Plastic bags are a relatively new item in grocery stores. They were not produced until the early 1960s and not in common use in grocery stores until 1982.
The bags were developed by Swedish engineer Sten Gustaf Thulin, who created them for Celloplast of Norrkoping Sweden. Celloplast manufactured the bags worldwide until Mobil overturned Celloplast's US patent in 1977 and other companies began to produce plastic bags.
In 1982, Kroger and Safeway were the first two grocery chains to begin using the plastic bags as an inexpensive alternative to paper ones.