BetterProcess.ca

21 listopada 2022

"BackBag"​ implementation - more convenient, even more green.

Do you think it is possible to reduce the number of plastic bags without reducing the benefits from their sale? In Poland there are popular large discount retailer chains, where we buy groceries every day. For example: Biedronka, Kaufland, Lidl, Dino and others. Most of them have a well-developed discount system, an integral part of which is a physical customer's card and/or an application installed on its smartphone.

WHY?

When I'm shopping in a grocery supermarket, sometimes I have to buy a bag at the checkout, because I don't have my own.

The reasons are different:

  • I did not plan to shop, I came spontaneously.
  • I did not predict the amount of purchases (so instead of the required two bags, I took only one).
  • Or just forgot to take a bag from home while going shopping :)

 

But in any case, it is an additional cost for me as a buyer, although at the same time it is an additional profit to the store. But it is also an additional burden on nature (despite the fact, that all those bags are supposedly "green" and recycled), which in my opinion can be avoided.

WHAT?

“BackBag” is a reusable durable shopping bag, made of recycled plastics (also cloth bag or plastic basket), that the buyer can take at the checkout and then return (if/when he wants to). Its cost is fully paid by the buyer, but when the BackBag is returned to the store, the full entire amount is returned to his bonus account in the application. Then this money can be used to pay for purchases.

For example,

during the month you took five BackBags (if its cost is 20 PLN/each, then in total you paid 100 PLN for them) and then returned them all one day. The store credited your bonus account with 100 PLN, for which you can make any purchases.

So, our targets are:

  • to implement a free BackBag - as an alternative to paid bags at the checkout;
  • to get an additional "green" advantage over the others retail discount chains;
  • create additional value for customers, who won't need to buy bags anymore.

 

HOW?

To understand whether this idea will be successful and what type of BackBag to choose, we need to explore the reactions and preferences of customers.

We need:

  • to do a testing in several stores of the retail chain, which currently sell the largest number of paid bags;
  • to start testing a reusable durable bag (disadvantage: impossibility of cleaning; one of the risks of rejection: disgust from using a dirty grocery bag) in store No.1;
  • to start testing a cloth bag (advantage: possibility of washing before the next distribution; reduced risk of rejection due to disgust) in store No.2;
  • to start testing plastic basket (advantage: possibility of disinfection before the next distribution - right in the store, where customers can see it; significant reduction in the risk of rejection due to disgust) in store No.3;
  • to analyze the results, if the conclusions are satisfactory - implement throughout the retail chain the "free" BackBag as an alternative to paid bags at the checkout.

 

Let's make big business greener and our wonderful world better!


If you would like to comment on the idea, please visit this page: 
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/backbag-implementation-more-convenient-even-green-anatolii-melnyk

© Author: Anatolii Melnyk

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