Sayan's Revol[ve]ution

At first I was confused, admittedly, a bit angry as well. Confused because I didn’t understand why BC Liquor had started selling reusable bags; what were they hoping to achieve? Sure it goes along with their slogan (“enjoy responsibly”), but I didn’t see many customers actually buying the bags since its large size and shape seemed more appropriate for grocery shopping. I was angry because my big brother had bought not one, but four of them.

“We already have a dozen reusable bags! What’s the point of buying them, if we’re not actually reusing them?”

“Well, these ones are really good,” my brother rebutted. He pointed out how the pouches that were stitched on the inside, not only safely stored multiple bottles, but could also be folded aside so as to make room for any other kind of purchase. “I’ll use them a lot,” he said reassuringly.

I tried to argue that he shouldn’t be buying that many bottles to begin with, but he just flashed me a smug smile that said “I probably will, and you can’t do anything about it” – thus bringing the conversation to an end.

Flash-forward to about a month later:

I’m at the parking lot of T&T with my mom, who unfortunately has to visit a different store for practically every vegetable on her list (“the eggplants are better here, but the mangoes are much cheaper there”) when I realize that I had forgotten to pack our usual Save-On-Foods shopping bags. It was a tremendously embarrassing moment. My mother was disappointed. I felt like a hippie-crite.

Then I noticed the bags my brother keeps stashed in the car, ready for any occasion that requires the assistance of alcohol. Despite my disapproval of us owning them, having no other alternative I preceded towards the supermarket with the BC Liquor bags in hand.  

Once inside I felt a bit self-conscious. “I’m carrying four BC liquor bags on a Saturday morning in a supermarket. I hope these people don’t think I’m an alcoholic or something,” I thought to myself. That’s when it hit me – the marketing brilliance of it all!

Retail bags have always been a form of advertising. They establish a sense of credibility, add to the perceived value of the purchase, and as shoppers walk around with their purchases other people will see the bags as well (exposure = brand recognition = increased traffic = increased sales). Until recently, however, this cost-effective form of marketing was severely limited by the short-life span of the plastic shopping bags that were typically being used. “It is estimated that more than 95% of all [plastic] retail bags are thrown away when the consumer gets home”.  Even if they are not disposed of immediately, a standard plastic shopping bag is not something a consumer will likely take out on their next shopping trip¹.

Realizing this, and thanks to the growing social trend towards responsible consumption, firms are starting to invest in reusable shopping bags. Though the fabric may be slightly more expensive, intelligent firms see the value in creating this long-lasting form of advertisement. Since consumers have to purchase these bags, not only are they less likely to throw them out, they are more likely to carry the bags, and thus the brands, with them on various shopping trips. Take for instance my T&T experience. BC Liquor was able to market its brand in an environment where it has never before had any exposure. That’s why, I now realize, the BC Liquor bags are so conveniently designed for grocery shopping – the company doesn’t want us marketing their brand to customers already at their stores, they want us out in the world attracting new customers.   

Indeed, successful firms of the future will be those that capitalize on this connection between sustainability and marketing. By providing greener options, firms not only appeal to environmentally-conscious consumers, but as seen in this example, can penetrate a variety of other markets as well.

Source:

1 – http://www.ntake.com/bags-as-advertising/