Tote Bags - The New Must Have Accessory

We’ve all been there. You spend a half hour to an hour in the grocery store shopping, you get to the checkout line and realize you left your reusable grocery bags in your car. What do you do? Do you ask people to wait while you run out to your car or just give up and take the plastic or paper bags? Admittedly, I’ve done both and lean in the direction of just accepting my wasteful fate and opting for the plastic. That’s not very eco of me, I know!

It’s frustrating because the main reason you have totes is for the grocery store. But honestly things are changing and totes have become an accessory people actually become emotionally attached to. I know that sounds crazy, but it’s true. People buy totes that have band names, political views, photos, or the name of somewhere cool they’ve been and they carry them around in place of backpacks and purses.

We love to express ourselves through accessories and canvas totes offer a blank…uh…canvas to show how we feel or where we’ve been. The imprint area is big so it allows for more detailed art and messaging than smaller promo products. Plus they are functional and versatile so it’s no wonder they’re becoming a must have accessory.

We’ve also seen a shift towards the nicer canvas ones and that is likely due to their rise in popularity. We used to do a lot of the non-woven ones, which are great for groceries but not as nice to carry around every day. According to market research by Technavio, the tote bag market is worth $334.5 million. Dior makes one that retails for over $3,200! I’m not sure I would advocate for a tote that costs as much or more than a nice vacation! But when designer brands are getting in on the action you know there’s a reason.

Despite the Dior pricing totes are also really affordable. And the canvas ones have a higher perceived worth so people feel like they’re getting something nicer and are willing to spend more on them. There are lots of different sizes and handle lengths. Some have gussets while some are thinner for books or a tablet. There are lots of options!

Tote bags offer options that can be difficult to come by with other products. You don’t have to worry about altering your art to fit a small imprint area, you can size them to what you feel your client base would gravitate towards, and you can get creative with your messaging. Any way you decorate them, tote bags are tote-ally rad! I regret that immediately.