Last year went a lot differently than planned, but one thing we can count on is that a new year brings new goals. As we get into 2021, let’s look back at some of the major fitness, health and wellness trends we saw last year and consider how those will apply in the promotional products space…
Read MoreStaples Is Trying to Buy Office Depot Again (and Thanks to Amazon, It Might Work)
Five years after the Federal Trade Commission put a stop to it, Staples Inc. is once again trying to buy its old competitor, Office Depot. Staples has reportedly put up an offer of $2.1 billion for Office Depot’s parent company, ODB Corp. Part of the plan involves working directly with the ODP board to tailor a merger plan that fits within FTC confines…
Read MoreBiden-Harris Inauguration Merchandise: Streetwear Designs, ‘Party Boxes’ and Friendship Bracelets
With just under a week until President-Elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, the first batch of official inauguration merchandise is starting to trickle out. The Biden-Harris camp put fashion first with their products, consulting designers to make streetwear-inspired apparel items. The most interesting item, though, might be the friendship bracelet…
Read MoreLogomark Launches Virtual Brand Experience
Logomark, Tustin, Calif., announced the launch of the Logomark Virtual Brand Experience, a four-room virtual design center, where customers can explore Logomark’s broad range of products. With its state-of-the-art Virtual Brand Experience, Logomark has created a web-based environment that is easy to navigate, user-friendly and…
Read MoreTurning Dreams Into Reality With Kevin Harrington of ‘Shark Tank’
Kevin Harrington was an original “Shark” on the hit TV show “Shark Tank,” is creator of the infomercial and pioneered the “As Seen on TV” brand. His business ventures have produced more than $5 billion in global sales and his secrets to success have empowered many to turn their own dreams into multi-million dollar reality. Harrington joins host Greg Muzzillo on Million Dollar Monday…
Read More‘Warning Label’: U.S. Officially Bans All Cotton Imports From China’s Xinjiang Province, Citing Forced Labor
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol announced yesterday that it would seize all cotton products produced in China’s Xinjiang province due to the Chinese government’s oppression of the region’s Uighur Muslim minority. The vast majority of China’s cotton exports originate in Xinjiang…
Read MoreKoozie Group Debuts New ‘Keep It. Give It.’ Social Impact and Sustainability Commitment
Koozie Group, Clearwater, Fla., (previously BIC Graphic North America), has implemented an expanded social impact and sustainability commitment called “Keep It. Give It.” The program is new for the supplier, and aligns with its mission to keep the good going by leaving a positive, lasting impact with the solutions and experiences it delivers…
Read MoreNew Relationships, New Opportunities and an Upgraded Showroom: One Distributor’s Back to Business Virtual Power Meeting Experience
Olivia Scott, MAS, is owner and president of Promotional Partners Inc. She came away from a 2018 Power Meeting with notes and contacts she still uses today. She came away from a recent Virtual Power Meeting with all that and something extra: an upgraded showroom. Here’s how…
Read MoreAmazon Removes All QAnon Merchandise From Marketplace
On Monday, Amazon announced that third-party listings for QAnon merchandise would no longer be allowed on its platform, citing its terms of service, which prohibit selling products that “promote, incite, or glorify hate or violence toward any person or group”…
Read MoreTraditional Promotional Product Categories Bounce Back (and Other Product Demand Trends)
Our third look at the pandemic’s impact on the promotional products industry showed that sales are continuing to decline in the industry overall, but for the first time since the spring, the decline is starting to level out. More encouraging is that several product categories are now performing well compared to their pandemic lows—and some of them may be surprising…
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