Holiday Time Flies
Some of the most popular brands cannot be imprinted directly, but this is usually not a problem. “What we found is that there are different types of buyers,” Riordan explained. “A lot of people aren’t that concerned with [imprints] and they just want to give a real nice gift.”
The use of branded products is part of a large and widely cited trend in the promotional products industry of end-users demanding products similar or identical to retail products. Ryan Shui, merchandiser at Norwood Promotional Products, Indianapolis, said as a result of this interest, many products geared to the holiday season or meant to be used as holiday gifts are domestic in nature. She said following retail trends has brought many kitchen, bar and drinkware items to the industry.