New campaign encourages fashion retailers to rethink the paper bag

EP Group has launched a new campaign aimed at fashion retailers, urging them to upgrade one of their most visible but overlooked touchpoints: the paper bag.

Titled ‘Bag as Brand’, the campaign positions the RePapaPac bag – a high performance, fully branded, truly reusable paper bag as a contrast to the low spec, single use bags typically offered in fashion retail.

It is designed to be sold, reused, and seen again and again, turning the bag into a walking advertisement and source of revenue for the retailer.

‘Fashion is all about self expression. RePapaPac makes the bag part of that,’ said Si McMahon, marketing consultant. ‘It is a product that customers are happy to pay for and proud to carry. Not just to take their items home, but to reuse over and over again.’

While brands invest heavily in visual merchandising and product design, the standard paper bag is often a last minute consideration. Many are basic, forgettable, and treated as a cost. RePapaPac changes this as it is tested to withstand up to 50 uses and able to carry up to 16 kg. It is tear resistant and water resistant and fully recyclable at end of life.

With customers willing to pay a higher price per bag – compared to a fee just to cover costs – RePapaPac offers fashion retailers a rare win-win: a more sustainable option that also generates margin and builds brand affinity.

Marks & Spencer was among the first retailers to launch a custom design using the solution, with its print design now seen regularly on high streets across the UK. The bag’s strong resale performance and visibility have prompted other grocery, fashion and specialist retailers to develop their own high impact designs.

More than a functional carrier, the solution also acts much the same as apparel. Customers buy branded clothing as a lifestyle statement, and now a paper bag can do the same. It becomes part of their daily use, from shopping to gym to commute, and retailers gain repeated impressions in real world settings.