Wegmans incentive for reusable bags

Wegmans has announced a new incentive to get you to use one of their reusable shopping bags. The grocery chain is giving a coupon for $1 off every time you use it.

The reusable shopping bags come in various colors and cost $1. They’re supposed to last about two years. The $1 off coupon is good on a variety of products over the next eight weeks.

“Something has to remind me to bring it in from the car into the store,” said Janet Musshafen, a Wegmans shopper at the Chili Paul store Tuesday. “They are very convenient to carry.”

Wegmans introduced reusable shopping bags in 2007. Since then, they’ve sold 3 million of them. “Over the last number of years, we’ve had customers who have asked us to please cut down on the number of plastic bags and paper bags that we’re using in our stores,” said Jeanne Colleluori, a Wegmans spokeswoman. “The whole challenge with reusable bags is remembering to bring them back with you when you come into the store. So if we offer them a coupon each time they bring it back, over a period of weeks we’re hoping that it will create this good habit, and it’ll just become second nature when they come grocery shopping.”

“I do know my mother uses them,” said Loni Tebo, another shopper. “And I probably should invest in one. And if Wegmans is going to give us a coupon, I think that’s great. I’d absolutely jump on the bandwagon for that.”

Wegmans says because of the reusable bags, and re-training checkout cashiers to pack in a better way, the chain has used about 880-million fewer plastic bags since 2007.

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