Published: 10th Sep 2024
It's all in the bag!
With a history that spans a millennium, Borough Market is a cornerstone of London’s vibrant food scene. This thriving market, which includes stalls, restaurants and pubs is celebrated for its focus on food-with-a-story and how it connects, nurtures and benefits the communities that support and sustain it.
Operating as a charitable organisation overseen by a board of dedicated volunteers, its ethos includes championing sustainable practices and animal welfare. With a diverse food offering that has garnered global respect, it is now one of the city’s must-sees - and those who frequent it will agree that there’s a lot to love.
A historic London landmark, Borough Market holds a place in the hearts of its visitors which is why, over the years, there has been an increased request for long-lasting keepsakes.
What initially began as a small selection of merch, sold from the information office and merchandise cart, has grown into an official retail space, recently launched in 2019. And, with an opportunity to offer a more diverse range of branded items came the need for a trustworthy supplier base who would be able to meet customer demand while upholding the market’s core values of variety, quality and sustainability in shopping.
Why WBC bags?
Top-notch fabric bags were an obvious choice. An easy way to perpetuate brand visibility, endorse key messaging, encourage greater spending and be reused well into the future, they were the perfect vehicle to carry the Borough Market’s iconic identity. After all, who wouldn’t want one?
With our stellar reputation for having an impressive selection of sophisticated sustainable bags in the UK, we were approached to help bring the stakeholders’ store concepts to fruition.
Challenged with their need for a durable, high-end product that would match their design ethos, accommodate a quick turnaround and remain cost-effective, we embraced the task head-on, giving them a range of customised solutions that began our journey as a Borough Market merchandise partner.
Two years later, we continue to work closely with their branding team and constantly collaborate on innovative designs that delight consumers and seamlessly extend their reach – and are delighted by their latest feedback:
“We highly appreciate the connections we have established and intend to continue to share our spontaneous ideas with them in the future”.
Touching on our design ethos, they also commented that WBC works hard “to bring the market’s vision to life and makes adjustments that align perfectly with our ideas, meeting our expectations and requirements and ensuring that we are completely satisfied before orders are finalised. Deliveries are consistently hassle-free, even with the large volumes we order and are well packed and sealed. They always arrive punctually or ahead of schedule”.
Measuring the results
Continually on the lookout for tangible outcomes, we asked the market whether they had noticed an increase in brand recognition and sales and were delighted to hear that;
“Ever since we started producing bags with WBC, we have experienced a significant increase in demand across all our product lines. Our social media platforms are frequently inundated with inquiries and requests for our WBC stock lines, resulting in a four-fold increase in sales since the pandemic”.
Our quest to provide Borough with an extended range that includes a wider variety of high-end bag styles has also resulted in some great responses from patrons.
These include:
“These jute bags are iconic! I made a special point of returning to this dear store during my next trip to London to get more”.
“Being a bag enthusiast, this store is like heaven to me. I can confidently say I have at least two bags from each collection, and whenever I am in need of Christmas or birthday presents, I make sure to revisit”.
“Whenever I visit London, I make it a point to visit this incredible store and purchase a branded tote or jute bag. They are essential to me, and I simply cannot have enough of them. The quality is consistently reliable, as I have owned some of them for years”.
What WBC can offer you
If you’re looking for a product that will enhance your long-term brand identity, then a tote bag is a strong contender. Made from cotton or sustainable jute, we provide a full design service that includes personalised branding and bespoke customisations, allowing you to adapt a variety of elements to suit your image.
With our 50-year experience and expert team on hand to support your future endeavours, we’ve got your interests in the bag!