You know that first impressions are important when a customer comes into your place of business, but have you ever thought about the impression you create when they leave? When a customer makes a purchase, most retail stores simply stuff the customer’s merchandise into a plastic bag and send the person on their way. When a store uses a retail gift bag, however, it not only gives the customer a better impression about the establishment, but makes them feel special too. If you are interested in giving your customers a more positive shopping experience, here are some creative ways to use retail gift bags that will not only give your business name recognition, but can help increase your sales as well.

• Print your store name, business information, and logo on your gift bags. Remember to include your website address on all of your retail gift bags. This not only gives you free advertising when the customer leaves your store, but also lets them know that you have a presence on the Internet.
• Use Hot stamping to get your gift bags noticed. Hot stamping, sometimes known as Foil stamping is a commercial printing technique that uses heat to apply metal foil to a solid surface. When gift bag companies, such as Premium Packaging use Hot stamping on your gift bags, your store name, information and logo will really pop and stand out on the bag. This draws attention to your name and what store the bag came from. Hot stamping your retail gift bags can even help make your business appear more upscale.
• Purchase retail gift bags that are study enough for the customer to reuse. Everyone likes to receive something that they can recycle and use again. Although it may cost a little more initially, the customer is often more likely to hang onto a bag that is well-made and can be used more than once. This not only will make them think of you every time they use it, but will also expose your name to more potential customers every time they go somewhere new with it.
• Use tissue paper that matches your retail gift bags to wrap your customer’s items in. Although using a gift bag makes a statement on its own, when you use tissue paper that matches or compliments your retail gift bags it not only makes the bag stand out and gives it some pizazz, but it also shows the customer that you care about the items you have sold them and that you want to make sure everything arrives home safely without damage.
• Order retail gift bags that can go straight from the store to under the Christmas tree. Purchase retail gift bags that can do double-duty as regular gift bags. Ask the customer if they would like their purchase to be wrapped as a gift. You will not only do them a favor by eliminating the need for them to wrap the item themselves, but the person they give the gift to will know exactly which store their wonderful present came from.

Lisa Merritt writes for packaging blogs where you can learn more about Retail Packaging Paper Gift Bags.