When bad bags get worse

[ShinyGreenApple]

I hate the bags we use at our store. We're usually almost running out of them, they tear easily and we're constantly double-bagging light items that shouldn't need to be. And then we get a batch like yesterday's . . . they stick. You try to pull off one and it clings to the one behind it with a vengeance. If one finally manages to rip the two apart, the second bag's handle is broken, rendering it pretty useless.

It's driven both us and the customers absolutely batty. They pull bags off the carousel to put in their carts and three more come with it. They apologize and pull off the extras and by the end of the transaction I'm stuck with a pile of loose bags. It's not any fault of the customer, but arrrrgh, it's enough to make us crazy.

[Chromatix]

If I describe how awesome Finnish shopping bags are, do you promise not to beat me in a fit of jealousy?

[Sheldonrs]

If I describe how awesome Finnish shopping bags are, do you promise not to beat me in a fit of jealousy?

Nope.

[bainsidhe]

Depending on how the bags are sticking, does your carousel have three tongs? You have the outer two that hold the bag handles and the center tong that holds a center tab on the bags? If so, try putting a paper clip/piece of paper/piece of bag through the middle of the center tong and in front of the bags. This prevents the bags from all sliding off each time you grab a single bag. A lot of our bags would stick at the center tab. If your bags are sticking at the handles...well you're screwed, sorry.

[ShinyGreenApple]

Depending on how the bags are sticking, does your carousel have three tongs? You have the outer two that hold the bag handles and the center tong that holds a center tab on the bags? If so, try putting a paper clip/piece of paper/piece of bag through the middle of the center tong and in front of the bags. This prevents the bags from all sliding off each time you grab a single bag. A lot of our bags would stick at the center tab. If your bags are sticking at the handles...well you're screwed, sorry.

They're sticking both places, actually. But someone came up with the bright idea of sticking golf tees, of all things, in the center tong, and it works surprisingly well. I just wish they wouldn't keep disappearing! I mean seriously, are customers stealing them or are cashiers throwing them away/taking them home?

[bainsidhe]

Did we work at the same location? One of our cashiers came up with the idea of using golf tees, which worked very well. Except for the always losing them part, I mean. Which is why we resorted to inserting pieces of bags or anything else handy. Pretty much anything would work.

[ShinyGreenApple]

Often people will wad up paper towels into a tight roll and stuff them in there too, but that looks really gross IMO. At least to me, wadded up tissue = something someone used to wipe a mess. A hasp would probably be pretty handy though, but I doubt we'll be able to store-use that many hasps. We have 36 registers up front alone, with anywhere from 3-6 racks on each one.

EDIT: Well, not a hasp, per se, but the actual term escapes me at the moment. It's shaped like a big chain link and you screw and unscrew the bolt to make the opening bigger or smaller.

[Chromatix]

Sounds like a carabiner - which is used with clmbing ropes etc. Those things are not cheap enough to use in bulk, no. I suspect the same goes for the various vaguely similar implements stocked by chandlers.

What about horseshoes?

[Geek King]

Sounds like a carabiner - which is used with clmbing ropes etc. Those things are not cheap enough to use in bulk, no. I suspect the same goes for the various vaguely similar implements stocked by chandlers.

There are things made that look like carabiners, but are not made to the same stress tolerances. Usually sold as key rings near registers at all-in-one-type stores. Being much cheaper, they may do the trick.