FYI…

From: Jennifer Bertels <jen@varsity-marketing.com>
Date: Wednesday, September 15, 2021 at 1:51 PM
To: Patricia Stilen <stilenp@umkc.edu>, Bree Sherry <sherryb@umkc.edu>, "Giuliano, Molly" <giulianom@umkc.edu>
Subject: Promotional Product and Apparel State of the Industry

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Hello!

In these crazy times I just wanted to share with you, the current state of the industry for promotional products & apparel, and how we can help you get the products you need when you need them.

Unfortunately, we have many products in harbor stuck on ships. Product supply lines are being stretched to the breaking point due to factory closures earlier this year in China and elsewhere.  Labor shortages are taking a toll on decorators here in the US as well. 

I have never seen shortages like this in particular with t-shirts and polo shirts, but it encompasses almost all apparel and promotional products.  This means that product availability is strictly on a first come first served basis and when inventory is out we don’t always have firm replenishment dates.  To add to the stress we have been receiving notifications of production times running into 30 days vs. the normal 7 – 10.  We have also experienced several shipping issues due to simple keying errors or new delivery drivers. 

We are hearing horror stories about missed event dates.  Fortunately, we have not had these issues affect our customers and their events.  We want to keep that winning streak going!  To ensure we meet you needed timelines please order as early as possible!  That will help us to lock down product, and current prices for you.  We are happy to warehouse, and ship to your event. We can drop ship directly to your recipients, and we do offer and kitting and shipping as well.

Again, the key to our successfully fulfilling your orders is to place them as early as possible. 

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Ships waiting in the harbor to be unloaded:

Thank you

Jennifer Bertels

913.905.3030

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