It has been a challenging 16 months, to say the least. We have all had to make significant sacrifices and changes in how we live, how we work and how we interact with each other. While many of us are now experiencing a major upswing in our daily lives, many industries are still severely impacted in the areas related to the global supply chain.
The promotional products industry is no exception. While any of the below hurdles would present enough of a challenge, the fact that we have a perfect storm of all really underscores the need for us to work together, well in advance, so we can set you up for success in the second half of 2021. The promotional product industry is specifically being impacted by:
Low inventory levels (especially with retail brands)
Price increases due to cost of raw goods and shipping containers
Increased shipping costs
Shipping delays
Labor shortages throughout the process, from production to distribution
The supply chain challenges, which are affecting virtually every industry and which are beyond our control, have potential to worsen amid the Q4 sales crush, possibly exacerbating stock scarcity and will cause delays in order fulfillment. This means it's the perfect opportunity to pull out a calendar and mark down every upcoming branded merchandise need for the next 6-12 months and order early. If you have not put in an order for holiday gifts or items for Q1 2022, now is the time to do so.
At Green Giftz, we will do what we can to mitigate risk and help set clear and realistic expectations. There have been instances where our team has informed a client we could not meet an in-hands date and those clients proceeded to order elsewhere, only to realize that "elsewhere" could not deliver by their in-hands date either.
Needless to say, this is truly a historic set of circumstances. We cannot stress enough the importance of connecting with your Green Giftz account manager as soon as your next gift need arises. Long gone are the days of rush orders or 7-10 business day production. At this point in time, we are expecting orders with one color / one location imprints to take 15-20 business days to complete (plus transit times).
As always, we appreciate the opportunity to help your business be top of mind and in front of more eyes. Now, more than ever, key stakeholders want to connect with your brand. Nothing achieves that awareness, equity and loyalty like promotional products, and it is our pleasure to help you bring those ideas to life.