Plastic bags

Buy crystal clear polypropylene display bags to make any product or retail display sparkle.

Buy best value plastic bags including carrier bags, glossy display bags, mailing bags and other retail bags now.

Plastic bags are, in the simplest terms, bags made out of polythene. But to describe the polythene bag as simple is to do it a great disservice, as the functions that a polythene bag can serves are many and varied. We use plastic bags for carrying, storing, protecting, packing, sealing and mailing items, to name just a few of the many uses of the simple bag that is an integral part of our everyday lives. In the retail sector alone, carrier bags, mailing bags, packing bags and glossy display bags are all essential polythene bags used by retailers everywhere.

Retail bags are…

• Any bags used within the retail sector, including...
• Shopping bags, carrier bags, display bags, produce bags, packing bags and mailing bags
• Available in a range of styles, shapes, sizes and thicknesses to suit the job in hand
• Used to support every aspect of a retail business, from displaying products (display bags) to packing food or other items (packing bags) and allowing customers to collect produce (produce bags) to helping them carry their shopping home (carrier bags)
• Usually made from polythene, although some retail bags are made from other materials
• Often available in a biodegradable alternative to polythene (e.g. biodegradable carrier bags), thus helping to show your customers that you care about the environment
• Also made from paper (e.g. brown or white paper bags, take away carriers, high end flexiloop shopping bags)

The term ‘retail bags’ is used to describe a wide variety of bags used within the retail sector to cover a range of tasks from storing to carrying products and making life easier for both the retailer and the consumer alike.

Retail bags actually included a number of other ranges of bags that have their own specific name - including but not limited to carrier bags, produce bags, packing bags, mailing bags and others - and are a standalone type of bag in their own right. They are grouped together under the broad term ‘retail bags’ as they are all used within the retail environment.

Retail bags and polythene

The vast majority of retail bags are made from polyethylene, more widely known as polythene, in a range of thicknesses to suit the task in hand. The thickness of the polythene - also known as the gauge or density - varies from very thin, as with thin counter bags - at just 9 microns thick - to thick, as with premium quality carrier bags such as clip-close carrier bags - at 75 microns (300 gauge) thick.

Not all retail bags are made from polyethylene, or polythene, however. Some retail bags, like takeaway bags for example, are made from paper, while others, like gift bags, are made from cardboard.

But as this website is all about retail bags and the most common form as retail bags are polythene bags, this website will be focussing on polythene bags in these pages.

Carrier bags - the number one retail bag

By far and away the most popular form of retail bag, carrier bags are employed by retailers in every corner of the globe, making them the big daddy of the retail trade as far as polythene bags are concerned.

Carrier bags are designed to allow the customer to carry purchased products from the shop to their homes or businesses in an ergonomic manner. The bags come with different types of handle styles to allow the customer to carry the bag. Many types of handle give the bag its name, with some of the popular styles including: vest carriers, patch handle carriers and patch handle carriers.

Other popular types of carrier bag, not named after their handle, include varigauge carriers - so named because the thickness, or gauge, of the polythene is twice as thick at the top of the bag as at the top - and premium carriers, popular in the top-end fashion outlets or department stores.

Whatever type of business you own, there is a carrier bag out there for you. Whether you need cheap and cheerful or reassuringly expensive, you can always find the carrier bag to get the job done, but you can also use them to send a message to your customers about your business too.

Other popular types of retail bag

Whilst carrier bags are comfortably the most commonly used bag by the retail sector, there are many other forms of bag that perform an important role for retail businesses everywhere. These include:

Produce bags - Used by food retailers from mega-size supermarkets to small local butchers, thin light produce bags are an essential item for any food retailer. Available either on the roll or served loose from a packet, food bags can be used both from behind the counter - e.g. a butcher bagging up a pound of mince - or at front of house, as with the tear-off bags used in supermarkets to collect loose fruit.

Display bags - Employed by retailers who want to display their products in the best possible light, crystal clear display bags make products sparkle. Manufactured from high clarity polypropylene - similar to cellophane but clearer, thicker, stronger and cheaper - these bags are used for presenting a range of products, including greetings cards, magazines and sweets. Also available in sleeve form, as used with flowers and CDs to make them shine.

Mailing or postage bags - These polythene mailers, complete with integral sealing strip, are the perfect way to deliver products to your customers. Lightweight and waterproof, poly mailers are a great alternative to traditional envelopes. They are available in a range of styles and in plain or coloured polythene. You can also get your mailing bags printed with your very own company logo, branding or slogan, so that they really stand out from the crowd and make your business the most memorable one in any batch of mail.

Gift bags - The most popular retail bag that isn’t made of polythene, gift bags are a great way to present a gift to friends, loved ones or colleagues without having to even wrap it! No need to wrapping paper, scissors, cellotape or minutes of your life wasted trying to make a gift look nice. Just place your present in you shiny gift bag - complete with a smart cord handle and your gift will look just fantastic. Available in standard shape for regular everyday presents like books, CDs or jewellery, or in bottle gift bags - the perfect way to present any bottled gift from champagne to a fine Scotch whiskey.

Where to buy retail bags

Retail bag manufacturers and suppliers include:

Paper Bags
The website that caters for all of your paper bag needs, Paper Bags is the ideal online destination for anyone buying paper take away carriers, shopping bags or other paper bags. Also a very useful resource on biodegradable packaging.
www.paperbags.co

Display Bags
If you want to buy or find out more information on high clarity polypropylene display bags, then this is the website for you. A firm favourite with retailers who wants to make their products sparkle!
www.displaybags.org.uk

Plastic Food Bags
A fantastic website for anyone looking to buy plastic food bags or produce bags at discount prices. Contains tonnes of information and details of where to buy polythene food bags - the best way to keep your food fresh and help customers handle fresh food from the shelf.
www.discountfoodbags.co.uk

Polythene Bags
A website dedicated to polythene bags used in the retail sector, including food bags, display bags, carrier bags, printed carrier bags and mailing bags. If you work in the UK's retail sector and need polythene bags, this is the website for you!
www.ukpolythenebags.co.uk

Gift Bags
A useful source of information on gift bags and retail display bags - used to enhance product displays for everything from greetings cards to flowers and clothes to sweets. Featuring a handy display bag size guide, news on display bags and eco-friendly alternatives.
www.giftbagsdirect.co.uk

Retail Bags
The home of retail bags and shopping bags online. If you're looking for bags to your shop or retail outlet, from plain or printed carrier bags to display bags, then take a look at this very handy website.
www.retailbags.co.uk

Kraft Bags
Kraft Bags is a website specialising in kraft bags and other paper bags - a fantastic environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional polythene shopping bags.
www.kraftbags.org

Carrier Bags
Work in the retail sector? Looking for carrier bags or other retail bags for your shop? This website has it covered, with tonnes of information and details of where to buy a range of carrier bags and other retail bags, including food bags and glossy display bags.
www.retailbags.org

Research & Resources

For plenty more information on the broad range of retail bags available, including how they are manufactured and how they benefit the retail sector, please visit:

PlasticBags.uk.com: Popular polythene packaging directory listing a large selection of specialist retail bags websites and allowing retailers to product listings for free.

Goldstork: This 'best-of-the-web' free directory features a range of specialist websites on display bags and other retail bags, plus hand-picked information and carefully selected features.

PackagingKnowledge: The UK's premier plastic packaging knowledge website features loads of in-depth articles and detailed information on a huge range of retail bags, including carrier bags, mailing bags and display bags.

Printed carrier bags - the ultimate retail bag

If carrier bags are the number one retail bag, then printed carrier bags take them one step further and make them kings of the retail bag world.

The choice of carrier bags you choose for your retail outlet can say a lot about your business, even when you’re using off-the-shelf plain carriers. But if you take that carrier and the print your very own personalised message or design on the side of the bag, then you’ve got the ultimate way to send a message about your business.

Create your very own custom-made design, complete with company logo, advertising slogan or bespoke design - including seasonal designs like those employed during sales or at Christmas - and you can get just the message you want out there not just to your own customers picking up the bags, but to every other potential customer that sees them walking around with your professional, personalised, printed carrier bag.

Turn your customers into walking adverts for your retail outlet with your very own printed carrier bag. The difference between having a forgettable bag and an instantly memorable one could be the difference between your shop or store making it in the cut-throat world of retail.

Biodegradable retail bags

A number retail bags manufactured from traditional polythene - as listed elsewhere on this page - are also available made from biodegradable materials so that, when they need to be disposed of, they don’t contribute to landfill. The biodegradable material from which these bags are made will degrade 100% on prolonged contact with compost or soil, meaning that you make less of an impact on the environment.

What’s more, courtesy of a small green logo placed on all of the bags, your customers will know that you care about the environment too.

The following retail bags are available in biodegradable alternatives: biodegradable carrier bags, biodegradable mailing bags, biodegradable clear bags (for presenting your products) and eco-friendly bin liners (for keeping your shop clean).

Trending results for retail bags

Waste sacks only work properly when the waste stream stays clean, because a thin nevertheless well-manufactured sack cannot make up for the gross item going into it. A sack may have a sensible gauge, decent puncture resistance and proper seals, yet one misplaced sharp or heavy fragment can turn a low-risk bag into a handling problem at once. That is why segregation at the point of use matters above clever film spec alone. Clear colour coding, simple assortment discipline and sack sizes matched to the job all reduce secondary bagging and wasted movement on the floor. Once pollution beginnings, the all system costs more in labour, protection and disposal, so the first sorting decision is normally the cheapest one.

Canister Vacuum Bags

Vacuum bags have to match the machine closely or they beginning causing trouble long before they are full. A superb bag retains suction proper, traps dust properly and fits the airflow pattern the cleaner was designed around, so the motour does not have to work harder than necessary. Cheap substitutes often see similar nevertheless can sit badly in the canister, leak fine dust, or choke the filter path as the load builds. That leads to weaker select-up, more emptying, and additional wear on the machine. A well-chosen pack gives steadier cleaning and less housekeeping complaints.

Packing bags succeed or fail on production control, because the material may see simple while the line discipline behind it is anything nevertheless. polythene suppliers film has to be held to a proper gauge, with melt flow kept consistent so seals close cleanly and do not wander from one batch to the next. If that control slips, the bags may still form, nevertheless weak seams, uneven stretch and awkward stacking soon appear at packing and dispatch. A light nest of bags also assists compare favourably on freight cube, yet only when the converting process stays tight enough to retain pallet loads tidy and saleable. That is why a plain bag can still become a troublesome consignment when the shop floor loses control of the basics.

Free food bags need to be designed around what happens after filling, not only how they see on the table. A bag that grasps soft products like bread, fruit or mixed donations has to cope with weight changes, awkward shapes and rougher handling as it transports from packing point to store or community pickup. If the material is also thin, seals can split and contents can burst through; if it is also stiff, packing slows down and there is more waste. Good sizing also matters, because an overfilled bag strains closure and a loose one wastes space in transport. Care at the packing stage saves trouble later.

7 Best Reusable Produce Bags for Transporting Fruits and Veggies

Reusable manufacture bags save space in the shopping bag and cut down on loose fruit and vegetables rolling about in transport. A superb bag requirements the proper balance between breathability and strength, because soft manufacture like apples, peppers and carrots can bruise if air cannot transport around them, while rough mesh or weak stitching can fail after a few trips. Material selection matters as much as size, since a fine weave may suit small items nevertheless can trap moisture, and a heavier material may last longer nevertheless take up more room in storage. That makes the proper specification a practical matter, not only a tidy one.

Details about   Pack of 250 - White Pattern Clear Party Bags - Cone Cellophane Display Bags - -

Display bags in C6 size need tightly controlled film gauge because shelf appearance and line performance are tied to the same material selection. Around 30 micron gives enough body for the bag to hang neatly on a peg, yet still leaves the film transparent enough for a printed insert or the contents to be seen properly. If the gauge slips, the bag can become also limp and see cost-effective, or also stiff and beginning whitening at the lip. That normally means poorer feeding, more rejects, and additional time spent clearing the line.

First online retailer to use mailing bags manufactured entirely from sugarcane

Mailing bags work optimal when the film is proper, the seal grasps, and the bag behaves the same from dash to dash. In packing, a small change in gauge or melt flow can be enough to upset machine settings, slow the line, or leave weak spots that split below load. Good bags also need enough puncture resistance to survive corners, polythene suppliers, and rough handling without running heavier than necessary. That balance matters because all additional gramme affects freight, stock use, and waste. A bag that converts cleanly and retains its seal quality below production pressure reduces stoppages and cut-out from rejects, which is why specification matters long before the bag reaches dispatch.

Removing plastic carrier bags from grocery delivery changes the all packing method, not only the finishing touch. Loose bags are fast to occupy, nevertheless they give small assist once chilled items, tins, bakery lines, and soft products are mixed together. A firmer case or tote retains its shape better in the van, which cuts the chance of squashed packs, split corners, and items sliding into the gross order. It also gives select staff a clearer loading routine, so batches stay tidier from the shelf to the doorstep. The proper earn comes when the secondary pack suits the load instead of acting like a flimsy afterthought.

Reusable Grocery Shopping Bags

Reusable shopping bags earn their retain when the material suits the load and the stitching copes with repeated use. A canvas tote feels reassuring in hand because the material carries weight well, nevertheless the proper test is how it behaves after being folded, stuffed into a car boot, and dragged across a shop floor or pavement. A bag that collapses into a small pouch is useful for last-small buying, yet it still requirements enough body to grasp cartons, fruit, and bottles without the handles cutting in. Good bag design is practical rather than like, and that normally means less tears and less waste.

Retail bags for awareness campaigns live or die on how well the material behaves in handling, not only how the artwork sees. A thin gauge can feel tidy on paper, nevertheless if the film has poor strength the handles beginning to stretch, seals split below uneven loading, and additional above-bagging soon appears on the packing line. A heavier film solves that only to create more dead weight in transit and waste space on a pallet, which is a poor trade when mixed consignments are being built efficiently. A mono-material polythene suppliers spec with proper melt flow normally gives a better balance, because print stays in register and the finished bag still fits normal recycling streams.