Suppliers across the promotional products industry are upgrading and reinventing many of their services and tools based on the fast-shifting needs of distributors working in today’s shelter-in-place environment.
Among them is supplier Polyconcept North America, which is waiving drop ship fees on qualifying orders in the U.S. and Canada to enable distributors to ship promotional products to people’s homes. The move recognizes the recent shift to remote workplaces and virtual conferences, giving distributors a solution as they navigate a market that’s been drastically altered by the COVID-19 crisis.
The waiver on drop ship fees is available until further notice on Leed’s, Bullet, Trimark and JournalBooks orders of $2,500 or more, at up to 100 locations.
PCNA has also created a special online hub with sales tools focused on the remote workforce, appreciation for nurses and doctors, and more. The new online hub, which can be accessed at PCNA.com, includes product groupings, flyers, inspiration boards and more that distributors can share with customers.
“We know our customers are looking for new sales tools in this environment, and this online hub provides them in a single convenient location,” says President David Nicholson.
Supplier BIC Graphic NA has created a new resource page on its website to help distributors during the current COVID-19 public health crisis. The Clearwater, Florida-based suppliers’ Resources for Continued Success page includes timely flyers, relevant shareable content and weekly updates on BIC Graphic business operations from CEO David Klatt. The product sales flyers include relevant topics such as supporting health care heroes, solutions for delivery/takeout services, working from home, working out at home and learning/teaching from home. In addition, the site includes articles that were specifically written to be shared by distributors on their own blogs, websites or via social media.
BIC Graphic has also developed special offers to help with challenges unique to the current state of business. Customers can take advantage of up to 200 free drop shipment locations, including residential addresses, on all items fulfilled out of BIC’s Clearwater, Florida, and Red Wing and Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, locations. Free ground shipping is also available on all BIC brand writing instruments through May 31 as part of its take-a-pen, keep-a-pen initiative to limit the spread of germs via sharing writing instruments. There are also downloadable flyers featuring special offers on USA Proud items and BIC Sticky Note adhesive notepads. These flyers are available with space for distributors to add their own logo, and BIC Graphic urges customers to reach out to their sales reps for additional options.
Drop-shipping is also a service that small suppliers are quickly adding to their arsenals to help distributors get promotional products directly into the hands of recipients. The Riviera Towel Company in Santa Barbara, California, has developed a program called “Swag Home!” It gives corporate buyers who are dealing with cancelled trade shows and events the option of drop-shipping a branded product to their intended recipients’ home address thus keeping the advertiser’s brand top of mind and sending a positive note and caring gift during these uncertain times.
“Our favorite was an insurance company that sent their top sales performers a beach bag and towel, with a note that read ‘Sunnier Days Ahead,’” says company co-founder Albert DiPadova, adding that the company can help with customization and fulfillment. “Depending on the quantity of shipments, drop-ship fees only add $5-10 to the overall shipment, which is a fraction of the cost of flying a sales team to Vegas.”
DiPadova has a team set up to custom decorate products, usually with embroidery, and add a custom hangtag based on a spreadsheet of attendees. “Any supplier can do drop-shipping if they are set up for it or they can get a service bureau to do it,” he says. “As a concept for the industry as a whole, it’s a bridge we can use over the next couple of months to get through this.”
