Key Takeaways
• First Market Study: This is the first comprehensive study of the estimated $230 million promotional products market in Argentina, conducted by supplier Zecat and the Argentine Chamber of Promotional Products (CAMAP).
• Product Preferences: Unlike the U.S. market where apparel dominates, Argentinian distributors focus more on drinkware, bags, stationery and hats. Apparel is only the top product category for 6% of surveyed distributors.
• Client Demands: Speed is a crucial service for Argentinian clients, with 60% placing orders fewer than seven business days in advance. Quality and price are other top attributes clients look for, with a preference for lower prices when forced to choose.
It’s no secret that promo is everywhere – extending across countries and continents as the industry continues to become more global.
Case in point: the first-ever study of the promotional products market in Argentina.
Zecat, a promo supplier based in Buenos Aires, and the Argentine Chamber of Promotional Products (CAMAP) – which is headed by Zecat’s Founder and CEO Mariano Zegarelli – released a comprehensive report focused on 2023 sales and key insights into consumer behavior earlier this year.
“This first market study is a fundamental step in understanding and strengthening the promotional products industry in Argentina,” said Paz Arancedo, Zecat’s head of strategic projects. “At Zecat, we believe that fostering research and data-driven insights is key to professionalizing the sector and identifying opportunities for sustainable growth. Our goal is to continue developing these studies to provide valuable information for all industry players.
Key Sales Figures
Zecat is one of about 10 suppliers in Argentina that serve roughly 3,000 distributors across the country for an estimated total market size of $230 million, said Arancedo. The country has the third-largest GDP in Latin America, behind only Brazil and Mexico.
The distributors surveyed for Zecat’s report who provided 2023 sales numbers accounted for $39.7 million of that revenue.
Apparel – which makes up close to 50% of promo sales in the U.S., according to ASI’s annual State of the Industry report – is less of a focus for many Argentinian distributors, the report found, with just 6% naming it as their top product category.
Most In-Demand Product Categories for Argentinian Distributors in 2023
“Drinkware” and “Bags” – also major players in the U.S. promo market – topped the list, followed by stationery. Apparel was a less common answer.
Instead, more commonly reported top categories included drinkware, bags, stationery and hats, all of which are also popular in the U.S. market. Vacuum flasks – or tumblers and similar temperature-regulating products – rounded out the top five.
The markets where promo was most in-demand in Argentina also contrasted with the top industries in the U.S. Retail was number one in Argentina – it ranked sixth in 2023 sales for the U.S. – followed by laboratories and agriculture. By comparison, education and healthcare (the two top markets in the U.S.) generated less demand in Argentina.
Industries Generating Highest Demand in 2023
The Argentinian’s top industries for promo are retail, labs and agriculture. U.S. promo’s top two sectors (education and healthcare) aren’t as prominent.
What Clients Want from Sales Reps
Another key distinction between Argentinian buyers and the U.S. market? Speed.
Six in ten clients place orders fewer than seven business days in advance of when they need the items – with about one in five giving just one or two days’ notice, the study found. ASI’s research on the U.S. market shows, in contrast, that just about a quarter of orders require a five-day or fewer turnaround time.
And those rapid orders don’t necessarily come from clients who know exactly what they want – two-thirds of customers either need full proposals to fulfill their campaigns or ask for help defining options.
Argentinian Clients’ Purchasing Timelines
End-buyers are highly focused on speed, with 6 in 10 requiring less than a seven day turnaround for their orders.
Despite this emphasis on speed, delivery times only came in third on the Argentinian distributors’ list of the most in-demand features of their promo products.
Topping the list was quality, followed closely by price – but when clients are forced to choose between the two, the order flips. Sixty percent of customers would pick lower prices over higher quality if they can’t have both.
Most Important Attributes of Promo
Quality products are important to Argentinian clients, but price follows close behind.
