Resilience of Ceramics Provides Long Lasting Opportunity
By the time the calendar rolled over to the new century the promotional products market was saturated with various types of drink-ware. By the time the calendar turned to 2010 it had reached a point where every single manufacturer in the industry produced the same goods over and over again. A few suppliers like MB Works broke outside the normal mold but none of the major players provided significantly distinct custom drink-ware.
That is until the fall catalog which is about to be released by Leed's which will knock the ball out of the proverbial park. They had already introduced a few new ones this year but the Mega Double Wall Ceramic Tumbler with Wrap adds not only a great looking piece to the line but also one with a giant capacity. They went ahead and included a vinyl wrap and a gift box which makes it very easy to provide this as a handout at a trade-show or corporate event. The price point is set a bit above that of competitors but what you get from this manufacturer is absolutely terrific service.
At about the same time Pendolare Double Wall Ceramic Tumbler brings a first of the kind wrap. Up until now almost all being offered were vinyl which provide some insulation and a gripping surface. The Pendolare Ceramic Tumbler uses neoprene which has very good insulating properties, looks and feels great on the hand. It also tends not to slip which was a drawback on some wraps from lesser brands. Like the earlier model it includes a gift box and large capacity. Standing at about 6.5" tall without the lid this custom tumbler matches the lid to the wrap. With both of these products the wrap will always match the silicone lid. With the neoprene most will go ahead and imprint in white while with the vinyl wrap the deboss will look best.
Drinkware continues to sell despite the recent slowdown. This is likely because it is actually useful and can be justified as a purchase that will do more than sit on a desk. The end user recipient will almost always keep the tumbler in use for a significant amount of time. One thing to make sure you mention to end users is whether or not the drinkware is dishwasher safe. Ceramic is dishwasher safe in almost all cases but please keep in mind the logo is not dishwasher safe and over time it will wear off. In reality you will probably get years out of the imprint before it washes off.
As we mentioned in an earlier post American Apparel is apparently stumbling in a major way this evening. It is widely rumored that a larger competitor may swoop in to buy them out much like what happened with Bic and Norwood.