Bret Mealing, owner of SC Embroidery & Screenprinting, a promo distributor and decorator based in Columbia, S.C., explained how he expanded his apparel decoration business and helped a nonprofit create a branded merchandise program that grew into the organization’s second-largest revenue stream…
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PRO Act, Bill That Threatens Independent Contractor Status, Passes House
The PRO Act (H.R. 842), passed in the House with a 225-206 vote on Tuesday. The bill, intended to support workers in the gig economy by making it easier for them to unionize, would effectively eliminate independent contractor status on a nationwide level. The bill now heads to the Senate, though it is unlikely to…
Read MoreHow Brands Used Merch to Celebrate and Give Back on International Women’s Day
Yesterday was International Women’s Day, and brands seized the opportunity to celebrate inspirational women and draw attention to important issues or causes. Some of them even did it through merchandise, with clever twists on their branding or items designed to give back. Here are a few of our favorite examples…
Read MoreRecord Snowfall at Major FedEx Hub Caused Even More Shipping Delays in Another Setback for Shippers
FedEx is facing prolonged delays due to winter storms at its Memphis hub last month. The centrally located Memphis hub is FedEx’s largest, chosen in part due to the nearby Memphis International Airport rarely being closed due to winter weather. But, “rare” does not mean “never”…
Read MoreThe Louvre Turns to E-Commerce, Branded Merchandise Partnerships Amid COVID
The Louvre, arguably the most famous museum on the planet, has lost about about $108 million as a result of the pandemic, forcing it to find new ways to generate revenue, just like anyone else. So the museum began leaning heavily on branded merchandise and e-commerce, even teaming up with Uniqlo for a…
Read More10 Strategies to Maximize Sales From Existing Customers With Annual Reviews
We’re now a full two months into 2021, but one of the most common New Year’s Resolutions I hear centers around growing business with new and existing clients. We all know that gaining new clients takes a lot of time and energy, so why not put that same amount of energy into maximizing sales with existing clients?…
Read MoreGoogle, Amazon and Social Media Sites Ban Face Mask Ads, Making PPE Sales Difficult
Online platforms like Facebook, Google and Amazon have made it nearly impossible (or actually impossible) to sell or advertise face masks, creating problems for suppliers, distributors and even some end-buyers. Two distributors shared their experiences and how they’ve worked around the advertising bans…
Read MoreProposed Legislation to Protect Unionizing Rights Would Effectively Eliminate Independent Contractor Status Nationwide
The Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act (H.R. 842) would, among other things, prevent American employers from “misclassifying” their employees, preventing them from receiving union benefits. In doing so, it would essentially eliminate independent contractor status, with major implications for promo businesses…
Read MorePromotional Totes and Bags: Product and Decoration Trends, Sales Ideas and More
With vaccine rollout underway, a return to business-as-usual (or something close to it) is coming. But the heightened safety measures brought on by the pandemic will likely remain in place for some time. Here’s where promotional totes and bags fit in the current market, and some ideas for selling them…
Read MoreBAMKO’s 2020 (Non-PPE) Promotional Products Sales Increased by 11%, Overall Sales Up 88% to $202M: Analysis
We’ve watched BAMKO closely over the last year, as the distributor has been one of the promo industry’s biggest success stories during the pandemic. Now, the company’s full-year and Q4 results are in, giving us a complete picture of BAMKO’s sales and providing some valuable insights for the rest of the industry…
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