About 80,000 Swanndri reusable shopping bags will go on sale in the coming weeks. Photo / Supplied
About 80,000 Swanndri reusable shopping bags will go on sale in the coming weeks. Photo / Supplied
Some dads have apparently been doing it tough since the Government announced the plastic bag ban.
Finally they have no excuse to avoid the weekly shop. Enter, the Dad Bag.
It looks just like a Swanndri jacket, complete with the infamous plaid design.
Foodstuffs and NZME-owned radio station The Hits, have partnered up with outdoor clothing brand Swanndri to create a range of reusable shopping bags designed to catch the eye of male shoppers.
Researchers from Penn State University in Pennsylvania recently found that some men avoided reusable shopping bags because they did not want to appear "feminine".
They found that many men associated putting groceries into an eco-friendly bag, rather than a plastic one, as un-manly.
The Hits' Dave Fitzgerald, Brodie Kane and Cody Trillo-Feely hit on red, blue and green Swanndri bags for male shoppers.
"There may be subtle, gender-related consequences when we engage in various pro-environmental behaviours," Penn State professor of psychology Janet Swim, who participated in the study, told the New York Post.
The idea for New Zealand's Dad Bag came about when Christchurch radio hosts Brodie Kane and Dave Fitzgerald of The Hits' Brodie and Fitzy show were talking about the lack of reusable bags targeting male shoppers in June. The Government banned retailers from using single-use plastic bans from July 1.
"We were talking about the challenges of going from plastic to reusable bags, just because we've been in such lifestyle habits," Kane told the Weekend Herald.
"Fitz and our producer Cody were talking about how hard it is to remember the bags, and they were thinking that there weren't really any bags in the market that are aimed to pique the interest of a dad.
"You've got beautiful floral ones, but there wasn't something to encourage our men to remember their bags. We sort of had an epiphany, and were like 'the Dad Bag!'."
Brodie Kane and Dave Fitzgerald of the Brodie and Fitzy show on The Hits came up with the idea for the "Dad Bag".
The trio approached Foodstuffs with the idea.
"We had a brainstorm in terms of what iconic [brand] was a great reflection of Kiwis ... we took some calls from listeners as well and quite a few came through suggesting Swanndri."
Swanndri was keen.
"It was like a successful episode of Dragon's Den," Kane said.
The bag will go on sale for $5 in 143 New World supermarkets in a few weeks.
Antoinette Laird, Foodstuffs' head of corporate affairs, said 56 per cent of men shared the responsibility of grocery shopping for the household.
"New World is renowned for its bags, but they are a bit more feminine.
"Twenty, 30 years ago it was more traditional for the mum who did the shopping but, particularly in the cities, more and more households have both partners working, and that really is changing the way people shop.
"Data shows dads and partners have been stepping up for quite some time personally, and we're seeing it in stores. People are coming in with all the different bags. I think New Zealanders are really embracing the opportunity to be able to make a difference for the environment, and using reusable bags is a way to do that."
Laird said the bags - which "filled the gap with a more male-centric offering" - were limited edition and only 80,000 would go on sale.
