Jeffrey Gold, president of specialty packaging company EastPack, can tell you three solid reasons why you may be sending your customers out the door with the wrong bag.
First, custom printed bags—whether paper, plastic or more durable materials—are quite literally a walking billboard. You know this is true if you’ve ever wandered through a shopping mall. If you want to keep the name of your business top of mind, turn every customer into an advertisement.
Second, custom bags are reused—your customers use them over and over again—and that’s good for the environment. Depending on the type and style, customized bags have a reuse factor of 7 to 10 times for paper. That number goes to 30 or 40 times for more durable materials. On top of that, what we think of as “plastic bags” can be produced from biodegradable film, so they are not landfill survivors.
Of course, it’s also good for you when customers reuse a bag that has your name on it. It’s a very genuine, objective, third-party endorsement. For example, the bags might say, “I shop at Robert’s Camera on Old Meridian Street, and you should too.”
Third, custom bags are an affordable way to reinforce your overall branding efforts. And the minimum quantities required to get started will surprise you. EastPack offers a Mini Lot program. So you can begin with as few as 250 custom plastic bags or 100 for reusable fabric-style bags (the kind sold at recycle-conscious grocery stores).
EastPack is headquartered in Syosset, New York, with warehouses and distribution centers in New York, New Jersey, Montreal, Toronto, California, Chicago, Boston, Kentucky, Israel, China and Hong Kong. It’s a family owned business, started by William Gold in 1964.
Although it’s a large, worldwide organization, it still operates with the same personal, family values that have been passed down over the last 50+ years. EastPack is committed to delivering the highest level of service possible. Their motto is “Do the Right Thing, Not the Easy Thing!
A separate division of EastPack offers promotional backpacks, messenger bags, computer bags and other custom bags fabricated from various materials from polyester to nylon. These styles are popular with distributors, banks, hospitals, municipalities and others. All are available to photo specialty stores who may be interested in bundling a messenger bag, for instance, with some camera gear for a special promotion.
“Our prices are competitive,” says Gold, “but more important, we offer a really good bag.” Apparently EastPack customers agree on both counts, because nearly 98% of them return to buy bags again and again.
In addition to the very low minimum quantities, procuring packaging from EastPack is an easy and quick process. Turnaround time is typically a week—generally five to seven days after the customer has approved the artwork.
Another reason to buy packaging from EastPack instead of another bag supplier—they are experts at what they do. In addition they are totally up to date on stringent state recycling regulations. They are also experts when it comes to more obscure requirements. This includes handle types that are acceptable as per various government agencies.
“At EastPack, we try to create value. We also try to make a difference everywhere we go and with everyone we come in contact with,” Gold says. “Our entire team comes to work knowing it’s a great place to be, where everyone is inspired to be the very best they can be! We are also constantly nurturing a winning network of distributors and suppliers; together we create a mutual enduring value to all our clients.”
EastPack Contacts
You can contact Jeff Gold at 516-802-5460 or jgold@eastpackbags.com.
