Business & Export · Bag Encyclopedia
Bag Packaging Options
Packaging is the last brand touchpoint before the bag hits the customer's hand. Three tiers cover the range — baseline retail, premium unboxing and gift/e-commerce. Match the tier to the RRP and channel; over-packaging kills margin, under-packaging kills perceived value.
Tier 1 — polybag baseline
The default OEM packaging on every bag. A folded bag inside a clear or opaque LDPE polybag, sealed at the top with a self-adhesive strip. Every polybag must carry a suffocation warning under EU/US safety rules.
- Film: LDPE 0.04–0.06mm thick; too thin tears in transit, too thick wastes plastic.
- Print: 1–2 colour brand logo screen-printed on the face.
- Recycled content: 30–100% PCR LDPE available with matching pricing.
- Compliance: printed suffocation warning in the destination-market language(s).
- Cost: US$0.05–0.15 per polybag depending on print and PCR content.
Tier 1 — hangtag
Attached to the zipper puller by a printed cotton string with a plastic seal or safety pin. The hangtag carries the brand, style name, SKU, size/capacity, care icons, RRP and barcode.
- Stock: 300–400gsm coated card, or 350gsm uncoated kraft for craft/eco tone.
- Print: 4-colour process both sides; spot UV or foil for premium tiers.
- Finishing: rounded corners, punched hole, cotton string in brand colour.
- Barcode: EAN-13 or UPC-A printed on the reverse; check digit auto-generated.
- Cost: US$0.05–0.20 per tag depending on print and finish.
Tier 2 — dust bag & tissue
Adds an inner non-woven dust bag around the folded bag inside the polybag or gift box. Signals premium and doubles as a storage/travel bag for the customer.
- Non-woven polypropylene 60–80gsm; drawstring closure.
- Screen-printed brand mark, 1–2 colours.
- Tissue wrap — 17gsm coloured tissue with a branded seal sticker; adds unboxing texture.
- Cost: US$0.35–0.80 per bag for dust bag + tissue combined.
Tier 3 — printed gift box
For premium retail and e-commerce hero SKUs. The bag ships inside a full-colour printed corrugated box sized to the folded silhouette, often with a magnetic-closure lid or die-cut window.
- Board: E-flute or F-flute corrugated for structure without bulk.
- Print: 4-colour lithography wrap; matte lamination + spot UV for premium.
- Closure: tuck-flap for basic, magnetic hinge for premium.
- Insert: die-cut EVA or paper pulp cradle to hold the bag shape.
- Cost: US$1.20–3.20 per box; adds 40–60% to per-unit CBM.
Master carton & shipping label
Retail packaging goes inside a corrugated master carton for the container. 10–20 bags per master carton is the sweet spot — small enough to lift, large enough to fill the container ceiling cleanly.
- Master carton: 5-ply corrugated for volume duffels, 7-ply for wheeled/heavy SKUs.
- Shipping mark: PO number, SKU, quantity, gross/net weight, CBM, made-in-Pakistan.
- Barcode: SSCC or GS1-128 for retailer DC compliance where required.
- Bag-in-a-carton dry pack: 2 silica gel sachets per master carton in humid transit routes.
Pick a tier by channel
| Channel | Recommended tier | Adder cost |
|---|---|---|
| Team kit / club supply | Polybag + tag | US$0.15–0.30 |
| Wholesale to sports retail | Polybag + tag + barcode | US$0.20–0.40 |
| Direct e-commerce | Polybag + tag + dust bag | US$0.60–1.00 |
| Premium DTC hero SKU | Gift box + dust bag + tissue | US$2.00–4.00 |
Need a packaging spec on your bag PO?
Send your channel and RRP band — we'll return a packaging tier, artwork checklist and per-unit cost.