Shopping bags are medium-sized bags, usually about 10 – 20 liters (2.5 – 5 gallons) in size (although there are larger versions, especially for non grocery shopping), and grocery shoppers often use them to carry their purchases. They can be disposable (disposable), can be used for other purposes (storage, can lining, etc.), or can be designed as reusable shopping bags.

In many European Union countries, plastic shopping bags are free, and it has become very common in the 21st century, but their use scope is becoming smaller and smaller, partly because environmental protection regulations make retailers charge for disposable plastic shopping bags.