Functionality Essential to Stationary Success in Technology
For years ASI and PPAI suppliers have released tired old designs in terms of padfolio and portfolios. No matter how many ways you adjust the layout or change the underlying material a simple paper carrying padfolio is not exciting nor is it unique in any way. This year and with the introduction of one of the most popular technology devices in the ebook type readers manufacturers are stepping up and delivering flexibile and functional gifts just in time for the holiday season.
Polyconcepts has left Bullet Line dragging in the dust with no new apparent releases late season. Their larger line Leed's has come out with an entirely new catalog for September featuring the Elleven Zippered Padfolio which breaks from tradition in offering not only the regular writing padfolio but has included a soon to be patented techtrap storage. Instead of trying to conform to a particular device the mesh scuba elastic bands allow the end user to put the latest book readers including the iPad and Kindle as well as phones and even small netbooks. Keep in mind there is no padding as you would see with a backpack or computer bag but this is after all a regular writing pad. The dobby material is also different and the large decoration area on the front provides plenty of options. Most customers will elect to go with the debossing as it looks better and for whatever reason only single color imprint is allowed by the manufacturer.
The new Elleven line will eventually expand to just under a dozen pieces. Right now they are focusing on maintaining plenty of inventory to feed hungry distributors as we head into one of the busiest seasons of the year. Although they appear to have missed the mark with a few items such as the technology organizer that cannot hold the newer tech gadgets they have done a good job overall and we expect to review more items in the near future.
Irritation from Comfort Colors – Dye Allergy
Back a few months ago I ordered a bunch of t shirts for an upcoming promotion we were having in June. The shirts arrived and looked great. I took about four or five of them for personal use and proceeded to wash them in cold water. Within two minutes of turning on the machine the tub basin was filled with a mix of inks. Three months later and perhaps twenty wash cycles later I still cannot wear the shirts as they irritate my skin terribly.
What I never fully understood until doing some research is how dangerous some of the chemicals used in coloring textiles may be to humans. Acetamide which is used in some acid dyes was recently added to the California EPA list of compounds known to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity. Another chemical used in some dyes is Nitrobenzene which is highly toxic and easily absorbed through the skin. These are all constituents of some of the harsher dyes but even the more simple dyes can be irritating especially if they are not done properly.
In the case of the comfort colors shirts I bought to this day they stink. By that I mean they smell bad. Compared to the exact same style and color shirts purchased last year there is a permanent odor and texture to the shirts that is downright uncomfortable. The minute they come out of the cabinet you can smell them and note the difference. It's a chemical smell and one that immediately irritates skin and I have never had any sensitivity to shirt dyes. What is probably most disturbing is that it is near impossible to get a listing of what brands use which dyes in their products. The long and short of the story is when purchasing a new shirt product you may want to go ahead and order a single sample first. Five months later I still cannot wear the shirts I picked up earlier in the year at all and they are soon going to the landfill for donation to those in the need. I have no idea what dyes are used in the Comfort Colors line but I do intend to ask as this is a socially and environmentally responsible company.
Alarmingly it is impossible to find much information on dyes. In order to gather even this limited information I had to search a bunch of different sites and piece the information together. I have sent emails to the major shirt manufacturers and plan to update with a new article as soon as I hear back from them all. I do also wonder if this dovetails with the ASI inventory problems article I wrote last night. Could quick production be to blame?
Supplier Product Line Expansion Magnifies Inventory Problems
By now just about everyone is aware of the major stock issues present in the promotional products industry this year. It has gotten so bad that in many cases products that were released in January have never been available to the majority of the distributors in the industry. Leed's as one of the dominant suppliers has had entire segments out of stock at one time or another and the news does not appear to be improving with their new fall catalog.
A recent article in ASI places the blame on many issues external to the actual suppliers. That is fine but how can it be that the 62" Tour Golf Umbrella which just became available six days ago is already back ordered into October? Truth be told the moment it went live on the manufacturers site is was already unavailable which much like the fiasco from earlier in the year probably indicates the item was never ordered in sufficient quantities to be available to the entire market. The other alternative is that they never should have put this umbrella in their fall line as it was not available in the first place. This is the same syndrome that we all went through last year and again this year with items like the laptop bags that allowed the customer to get through the checkpoint quickly and easily.
But is the ultimate problem the result of an assortment of problems like shipping containers being taken by the highest bidder or overseas stimulus as the inventory crisis article in stitches indicates? Those excuses partially explain the problems experienced the first half of 2010 but do nothing to explain why suppliers are making the same mistake again this fall. Instead of trying to release new products to stay ahead of one another they should stock the ones they already launched. They have not learned a thing from their earlier experiences and that is evident from a quick check of Leed's site where you will see they are already short on dozens of products just released last week. Perhaps this is the Achilles heal of the huge supplier in that they cannot carry the core items in large quantities because inventory dollars are tied up carrying hundreds of items that will end up failing and be put on the clearance rack. In the end this makes the job of the individual distributor almost impossible as they cannot sell with confidence and right now few suppliers are immune. Gemline seems to be carrying sufficient stock and when they run low they get items back in quickly. Primeline also seems to be able to maintain high inventory levels and at the same time they return to inventory items that get back-ordered very quickly. Leeds on the other hand continues to lag with the site being full of "call for inventory" messages including many of the soon to be popular but unavailable fall line items. Their motto this fall is "a return to giving" and all that many of us ask is that they give us some inventory which would be the greatest gift of all.