Igloo coolers just released a co-branded promotion with Whataburger, adding to an impressive list of companies that work with the Texan chain (and to Igloo’s existing list of merchandise licenses). It also just released a line of stainless steel drinkware products as it seemingly looks to go toe to toe with Yeti…
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Strict lockdowns in China have already caused supply chain issues ranging from cargo backlogs at ports where workers tested positive to canceled orders at small factories facing cash-flow problems due to backed-up inventory. While these issues have so far indirectly impacted the promo industry, new and sudden shutdowns in the city of Xiamen are having a more immediate effect…
Read MoreThere are two big obstacles standing in the way of jackets and outerwear sales: a changing market still rebounding from the pandemic, and a shaky supply chain that’s making product pricier and harder to find. Let’s take a look at both of those challenges and explore some ways to address them…
Read MoreThe Sonic Swag Shop, the drive-in restaurant’s e-commerce store, is now full of new T-shirts, can coolers, socks and pins. That’s all plenty exciting for Sonic fans, but one item from the drop has already sold out: a replica of the tumbler that “America’s Got Talent” judges use…
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As part of our 2021 Top Distributors list, we asked some of the top-ranked distributors about how they fared during the first year of the pandemic, their thoughts on the industry, their future plans and more. Here, we talked to Marc Simon of HALO Branded Solutions, the No. 1 company on this year’s list…
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For many distributors, the coronavirus pandemic has been a mixed bag of challenges and opportunities, ups and downs. That helped shape our newly combined (and expanded) 2021 Top 75 Distributors list. According to our data, the top 75 print and promotional products distributors totaled $6.79 billion in 2020 sales…
Read MoreAward shows always go all-out for the gift suites for nominees. This year’s Emmy Awards event is no exception, with merchandising experts estimating that the gift set is worth $104,825.98. It was also filled with luxury versions of various promo favorites, plus a personal photo printer from HP…
Read MoreJohn Cena and the WWE created a themed merchandise bundle that included apparel, caps, autographed pictures and an exclusive NFT. They created 1,000—with Cena involved in the design process—thinking they’d sell out quickly. In reality, they ended up selling just 37. “This idea failed,” Cena said. But why?…
Read MoreSpaceX just sent four non-astronauts into orbit, with the promise of more commercial trips in the future from other companies like Virgin Galactic. But the trip didn’t just include the lucky crew members—it also included merchandise from the voyage’s sponsors, like stuffed toys promoting a Netflix show and custom space-themed watches from IWC…
Read MoreAccording to data published by CNBC, the historical average change in online prices for apparel was -1.08% from 2015 to 2019. In August of 2021, the price of apparel online rose 15.52%. To compare, the next-highest rate was nonprescription drugs, which saw an increase of 4.66%…
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