Over the past few years China has faced some changes in its retail market and the focus on sustainability is one of them. This trend has led to added utilization of paper bags and this has been backed by the consumer and the paper bag makers. This article aims at discovering more about the importance of enhancing the use of paper bags to the retail sector in China, finding out why it is a necessity in modern retailing.
Sustainability and Environmental Protection
Competitive force analysis reveals that one of the strongest benefits that I see a paper bag having in the retail context of the People’s Republic of China is sustainable nature in relation to the environment. The use of the paper bags which are biodegradable and are also eco friendly help in the reduction of the non degradable waste from the retail industry. Chinese paper bag makers have also followed this green trend and have started using fewer resources to reduce the effect their product has in the environment. This change also aids in the conservation of natural resources and aids on the environmental conservation initiatives around the world. Paper bags help to address pollution and waste problems that cities encounter today hence enhancing the environmental policies towards sustainable urbanization. That is, the negative environmental impacts of paper bags will be gradually reduced as more stores use them thus making our cities clean and constructing the use of landfill. This is on the topology that paper bags are biodegradable, and their production normally requires far less energy and water as compared to plastic bags, and therefore are more eco-friendly. It also often uses fewer hazardous chemicals reducing the incidence of air and water pollution to the environment.
Enhancing Brand Image
The shoppers who choose paper bags feel that retailers that offer the bags are environmentally friendly, which is always positive to the retailers’ image. The consumer of today is more conscious of the environment and would prefer shopping from stores that support the cause. Providing bags made from paper conveys the message that you are conservation conscious to customers hence marketing your sales and getting more customers or loyal ones. Chinese paper bag producers have seen this trend and they are providing brands with solutions through designing paper bags that reflect their green image. Also, the physical properties and carriage of paper bags can easily be used to design flashy and eye-catching bags that may add up to the overall shopping experience of the target consumers thus enhancing the brand’s market influence and attraction. This is not just the normal use of paper bags for its functions; but gave it a spin of branding, making it easier to be accepted by a considerable market. Retailers getting this right position themselves as leaders in the environmental movement, being favored by the environmental conscious consumers and other consumers who appreciate doing business with companies that practice environmental conservation.
Cost-Effectiveness
Surprisingly, paper bags do not have to be expensive for the retailers and for this reason retailers should switch their packaging to paper bags. Besides the start up cost which may be high as compared to plastic bags the over time cost may be low in waste management and costs in environmental compliance. Moreover, with constant improvements in production technology, the paper bag manufacturing companies in China are cutting on their costs making the paper bags cheaper for all business entities. The returns accrued from the use of paper bags may be realized in the long-term through such factors as improved customer loyalty and the expenses that would be incurred in dumping waste materials. Besides, the usability and several times recyclable nature of paper bags are added bonuses to customers as they may use it for several other purposes apart from carrying the purchased goods, implying more cycles of utilization before they are disposed of. One can also agree with the fact that the handling and disposal of non-recyclable material adds up to the expenses that any business would want to minimize and hence the benefit of using paper bags. Currently, there is a global move for consumers to embrace products that are environmentally-friendly and the ban on plastic bags was aimed at encouraging the use of paper bags in our country hence the cost will likely come down through operation of increasing dimensions.
Compliance with Regulations
China has been setting strict measures to ban the use of plastic products this year with such a campaign to protect the environment. Retailers using paper bags are in a better position to meet these regulations and still avoid the implications of the law. This compliance not only saves the money for legal fees but also makes these retailers a model of environmental compliance that could be a significant selling point in the market. The Chinese paper bag manufacturers have been very active in implementing these regulations to make certain that most of the retailers do not experience a huge blow when switching to sustainable packaging solutions. It also allows regulation in relation to the growing number of stimuli from environmentally conscious customers who will not buy goods from stores with obvious steps towards sustainability. It is therefore a long-term strategic advantage for retailers to be ahead in compliance because as the regulatory environment changes there will be disruption that comes with these changes, costs that the retailer will have to incur in order to catch up with the new regulatory requirement hence it is strategic for the retailer to be ahead in this game. This proactive compliance also fosters organizational change, where such regulations force a shift of practice across the entire retail industry leading to the escalated effects of these regulations on the entire retail sector.
Versatility and Customer Convenience
Paper carrier bags are quite useful and convenient for customers in most of the retail stores. They are strong, bear higher load without developing rips, and can be reused for one use or the other. Paper bag manufacturers in china has come up with different sizes, styles and designs, and hence the paper bags serves different purposes such as fashion boutiques paper bags as well as the grocery paper bags. This is because they incorporate a wider application that is attractive to both the retailers and the clients hence enhancing their use with regards to the various sectors. The flexibility of paper bags especially enables the business to achieve the desired marketing objectives or the preferred outward appearance hence improving customer experience. Also, the sophisticated paper bags that are manufactured in today’s world do provide better accommodation to different products and this adds utilitarian value that the consumers feel during their shopping ventures. In addition, due to their ease of folding and storage, they offer some of the conveniences that are some of the reasons customers like it and some of the reasons it is liked by store operations. Such flexibility does not only make paper bags a good option for use but also as a functional means for increasing the appeal of customers and thereby their loyalty.
To sum up, utilizing paper bags for the retail environment in China has a number of benefits, such as sustainability or improvement of the company’s image, cost savings, compliance with the legislation, and customer satisfaction. Thus, with the increase of environmentally friendly paper bag production from manufacturers in China, paper bags are to gain more popularity in the retail sector thus adding to a better future.
