For many organisations, promotional merchandise sits in a modest budget category. It’s often event-driven, campaign-specific, and price-sensitive. That’s understandable. But treating merchandise as a short-term, lowest-cost purchase can create long-term inefficiencies - both financially and reputationally. From an industry perspective, I’ve observed a clear pattern: the cheapest unit price rarely delivers the strongest value. The Unit Price Trap Traditional procurement compar

I’ve spent the past seven years in the promotional products industry. In that time, I’ve seen a significant shift - not just in product trends, but in buyer expectations, procurement policies, and the broader conversation around sustainability. Promotional merchandise isn’t disappearing. In fact, in many sectors it’s growing. But what is changing is what  people are buying, why they’re buying it, and how   those decisions are being evaluated. Here’s what I’m seeing from insid