Summer may be winding down, but sales opportunities are heating up for the fall. As the seasons change, focus shifts from summer vacations to year-end goals, and these promo trends are a great way to put your customers in prime position to succeed.

Kitting
As outlined in the 2021 State of the Industry, kitting is a trend that’s here to stay. Bundling similarly themed items works great as a welcome package for returning to the office, a college orientation goodie bag, a charity event grab bag and much more. While just over 30% of distributors offer some form of kitting, more than 70% of those with $1M+ in yearly sales do so, suggesting that this is an advantageous trend to jump on.

College Merchandising
Following a recent Supreme Court ruling, NCAA athletes are finally able to profit from their name, image and likeness. With more than 480,000 student athletes in the U.S. suddenly able to become entrepreneurs, there are plenty of promo opportunities for the taking, namely in apparel and memorabilia.

Sustainability
The increased demand for sustainable products was evident during ASI Show Chicago. Some of the most successful efforts came from Totally Bamboo (asi/91565), which focuses on eco-friendly desk accessories and kitchenware, and Fred Go Products Inc. (asi/55448) with their CapTaggers for plastic water bottles.

To help your business make the most of this rising trend, ASI is hosting a webinar on September 16 that will focus on how to incorporate sustainable products into your next campaign. Register for Capitalizing on Sustainability today.

E-Commerce
Retail establishments were experiencing a steady decline before 2020, and the pandemic only accelerated the public’s reliance on e-commerce. As Cathy Verhage of Casta Marketing Group (asi/490056) puts it, “The presence of e-commerce was booming and changing lives anyway. The pandemic just forced adaption quick and with a lot more intent.” Sharp increases in Company Stores powered by ESP Websites, pop-up shops and inventory management systems show that this is a trend that will continue to flourish.

For more information on these trending topics and much more, check out the 2021 State of the Industry in its entirety.