Safeway recently eliminated handles on its paper bags, citing supply chain shortages, but after receiving complaints, the company has since restocked the original bags with handles at some of its locations.

The customer backlash was reportedly swift over Safeway’s decision to switch to paper bags without handles. While Hollywood would like to believe that handleless paper bags persist throughout the ages, most people consider them a thing of the past. They’re a pain to carry, plain and simple.

As the Chronicle reports, Safeway's parent company Albertsons reconsidered its decision and announced that some stores have been re-stocked with the original bags with handles.

It’s unclear which Safeway stores are currently stocked with paper bags with handles, as the chain reportedly hasn’t released a list of which locations have begun carrying them again. Staff at one of the stores said they've been quickly running out whenever they're re-stocked, and most Bay Area locations are still stocked with mostly handleless bags, according to SFGate.

Albertsons said its initial decision to forgo handles on its paper bags was due to supplier issues. SFGate notes that an update to California’s plastic bag ban went into effect January 1, prohibiting plastic bags in stores in cities that previously didn't have bans.

Based on a report from KGO earlier this week, Safeway may still be allowed to carry heavy plastic bags with handles, as SF's local plastic bag ban, which is written differently, overrides state law.

Image: A Safeway supermarket shopping bag is seen in a domestic kitchen,  Lafayette, California, February 24, 2026. (Photo by Smith  Collection/Gado/Getty Images)