Election merch has yielded its share of stories for us over the last year, especially when the Democratic Party had so many contenders to unseat President Donald Trump. The President has factored into our coverage, too, and it’s his desire to ensure the legitimacy of goods surrounding his reelection that led his campaign to issue…
Read MoreGemline Announces Expansion Into Hand Care Category
Gemline, Lawrence, Mass., announced today its expansion into the high-demand hand care category. Gemline has partnered with two leading personal care brands—Soapbox and Beekman 1802—to offer a range of hand care kits to help keep customers healthy in their homes, workplaces and wherever they travel. Soapbox was founded in 2010 with a simple mission: to…
Read MoreThe $349B Small Business Financial Assistance Fund Runs Dry as Legislators Disagree on Next Round of Relief
The Hill reported today that the $349 billion set aside for small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic is gone. The Treasury Department and Small Business Administration have reportedly gone through all of the funding allotted for the Paycheck Protection Program, as well as $10 billion in emergency relief loans…
Read More7 Essential ‘Stay at Home’ Promo Products
Now that we’ve been quarantined for a few weeks, we’ve finally adjusted to our new routines. We’ve also realized how many basic things we don’t have that would make the can’t-leave-the-house life a little bit easier. Here are seven “stay at home” promotional products we wish we had (or had more of) that your clients might also be able to use…
Read MoreProof Positive: Productive Things to Do Right Now For Yourself and Your Promo Business
It is easy to get mired down in “what if” or “oh my” or “how am I going to,” but for me, I come to most situations looking to be optimistic. I am working to stay positive. This is easier for me, today, because my business, Sharp Ideas, is a small company. That being said, we do have overhead, we do have expectations and we do have a lot of challenges…
Read MoreWill Coronavirus Change the Way Countries Source Apparel? In the U.K., Domestic Textiles See Increased Demand
The coronavirus pandemic has upended markets all across the world, and has forced countries to make changes to the way they do business and how they source products. In the U.K., domestic textile businesses have seen an uptick in business as demand still exists for textile products, but companies are wary…
Read MoreHow One Promo Distributor Landed a Pretty Large Customer: the U.S. Census
What do you look for in a big order? You want the end-result to be worth your labor and energy, right? Maybe you want to be part of something bigger. Nick Mirabile, vice president of merchandise and licensing for Stran North America, Quincy, Mass., told us about a promotion that fit both criteria: marketing the U.S. Census…
Read More3 Common Promotional Products Disasters (and One Distributor’s Advice on Resolving Them)
Promotional products businesses face plenty of challenges, some bigger than others. Tom Levy, vice president of sales and marketing at Global Sourcing Connection, Riverwoods, Ill., shared some specific instances of disasters he’s had to overcome in his 10 years as a distributor—and how he handled them…
Read MoreWhat to Do When Things Go Wrong
The coronavirus has shut down huge swaths of the economy, putting a big dent in a lot of distributor and supplier sales. As you navigate your current situation, it can serve as an ideal time to plan for future disasters. No matter how small or large a problem may be, having a plan in place to resolve it will be a great tool for the future…
Read MoreDelta Apparel Shifts Production to Produce Cotton Face Masks to Help Fight Spread of COVID-19
Delta Apparel, Duluth, Ga., announced that it will leverage its manufacturing facilities to begin producing cotton face masks. The company has joined a coalition of iconic apparel brands that are responding to urgent calls for companies to help produce face masks during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Once fully ramped up, the coalition expects to produce…
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