October 2013 - WBC Blog

Creating bags for a wholesome market

Bags for Life 15 Oct 2013 Bobby Stearns

Whole Foods Market may be described as a supermarket in the US, but at least in the UK, it’s anything but. Selling the ‘highest quality natural and organic products’ available, and enlisting a varied roster of artisan producers to do it, we like them; primarily because they treat their suppliers as partners – with respect, fairness and integrity. Despite being essentially ‘a multiple’, Whole Foods Market manages to retain the service levels and personality of an independent retailer, and for that they get our thumbs up.

Social responsibility and environment concerns are high on the agenda for Whole Foods, obviously. So when they asked us to make their eco-friendly ‘bags for life’, we jumped at the chance. This case study looks at the concept for their bags and the combination of services they used to make them.

‘Gerry Loves’ helping you create excellence in your space.

Retail Display 11 Oct 2013 Gerry Moss

You’ve heard of the #PropShop, now get ready for Gerry Loves!

From billowing bundles of galvanised buckets to eccentric and dramatic butcher’s hooks, I delve into the world of retail props and visual merchandising fixtures and fittings to bring you my pick of the bunch, the crème de la crème, and the must have’s you’re unlikely to find anywhere else.

We totes make a fashionable appearance at the Serpentine

Bags for Life 11 Oct 2013 Bobby Stearns

Cult London based designers Sorapol recently launched their Spring/Summer 2013 collection at The Serpentine, and WBC were proud to produce a designer cotton tote bag to mark the occasion. Using our UK Express service, the Sorapol logo was printed onto a 5oz cotton shopper and given out to an audience of celebs and industry fashionistas.

Halloween is spookily good for UK retail sales

Hamper Inspiration / How to 7 Oct 2013 Bobby Stearns

It’s always been a thing Stateside – but up until recently, some of us in the UK could be accused of underestimating the importance Halloween has for annual sales.

Not anymore.

It’s big business now. It outsells both Mother’s and Father’s Day combined. It’s the third biggest retail money-spinner after Christmas and New Year. Plus it tops well over £300 million in annual UK sales. It’s not a passing craze.

Fair trade or organic cotton, what’s all the fuss about?

Bags for Life 1 Oct 2013 David Gould

Cotton. The world’s favourite fibre. Makes great clothes, comfortable bed sheets and lovely towels; it’s useful stuff.

Of course it makes classy bags for life too – light, strong and easy to print on. But should you be buying Fair Trade cotton? How does Fair Trade work anyway. And what’s the story with organic cotton? These are useful if not complex questions that more and more retailers are having to consider. So we asked bags for life guru, David Gould, the original founder of WBC bags for life, to give us his perspective. This is what all the fuss is about.

Giving Fresh Hope to Women In Need

Cocobagh Project 1 Oct 2013 James Hayward

We’ve sent DG out to Kolkata to investigate what the community most needs from us in terms of support.

David met with the local councils (or Panchayats) who have told us the community most needs work. Feeling a little daft that we hadn’t thought of that ourselves, we’ve listened and decided to set up a training project for widowed women who are the section of the community most ostracised and socially marginalised.