This year, the Masters looks a little different. Rather than the scheduled April tournament, the event will happen in November and with no fans present. So, with no one coming to Augusta to watch, what’s the plan for the merchandise store, which usually brings in around $50 million a year? Will it still be exclusive somehow even when it’s sold online?…
Read MoreAuthor: Brendan Menapace
FDA Expands Dangerous Hand Sanitizer List to 163, Adds New Criteria
The FDA has expanded its list of potentially harmful hand sanitizer products, as well as adding a new component that qualifies a product for the list. Previously, the list only included products containing methanol or manufactured in facilities containing methanol, but it now includes the ingredient 1-propanol and some ineffective products…
Read MoreAntiviral Clothing Is Here, But Does It Actually Work?
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, certain product categories and technology have skyrocketed in popularity. Hand sanitizer demand went through the roof, PPE products are still in frighteningly high demand and low supply, and now, apparently, antiviral apparel is coming to market…
Read MoreUrban Outfitters Pulls USPS Branded Apparel After Online Backlash
Urban Outfitters has been selling USPS-branded apparel at typically high prices. But shoppers were dismayed to find out that none of the money actually goes to the USPS. In response, Urban Outfitters reportedly pulled the items—a $250 hoodie and $125 T-shirt—from its online store. The products were designed by streetwear brand…
Read MoreThe Best of the DNC Merchandise as Convention Goes Virtual
With the Democratic National Convention going virtual, organizers had an opportunity to expand the merchandise offering a bit. There are still plenty of Milwaukee-centric items, touching on local culture like dairy farming and using the outline of Wisconsin, but there are things that play into the nationwide viewership…
Read More2020 Inc. 5000: What Promotional Products Companies Made the List
Each year, we dig through the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. to see which promo companies made the list. Here are the ones we found. While there are many traditional promo businesses on this list, not all of the companies we included fit the standard supplier/distributor profile…
Read MoreDye-Free Future? Australian Scientists Hack Cotton DNA to Grow All Different Colors
Researchers in Australia’s national science agency think they’ve found a way to tweak the molecular code of cotton so that it grows in all different colors. So far, they’ve created cotton in red, gold, purple and black in petri dishes, and hope to create reproducing plants in the near future. The implications for apparel manufacturing are pretty huge…
Read MoreSurvey Indicates These Major Industries Are Increasing Their Marketing Budgets
In a Merkle survey of industries such as health care, retail, finance, tech and nonprofit, 52 percent of respondents overall said they’ve increased their marketing spend over the last few months. For promotional distributors, this may be an indicator of the verticals that are able to spend some money again…
Read MoreApple Accused of Sourcing Employee Uniforms From Factories Connected to Forced Labor
Apple is facing criticism after shipping records revealed that it sourced apparel from a Chinese company facing U.S. sanctions for using forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region. The apparel was most likely uniforms for Apple Store employees. The timing is especially poor, as Apple CEO Tim Cook recently told Congress that he would not tolerate…
Read MoreHPG Combines ‘Foodie’ Appeal and Hard Goods With Batch & Bodega Brand Launch
HPG this week announced the launch of Batch & Bodega, a new brand that brings the supplier into the food gift category, bundling exclusive edible products from across the country with popular hard goods from HPG’s catalog to create unique kits. Customization is a huge part of these “batches,” and customers can choose design elements like high-end retail packaging and handwritten notecards for added personal detail…
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