Aug 11, 2021
Have you taken a road trip to an amusement park yet this summer? Well, if you have, even the wildest ride can’t compare to the roller coaster of the past 18 months, and these challenging times have rattled suppliers in the promotional products industry to the point where distributors, like us, are left with few options but to inform and prepare our customers so they’re not left in the lurch.
So this is us, telling you… TO PLAN AHEAD.
Why is this happening? COVID-19, of course. The good news is that when restrictions started to lift, demand increased. The not so good news is that demand increased so quickly, some industries weren’t ready for it, and global sourcing was thrown into disarray. The result? Ongoing supply chain issues and delays in order fulfillment, likely through the end of the year, and possibly into the first half of 2022.
Jeremy Lott, CEO and President of SanMar, one of the industries largest suppliers, reacted to the situation recently by stating, “Tremendous shortages in yarn and other raw materials is hampering our ability to re-inventory.”
This “hampering” will impact our ability to re-inventory as well, so we’re asking all of our loyal customers to please place your orders for Q4 ASAP. We want to ensure that we can continue to exceed your expectations during this challenging time.
We’re fortunate that we’re in tune with all of our vendors and have rock solid relationships, so we have the advantage of insight into the situation. We also have a dedicated staff assigned to researching the shortfalls and shipping situation daily. If there are slight increases and pricing does go up, our plan is to communicate those increases to you as they come, so please bear with us, and remember, the earlier you get your orders in, the better chance we’ll be able to hold on to pricing.
Thank you for your continued support of our business during this challenging time in our industry, and for trusting College Hype with your custom screen printing and embroidery needs. We won’t let you down.