Environmentally-friendly, reusable bags and totes made of natural fibers continue to perform in this segment of the promotional products industry, especially as cities across the country continue to ban the use of plastic bags. Add in pockets and similar features that allow technology to be stored safely and in closer proximity—and totes, grocery bags, gym sacks, backpacks, travel bags, and messenger bags are poised for success this year—especially as full-color imprinting and sublimation processes grow more prevalent.
According to Maribeth Sanders of Bag Makers, customers are gravitating toward eco-friendly options, particularly insulated bags and cotton/jute products. “These bags are reusable, which helps the environment and also allows repeated exposure of a company’s brand or message,” she explains. “Insulated bags, like those in our Therm-O Tote line, offer the added convenience of keeping contents hot or cold for hours. Customers often choose these for fundraisers and health and wellness events. And cotton/jute bags (like our Josephine, Izzy and Aurora Totes) are in demand because customers love that they have a high-perceived value and stylish retail look with natural fibers—all at a low price point. The cotton/jute line is very popular for a wide gamut of promotions, including conference bags and gift bags.”
Sustainability, a top trend in the bags/totes market, is driving a great deal of the current demand, PCNA’s Kevin Andrews maintains. “Sustainable products are the hottest topic right now—from polyester at all price points to recycled cotton options at value price points,” he comments. Gwen Brey at Beacon Promotions expands on Andrews’ sentiments. “We are seeing customers wanting the reusable totes so they can be earth conscious and not have a negative impact on our world,” she says.
Millennials are playing a vital role in the trend toward eco-friendly, natural fabrics with hip styling, according to Grethe Adams at Southern Plus. “Millennials now constitute the majority of the U.S. workforce,” she says. “Thus, their likes and preferences are the driving force behind conventional trends, including those in our industry. Their general interest in the environment also spills over to product demands in our industry where sales of eco-friendly options continue to grow.”
Carrie Lewis at BIC Graphic also speaks to the chic turn the market is taking. “Fashionable totes with elevated design features are a great way for companies to reinforce their reputation as a quality brand while getting a high number of impressions,” she states. “Look for quality materials like PU leather with deboss imprints or kooler totes with heat-sealed PEVA liners.”
Totes built for tech-inspired lifestyles are one of the newest trends the company is seeing since backpacks have been the go-to for the last few years, Lewis continues. “Stylish and functional travel accessory bags are growing in promo popularity as more people are hitting the road and taking to the skies,” she adds. “Items like a swimsuit bags and travel organizers are small and compact to fit inside larger luggage and provide valuable functionality when travelers are away from home.”
Digital full color and sublimation print processes on bags and totes are in high demand, Sanders of Bag Makers notes. “Customers are recognizing that the best way to bring all eyes to their bag is to use a four-color imprint that shows people what your company dies with a photograph or a picture of your product or service,” she comments. “The full-color imprint tells your story when you’re not around to talk about it.” Sportsman Cap & Bag’s Dave Porter agrees that 100 percent cotton solutions are increasing in interest—especially from a screen-printing perspective—with their low prices and wide selection of colors. “Our Q-Tees bags are a great way to get a customer’s imprint out there in a budget-friendly way that can be used repeatedly.”
Suppliers have rolled out a multitude of new bags/totes in a variety of materials to “carry” this market segment. PCNA’s Andrews notes some company top performers include bag offerings from its sustainable collections, both branded and unbranded. “PCNA has the largest on-trend brand assortment in the industry and retail brands are also off to a great start this year,” he says. “Wenger, which is exclusive to PCNA, has been extremely popular.”
Southern Plus has unveiled 19 new bag styles this year—the majority made with natural fiber materials such as cotton and jute—continuing the company’s focus on bags that are both eco-friendly and trendy, Adams notes. Thus far, the Boho tote, an oversized cotton tote with a very unique “keyhole” handle, has been the most popular. “With an oversize imprint area and a very eye-catching shape, this large, heavy-duty cotton canvas tote fits the bill when it comes to the millennials’ key criteria,” she explains. “Our Santorini and the Cape Cod were two of our best sellers last year, both of which feature jute and/or cotton fabrics in neutral color options.”
Totes are also hot at Beacon Promotions. “The totes we are doing are our sister company, Debco’s, most popular items,” Brey comments. “So, we are seeing a lot of U.S. customers looking for these totes and not have to ship across the border. The full-color, perma press imprint that we do has been very popular on our laminated totes. Many other suppliers are not able to do a full-color imprint on laminated totes.”
BIC Graphic also has a popular new tote bag—the new KOOZIE® Convertible Tote-Pack Kooler, which Lewis says features several organizational pockets that can be used with the shoulder-length handle that also converts to adjustable backpack straps. Also new is the Edgewood Computer Backpack, a fashion-inspired way to carry a laptop in style, with a main zippered compartment that features a padded laptop compartment and is available in trendy navy, olive, or classic black. The company has also formulated new REFLECTINK™ luminous ink technology for imprinting on bags in response to customer interest. “This reflective imprint option provides a solution to help be seen in lowlight activities and work conditions,” Lewis says. This ink technology is available on all non-cotton bag styles.
According to Porter of Sportsman Cap & Bag, Champion is one of the hottest apparel brands right now. “The new Champion Branded Duffle, available in four colors, sells itself,” he says. “It is versatile, eye-catching, and has all-around superior quality. The pink is an immediate favorite.”
Bags are high visibility since they are used for long periods of time. With their low cost per impression, distributors should have no problem touting their advantages. “One sales tip we often offer our distributor partners is to visit their end-user's website to see how their customer promotes their business online,” Sanders at Bag Makers comments. “Many companies invest a lot of resources into attractive photography of their products and services and display those photos on their website and in marketing materials. This is an opportunity for distributors to recommend transforming these photographs into full-color imprints for printed bags. The bags then become mobile billboards when users carry them in public, and the end-user gets a greater return on their initial photography investment.”
Danny Spier at Kati Sportcap & Bag recommends offering a range of products that can be embroidered or screen-printed. “There are so many styles, colors, and prices that once you find out what the customer needs, it is certain there will be an option for them,” he says.
BIC Graphic’s Lewis adds that bags generate more impressions than any other promotional item in the U.S. “Taking time to work with clients on not just budget, but also what they want their promo to communicate, will help generate the ideal exposure for their brand for the life of the bag,” she comments. “There are so many styles and options at every price point, bags are a winning promo for almost every industry.”
According to Brey at Beacon Promotions, a tote is kept for an average of 11 months and 73 percent of consumers have a promotional tote. “It is seen by about 3300 people in its lifetime and costs about 2/10 of a cent for each impression,” she comments. “These totes can be used in many places. Keep some in the car for the last-minute grocery store trip, sporting activities, hobbies, etc. When my children were involved in sports, I had a bag for each activity. I’d drop one and pick up a different one. Each was loaded with the items you might need at their activities.”
Bags and totes offer the ultimate in exposure, Adams at Southern Plus maintains. “One of the key benefits of bags as a promotional item is that they are used in public and typically have a large imprint area,” she comments. “The added exposure this provides far exceeds that of other items that are only used in private. Needless to say, to gain this benefit, it’s important to make sure that you pick a bag that will be used and reused—and not end up in the back of the closet. Saving a few dollars on the front-end may cost your client much more in lost exposure. That said, a bigger imprint isn’t always better, and a subtle, smaller imprint may be as effective if placed in an unusual location.”
Adams points out that another key benefit of selling bags is that you don’t have to deal with sizes, since they are universally liked and used across all age groups and are, for the most part, gender-neutral. “To find the correct bag for the client, identify the demographics of the recipient, the intended use of bag and how/when it will be given out,” she explains. “All these factors would help guide you and your client to the right styling and features of the bag. If the client’s target price does not allow for the best-suited bag, present it as an option, clearly outlining the benefits of upgrading. Often a client is willing to increase the budget when they see and understand the bigger picture of ensuring a successful outcome.”
Case Studies
Carrie Lewis, BIC Graphic
An educational leader’s association wanted a bag giveaway for their annual conference that would appeal to teachers and administrators. The bags would be given away at registration and contain documents and schedules for conference events.
The organizers chose the KAPSTON™ Pierce Tote-Pack (15932) because it had several storage compartments and a laptop sleeve so attendees could easily carry laptops, documents, and other necessities between conference sessions. The versatility the bag offered by being both a tote and backpack also appealed to the broad audience. Attendees were impressed with the high-quality, modern design and functionality of the tote-pack.
Gwen Brey, Beacon Promotions
With each purchase, a local boutique bagged the customer’s purchase into an imprinted laminated tote. The laminated tote is very fashionable and is a sturdy, reusable tote. Because of the trendy fashionable design, they see their customers re-using it as gift bags, a night out, a trip to the beach, etc. The laminated surface wipes clean. The boutique bought two sizes of totes, so they would have the correct size to put the customer’s purchase into. The boutique is pleased with the additional advertising they get every time their customer re-uses the tote.