The holidays are almost here!
As in most other industries, the promotional products and decorated apparel industries’ busiest times are during the holidays. Mainly the rush is leading up to Christmas (December 25th) and New Years (January 1st). Once things start rolling there can be delays across the supply chain, from inventory shortages to decorator overscheduling and shipping delays. This may be especially prevalent this year due to labor shortages and difficulties sourcing raw materials.
That being said, there are a few steps that can be taken to make your order one of the least stressful parts of your holiday.
Order Early
For bulk orders, I recommend ordering before Halloween if at all possible. This avoids the busiest times of the year, and will make sure that you receive your order in time for all of the major holidays.
If that’s not possible, allowing at least a month before your event will give you the best chance of receiving your order on time. In the case of ordering late, a shorter timeline may be achieved through added rush fees (if the decorator has time in their schedule to accommodate).
Another thing to keep in mind is that prices usually increase in January, so it’s a good idea to order before then if you know you have an order coming up (even if you don’t need them for the holidays). If your company has allotted a marketing or merch budget for the year, now is also a good time to use it up before it is reset in 2023.
Get Organized
Map out your the holiday season events so you know what’s coming and can place orders in plenty of time. Here are some common holiday events you may want to watch out for:
- Holiday gifts
- Holiday party favors
- End-of-year budget clearing
- Higher sales rates during the holidays (especially Black Friday and Cyber Monday)
Be Flexible
Oftentimes, especially during the holidays, your first choice of garment won’t be in stock in the ideal color, or things may cost a bit more to make happen on time. In some cases you may need to place a smaller order for your event and then a larger order later to replenish your stock.
Meet Deadlines
- To receive by Christmas, have bulk orders paid for by December 2nd.
- To receive by New Years Eve, have bulk orders paid for by December 9th.
- For collections and gifts (orders under 6 items), place orders by December 11th.
