Paris, London New York and other cities around the world are frequently travelled to as a means of shoppers satisfying their retail cravings. However recent changes in bagging policy have led to many of the most popular shops experiencing a shortage of paper bags.

This could have big knock-on implications for businesses and consumers. Keep reading to discover more about why paper bags are becoming increasingly harder to get a hold of in the worlds large shopping cities.

  • ‘single-use’ bags are still very much in demand by consumers

When it comes to grocery shopping, consumers have by in large made the switch to reusable bags, however the same is not true for the clothing industry. Due to some of the ‘spontaneity’ of trips, it can lead to shoppers forgetting to bring reusable bags.

Additionally there are not many bags for life which are designed specifically for clothes shopping. Plastic bag bans have led to shops adopting more replacement paper bags, however, the high demand means they are likely to run out at some point in the future.

  •  The war on plastic has set the aim of destroying the plastic bag market

Mounting environmental concerns have led to plastic bags being public enemy number one when it comes to plastic pollution, and for good reason. However, with the introduction of full-on bans, the lack of varied alternatives means many are switching to paper bags on mass. This additional strain could cause issues in the future, especially given the lack of experienced paper bag manufactures in some of the world markets.

  • Paper bag manufacturing is still an underserved market

Whilst the number of reputable paper bag producers has risen in recent years with the rise of internet businesses, they are still struggling to keep up with demand. This means there is still an opportunity for growth, especially in some of the developing countries which still have an overreliance on single-use plastic bags.

  • 5-year shortage predicted for the near future

With the increasing demand for paper bags putting additional strain on the industry, many are predicting a potential global shortage of paper bags within the next 5 years. This could have a bigger impact in cities where demand is already very high. Also in less developed and more isolated countries, the shortage could have a largely negative impact on the retail sector. Many feel that the shortage is an example that the plastic bag problem cannot be solved with another single-use product.

Expert paper bag manufacturers are going to be busy in the future

Increasing demand is good news for the paper bag industry with companies due to receive a lot more orders in the near future. If you are looking to stock up on paper bags for your store for the near future, try and go with a supplier that is an expert in the field with access to a large and high-quality supply chain.