Product Hub CANADIAN NEWS February 12, 2026
ESP Data Shows Canadian End-Buyers Sought Classic Product Categories in 2025
An economically challenging year led to distributors searching for tried-and-true items and lower-cost alternatives to retail brands.
Canadian distributors’ ESP searches in 2025 indicate a focus on classic promo categories as economic and trade pressures impacted end-buyer demand.
Brand-new data from ASI Research shows that “pens,” “water bottle” and “tote bag” were the top three products searched in 2025. Meanwhile, “golf” came in seventh and “tumbler” was ninth for the year – that category was firmly in U.S. tariff crosshairs due to the presence of aluminum and steel content in many industry styles.
There were also a few noteworthy year-to-year increases – including a 197% surge in searches for “fidget” (indicating renewed interest in a once-popular category that now includes cubes, pop-its and pens) and a 42% rise in searches for drinkware brand “Owala,” available in the industry exclusively from ETS Express (asi/51197), an independent subsidiary of Counselor Top 40 supplier PCNA (asi/66887).
At the same time, trade uncertainty and high costs in 2025 put a general downward pressure on end-buyers’ budgets, as indicated by significant decreases in demand for brand names like “Stanley” (down 41%), “Yeti” (down 29%) and “Carhartt” (down 24%). Demand for “awards” was also down 34% compared to 2024.
Searches for “fidget” increased 197% between 2024 and 2025. (ASI Research)
“With the ups and downs of 2025, it’s no surprise that distributors relied on classic, stable products,” says Hannah Rosenberger, data analytics editor for ASI Media. “Higher business expenses and an elevated cost of living meant that brand-name items may have been out of reach for clients, but promo remained a solid advertising option in other ways.”
Meanwhile, a combination of promo stalwarts, seasonal items and even a retail brand topped the list in Q4 2025. “Blanket” came in at number two, ahead of extreme cold across North America, and “Yeti” was seventh for the quarter as end-buyers planned year-end celebrations and first-quarter events.
Among the top search increases for the quarter were “hand sanitizer” (up 547% from the same quarter in 2024) and garment bag (up 374%), in preparation for Q1 events. Meanwhile, “mug warmer” and “hand warmer” were up 217% and 104% respectively, as winter set in. “Mini hockey stick” was up 388%, perhaps in anticipation of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, and “patches” were up 514% – “personalized accessories” were named Counselor’s 2025 Product of the Year.
The last quarter of the year also showed that end-buyers were backing off retail brands – “Yeti” and “Owala” were both down 30% (though “Yeti” still managed to crack the top 10 terms for the quarter), while “Stanley” was down 27% and “Carhartt” 17%.
Even with the malaise that characterized industry activity in 2025, particularly in the first half, Christine Courtemanche, vice president of Linéaire Infographie inc. (asi/253727) in Laval, QC, says she’s optimistic for 2026, though clients continue to be cautious with spend.
“The beginning of the year is crazy busy,” she says. “We’ve been asked to find items below $1, and we’ve also noticed that sticky notepads have been very popular since the holidays. Bottles, lanyards, mugs, totes, lapel pins, pens, notebooks, beanies, caps and T-shirts are in high demand right now, and we’ve also noticed a return in demand for USB drives.”
Danny Braunstein, the Winnipeg-based director of client success for Counselor Top 40 distributor BAMKO (asi/131431) in Canada, says end-buyers are “cautiously optimistic” as the industry heads into a new year.
“They’re certainly aware of economic headwinds, but they’re also strategic,” he says. “There’s a general sense that while budgets are tighter, promo products remain a critical, high-ROI tool for marketing, employee engagement and customer loyalty. We’re seeing a shift from ‘nice-to-have’ orders to strategic investments that deliver measurable impact.”
Searches for “Yeti” and “Owala” were both down 30% in Q4 2025. (ASI Research)
Braunstein says that, while demand for retail brands still exists, his team is also being asked for lower-cost alternatives that offer a similar aesthetic. Also in demand: BAMKO’s JoyBox kits of themed products and premium outerwear.
“We’re seeing a continued emphasis on high-utility items that offer a long shelf life,” says Braunstein. “We’re also seeing a major uptick in products related to wellness, experiences and bespoke custom manufacturing. Think items focused on mental wellness, better home office setups and locally sourced goods. The most successful products will be those that feel intentional, not merely transactional.”
Canada’s interest rate rose to 2.4% in December, up from 2.2% in November, and major layoffs at conglomerates like Amazon and in the public sector as part of cost-cutting measures are the latest blows to job market confidence. In late December, a CTV News/Nanos Research survey found that Canadians want the House of Commons to prioritize the rising cost of living in 2026, followed by jobs/the economy and trade negotiations with the U.S.
Indeed, relations between the U.S. and Canada have been frosty for the past year – President Donald Trump recently threatened to implement 100% tariffs on Canadian goods if Prime Minister Mark Carney signs an official trade agreement with China. Carney has said Canada needs to readdress its trade relations and examine possible partnerships with countries besides the U.S. The Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement is also up for its first scheduled review this summer.
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