Do Yourselves and Your Clients a Favor… ACT NOW AND PURCHASE YOUR HOLIDAY GIFTS!

 

The holiday season is promo’s busiest time. Want to fully capitalize?
We encourage our clients to order in advance or risk the worst.

Navigating the challenges of getting year-end branded merchandise in 2021 is becoming more difficult than ever. We encourage you to start NOW and proactively plan for the holiday gifting season. Stress is not something you need to add to your plate and if you wait, you will surely experience lots of it. Thinking ahead will give you the best chance of securing the products you desire when you want them. It may seem an odd thought process given that winter hasn’t even officially started, but in fact, this directive should be followed by every company and organization in North America that is looking to secure branded goods – starting immediately.

Why? Because the supply chain issues that have triggered rising prices, inventory shortfalls, longer production times, and related fiascos within promo appear here to stay for 2021 – and potentially into 2022.

The supply chain challenges, which are affecting virtually every industry and which in general are beyond the control of promo suppliers, have the potential to worsen amid the Q4 sales crush, possibly worsening stock scarcity and delays in order fulfillment.

ALSO READ: Supply Chain Shortages and Inventory Shortfalls

Because many suppliers, like companies across industries, are struggling to establish adequate staffing levels given the economy’s current jobs glut, delays in getting orders decorated and shipped could possibly lengthen. Add to that the fact that domestic transport carriers are stretched and could be further so given all the late-year shopping activity… and in promo, the reality is that last-minute orders just might not make it on time as they have in the past during the fourth quarter. Of course, no one has a crystal ball. Things may turn out far better. More shipping containers may suddenly become available, more space on cargo ships/planes may magically open up, and port congestion and domestic transport problems that hold up deliveries may alleviate, all of which would make it more feasible for suppliers to import necessary inventory and restock quickly to satisfaction. Job market dynamics could switch too: Employers could again be in the driver’s seat with a wealth of eager workers to choose from, helping them to hire in full and fulfill orders faster.

But those sunny-day scenarios don’t seem likely to happen – at least not all of them at once. Do you really want to rely on things “just working out”? Better to hope for the best and plan for the worst. And in this case, that means proactively planning now with clients for Q4 and getting orders in early wherever possible. We live in the real world too. We know some clients just aren’t going to want to hear it and are going to put off ordering until the last minute. There will also be unforeseen opportunities and complications that arise in the fourth quarter and we’ll just have to react and adapt. Still, every order you can get in early – especially if you are looking to recognize key customers is one less you have to handle when the Q4 frenzy is in full swing.

Do yourselves and your clients a favor: Act now and purchase your holiday gifts! You’ll be thankful you did.