Flat Paper Merchandise Bags in Brown and White Kraft, Wholesale

What are merchandise bags used for?

Not every sale needs a handled bag. A greeting card or a pair of earrings looks lost in a shopper with handles. It also costs you more than it should.

A flat merchandise bag covers the item, keeps it clean and slides into a purse or coat pocket. Card shops, museum stores, pharmacies, bookstores and craft fairs use them at the till all day.

• Greeting cards, postcards and gift cards
• Jewelry, hair accessories and small cosmetics
• Socks, ties, wallets and phone cases
• Art prints, calendars and posters laid flat
• Small hardware, buttons and craft supplies

How is a flat merchandise bag made?

A merchandise bag is a single sheet of light kraft folded once and glued along the bottom and one side. There is no gusset, so the bag lies completely flat when empty.

The open end is often cut with a serrated edge. The teeth make the top easy to grab and open one-handed. They are also kinder to fingers than a straight cut.

Because there is no base, the bag stays thin even when full. Customers can tuck it into a book, a laptop sleeve or a jacket pocket on the way out.

What size flat bag fits a greeting card?

A standard greeting card with its envelope fits in a 5 × 7.5 inch bag with a little room. For larger cards or two cards together, a 6 × 9 inch bag is safer.

Measure the item flat. Allow roughly a half inch of width per side, plus an inch of length. Thicker items, such as a boxed watch, need more width because the flat bag has no gusset to expand. For items with real depth, look at our gusseted paper bag sizes chart instead.

Light paper on purpose

Merchandise bags use thin kraft, usually around 50–60 gsm. That keeps a stack slim enough to sit under a counter and keeps the cost per bag low.

The light paper is fine for flat, small goods. It is not meant for anything heavy, sharp or wet. A pair of scissors or a glass jar needs a stronger, gusseted bag. Our gsm and basis weight comparison shows where merchandise bags sit against heavier styles.

Brown kraft or white kraft merchandise bags?

Light brown kraft looks natural and hides small marks. It suits craft fairs, garden shops and bookstores, where a handmade feel fits the stock on the shelves.

White kraft looks crisper and makes a printed logo brighter. Pharmacies, card shops and gift stores often pick white for a cleaner till. Our comparison of kraft and white bags covers the look and print differences in more detail.

Can a flat merchandise bag be printed?

Yes. Because the bag is flat with no gusset, the whole front is usable print area. A one-color logo in the center or near the bottom is the usual layout.

Keep artwork away from the serrated top, where it would be cut through. Leave at least an inch of plain paper below the teeth. On light paper, very heavy ink coverage can show through to the inside, so a simple mark works best. Some shops print a web address or social handle on the back, so the bag points customers online.

Tips for using merchandise bags at the till

Small bags get used fast, so set them up where staff can reach them without thinking.

• Keep two sizes by the register: one for cards, one for small goods
• Store the stack serrated end up, so staff can grab a single bag
• Turn the serrated top down and seal it with a logo sticker for gifts
• Slip the receipt in with the item to save a second bag
• Keep stacks away from the drinks area; light kraft marks easily

Merchandise bags for markets, fairs and events

Craft fairs and pop-up markets run on small sales. A stack of flat bags takes almost no room on a table. It also costs far less than handled bags you may not need.

Event organizers use them too. A printed flat bag makes a neat sleeve for a program or a sticker sheet handed out at the door. Museums and galleries slip postcards and prints into them at the gift counter.

If your market stall also sells bakery items, keep them separate. Our paper cookie bags suit single treats better than a plain merchandise bag.

Mistakes shops make with flat bags

The biggest mistake is ordering only one size to keep things simple. Cards rattle in a large bag, and thick items split a small one.

The other common slip is using merchandise bags for boxed or heavy goods. A flat bag has no base, so a box stretches the seams. Choose a handled bag or a bag with a gusset for anything with depth. Our brown kraft bags with handles are the usual next step up.

How to order paper merchandise bags

Send us the sizes you need and whether you want a logo.

1. List the flat sizes, or tell us the items you sell.
2. Choose light brown or white kraft.
3. Say plain or printed; upload a logo for print.
4. Our written reply prices the job, from $0.30 per bag.
5. Approve the free proof if your bags are printed.
6. Bundles are made in 4–6 business days. Shipping to US, UK, Canadian or Australian addresses is free and tracked, and the parcel lands 2–3 business days later.

When the stacks arrive

Merchandise bags come stacked flat in bundles, so they take little shelf space. Open a bundle and check the size and print on a few bags.

Keep spare bundles sealed until needed; open stacks pick up dust and curl in humid rooms. Problems with print or damage? Photograph them and send them to us inside 10 days, and we reprint or refund the bags.