including Bloomingdales, Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, and Neiman Marcus. Many high-end retailers have their only area store in the mall. Cartier, DKNY, Lois Vuitton, and Hermes all have an outpost. Top name designers Gucci, Michael Kors, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Tory Burch have a space. Until one opened on Philadelphia’s tony Walnut Street shopping corridor, the area’s only Apple Store was in K-O-P (as it is known to locals). Of course, the mall is also home to outlets for such popular clothiers as Abercrombie & Firch, Gap, and H&M.

What all these stores share is a focus on appearance and brand identity. They understand that customers are not just attracted to the products they sell, but to the brand which those products represent. The statement ” I shop at Hugo Boss” says something about the person saying it, it places them in a identifiable comradery of Hugo Boss shoppers. Building a brand identity builds customer loyalty, attracts new customers, and most importantly, increases sales.

A solid brand identity depends in part on the products, and all these retailers sell quality merchandise. But it is about more than that. It is about the look of the store, its location and signage, the appearance of its salespeople, and the packaging it uses; what’s outside the box matters almost as much as what’s inside it. Wrapping products in color-coordinated tissue and placing them in custom printed gift boxes, like those on the King of Prussia mailer, tells customers that the store values its merchandise as much as they will. The packaging can then become something of value, so the necklace is returned to its Tiffany’s box and the shoes go back into their Cole Haan box. Attractive packaging will be carried proudly and reused, so it creates a natural advertising platform for a retail brand.

S. Walter Packaging is proud to see so many of our clients featured on the correspondence of one of the country’s largest and most upscale shopping complexes. We are firm believers in the power of custom and coordination packaging to carry the brand further. These retailers provide firm evidence that the finest stores share this belief.

Visit swalter.com to see our selection of coordinated packaging or contact us today so we can put our experience to work planning your custom packaging program.

Something borrowed; something green.
With environmental consciousness penetrating every aspect of our lives, from grocery shopping to home construction, it’s no surprise that “green” is a growing trend in that most special part of our lives: the wedding day. If you take pains to recycle plastics, watch your gas mileage, and eat local foodstuff, why succumb to over-consumption in planning your wedding?

Arranging a green wedding means considering every aspect of the special day, from the venue to the party favor. Outdoor venues like arboretums and state parks are a good choice for eco-conscious brides. And picking a venue close to most guests saves energy required to travel. Young couples, used to using the internet for all communication, feel comfortable sending save-the-date notices and even invitations by email or by pointing guests to a special event website. Others send invites on recycled, natural paper and use small-reply envelopes.

On the gift registry, eco-conscious brides can direct guests to give philanthropic gifts to environmental organizations or other charities. Brides can take “something borrowed” to its conclusion and buy or borrow a second-hand wedding dress, or wear a dress that can be worn for more than just that occasion.

Jon Gangwer, owner of Wellspun Wedding Films, a leading Philadelphia wedding videos company, sees the green wedding trend first-hand: “we’ve seen more and more brides choose eco-friendly venues, create menus featuring local food, and using recycled paper or email invitations.” For photos and videos, the trend is to get most wedding images online, saving in mailing and printing. “Of course,” continues Gangwer, “this trend provides financial as well as environmental boost.”

Indeed, green weddings tend to be simpler, less costly affairs, with outdoor receptions, low-key decorations, and pared-down meals. And with over two million weddings every year in the United States, a more to eco-conscious planning could have worthwhile culminative effects.

S.Walter Packaging provides an array of product for weddings, including small, recycled paperboard gift boxes for favors, and gift wrap for reusable decoration. Events can be customized with printed (recycled paper) gift bags, a multi-use memento of that special day.

It’s that time again! The new S.Walter Packaging Resource Guide will be showing up in your mailbox in the next 7-10 days. This year’s redesigned catalog is loaded with information to help you customize your packaging using our coordinated styles. There are thousands of products, value priced and ready to be custom printed, with information on print capabilities and imprint areas listed for each product.

Whether you need paper shoppers, plastic soft-loop bags, kraft gift boxes, splendorette ribbon or custom labels, this catalog has got you covered. Now with more eco packaging options, more “green” info, more themed product collections, more coordinating ideas and tips, and many new products and food service choices. Also make sure to check out the great deals in the new inventory reduction section, where hundreds of everyday products are available at closeout prices.

Can’t wait for the mail to arrive? Don’t despair. See the new packaging product catalog online today (follow link) or browse our website to see all our product choices at the same competitive prices.

Also available now: check out our new online Bag Builder, which allows you to customize your bag in 8 easy steps from the comfort of your own office.

To request your own copy (or more copies) of the S.Walter Packaging 2010/2011 Packaging Resource Guide or for more information on any of the products or features we offer, contact S.Walter today in one of three ways:

1. Email swalter@swalter.com with your name and address

2. Call 1.800.523.8888

3. Visit www.swalter.com

These days, shopping bags are much more than just a carrier, they are a status symbol and fashion accessory, a way for women to say, “I shopped there.” They are carried along the avenue or through the mall, but they are also reused to carry such things as lunches or extras that won’t fit into a purse. Women love to collect shopping bags in varied wonderful colors and sizes, piling them proudly in a walk-in closet or in a bedroom corner, then unfolding them as a fashionable and reusable bag. The popular size 8×5x10 Shopping Bags can be used to impress colleagues in the lunch room, while larger 16×6x13 Shopping Bags carry larger size items, a beach towel, some picnic food, or a change of clothes for the gym.

All the best neighborhood stores sell ladies merchandise in colorful shopping bags. Shopping bags made with recycled material and printed with logos from clothing stores are walking advertisements from local boutique stores, pet stores, flower stores, grocery stores and spas. Women don’t just throw away shopping bags, because they know they will use them in the future to carry some other item. Some ladies just like to collect shopping bags and never reuse them. Just go into any one of your lady friend’s homes and you are sure to find a stash of colorful shopping bags just waiting to be discovered and reused.

Inside or outside the house, these branded shopping bags connect women with the store in which they were obtained. A female shopper is more likely to choose an item from a store whose bag she has cherished and reused, or has seen every day next to her shoe collection, or has seen a friend carry to the beach. Shopping bags do more than carry a retail item, they carry a brand.

Whether they are made from paper or plastic, merchandise bags are a great packaging option for retailers small or large.

A mainstay at card shops, news stands, and book stores, merchandise bags are suitable for any retailer selling small items — beauty products, souvenirs, or jewelry, for example. They also make a great add-on for a larger packaging program, with customized plastic merchandise bags and matching larger plastic shoppers. Customized plastic merchandise bags are also popularly used as promotional giveaways, stocked with knick-knacks, postcards, and other small promotions.

The classic paper merchandise bag is constructed of tan-colored natural kraft paper. Usually made at least in part of recycled post-consumer fibers, natural kraft paper merchandise bags provide an earth-friendly and inexpensive way to package light retail purchases. For a classier look, go with the simple elegance of white merchandise bags, suitable for more upscale stores and more suited to custom printing or labels. Boutiques and art stores may consider using random print merchandise bags, which come in delightful and colorful printed designs on recycled paper. Each case of random print merchandise bags will contain slightly different paper prints, perfect and affordable idiosyncratic packaging for a unique independent retailer.

Choosing plastic merchandise bags yields many advantages too. Kraft paper bags may look the most earth-friendly choice, but recently manufacturers have been praising the environmental benefits of their plastic counterparts. They are reused more often (also a plus if the bags feature a business logo or name), weigh less so use less energy to transport and take up less landfill space; they are also often made of post-consumer recycled material, using little water and generating little pollution in their manufacture. More than that, plastic merchandise bags come in an array of bright, attractive colors, look great with custom printing, and are surprisingly close in price to paper.  They provide an inexpensive way to boost your brand and attract attention to your store. For added pizazz, look to super gloss merchandise bags, made of shiny and eye-catching low-density plastic.

One benefit of using merchandise bags as part of your retail packaging program is the range of sizes in which they come. Small merchandise bags may measure just 5×7^1/2“, ideal for postcards or mini-books, whereas large merchandise bags could easily hold vinyl records or large art supplies.

Merchandise bag dimensions are measured width by height, so a 12×15 merchandise bag is twelve inches wide (measured along bottom), fifteen inches long (measured along side from bottom to opening). On paper merchandise bags, the top of the bag, where the front and the back come together, often has zig-zagged, or “serrated” edges. These merchandise bags are sometimes called S.E. bags (serrated-edge bags). To ease opening, the front and back are often slightly different lengths. In this case, the height is measured along the shorter front side.

Usually flat, a merchandise bag may have an extra fold of paper or plastic on the side for easy expansion. This fold is known as a gusset. Bags sold as merchandise bags will not have a gusset on the bottom; a bag with gussets on the sides and bottom is commonly known as a “grocery bag,” “shopping bag,” or “SOS bag” (self-opening style bag). Dimensions for merchandise bags with side gussets are given as width x gusset x height, as in a14×3x21 random print merchandise bag. The gusset dimension is the maximum expansion size, so a 12×3x15 bag is holds roughly the same as a 15×18 bag.

S.Walter offers a large selection of plastic and paper merchandise bags, in multiple sizes and colors, all at competitive wholesale prices. Plus, our easy-to-use Bag Builder makes it simple to customize your bags, making an affordable and convenient packaging option even better.

Standing out from your competitors is more important than ever in these tough economic times. With shrinking budgets and outlets for advertising, customized bags provide an important means of communicating with customers.

Personalizing your packaging with a logo or company name publicizes that logo and name as customers carry and reuse their shopping bags. It’s an easy way to engender customer loyalty and create a positive brand image. A custom bag becomes more than post-sale packaging, it is sale-generating advertising.

We’ve all seen iconic images of chic shoppers carrying armfuls of bags from designer stores. but you don’t have to be Fifth Avenue store to reap the benefits of customized bags. With modern printing methods, its easy to print clearly and boldly on a variety of bag types, from bright frosted plastic shopping bags to simple natural kraft paper merchandise bags. You can use the logo you made for your storefront or website and place it on the bag or bags of your choosing, with an order of as little as a few hundred bags. Don’t have a logo? Use a contemporary font to personalize bags with your company name.

The ability to print just a few customized bags provides an opportunity to accent your special event, promotion, or private occasion. Customized bags make great give-away carriers for trade show booths, containers for conference info packages, or even keepsakes for weddings or parties.

S.Walter Packaging now makes it easier than ever to embark upon your own custom bag program with a new online Bag Builder. In a couple simple steps you can explore, visualize, and create the ideal customized packaging. Choose from our top bag styles, sizes, and colors; select ink or hot stamp printing; and quickly upload text or images to get a fast low-price quote for your custom bags. Check out the Bag Builder today and watch as custom bags carry your brand further.

The “Great Recession” — as this multi-year economic downturn in now called — has forced companies large and small to cut costs and look for new ways to generate business. A well-considered packaging program can be an important piece of the cost-cutting puzzle.

Finding the best priced packaging wholesaler is obviously an important part of this program.  But small, cost-conscious retailers should go a step further. Look closely at a retail supply catalog and you’ll see opportunities to reduce packaging costs by substituting lower-cost items for similar, more expensive packaging.

Consider the example of white apparel boxes. While a case of 100 15″x9½”x2″ high-gloss white apparel boxes (a standard size for shirts, sweaters and the like) is currently* value priced at $39.97, 100 economy white apparel boxes in the same size are available for just $34.63* — a small saving that can compound over several orders.

Of course if price was the only consideration, we’d all be wrapping products in day-old newspaper and putting them in smiley-face grocery bags. For a retail outlet, packaging is one of the few tools available to communicate with customers, raise brand awareness, and generate interest. A bold packaging program featuring a contemporary design and a matching range of shopping bags and boxes can help a business navigate the economic doldrums by attracting attention to a store or company.

Consider eye-catching shopping bags like JellyBag™ ultra-gloss plastic shopping bags or two-tone matte Eurototes, available in a range of colors. Or get a retail bag design specialist to create a striking look for your packaging program with short-run printing or hot-stamped designs on your shopping bags and gift boxes. Create an indelible impression on your customer and added advertisement as bags are carried and re-used.

S.Walter’s century-plus history of supplying retail packaging and long-standing connections with suppliers and manufacturers have enabled our Value Price Strategy to offer competitive prices on all our products, be it gift wrap, shopping bags, or other retail accessories. With tens of thousands of easily searchable items is our catalog, its easy to find lower-cost alternatives in all product categories. And our in-house packaging design department is available to create a custom logo for printing on retail packaging. With S.Walter, it’s easier than ever to create a cost-effective packaging program that will save your company money and generate business.

*As of August 6, 2010